I used to have night-waking babies who slept with us and began to sleep all
night and in their own beds at some point. Now I have teenagers driving and
dating, and dogs.  The dogs wake me up every night.  They come and rest their
chins on the bed and breathe on my face until I get up to let them out.  Then
they bark stupidly at cats or owls or whatever until I get back up to let
them in.  Babies are a lot more rewarding, and in retrospect, I'd have done a
lot less complaining about disturbed sleep had I known what I was in for with
these other dependent creatures with whom I am joined at the hip.

When clients ask me about sleeping issues with babies, toddler (or pets) I
figure they are paying me money for my opinion. I share what data I have from
various sources  anthropological, etc, but I couple that with the observation
that over the years I've watched countless adults struggle with family of
origen issues which can almost always (at their most basic level) be
catagorized as abandonment issues.  This generally brings nods of agreement.
 Then I observe that the gurus who have been dictating parenting behavior for
most of this century haven't been noticably successful in reducing the number
of dysfunctional or unhappy people. If anything, the number of adolescents
who would just as soon kill you as look at you has increased. Mostly because
they have always been treated as if they were inconvenient.  I tell parents
that the child and the decisions are theirs. Many people will tell them many
things about how to raise children, but that fear of abandonment starts in
infancy. It is an act of mercy and a gift to the future to spare the child
that particular burden as best they can.

Do I have the right to say such things?  Sure.  Hundreds of  equally
opinionated people give contrary parenting advice in print and make tons of
money. I figure my advice provides some balance.  People are free to chose.
Barbara Wilson-Clay. BSE, IBCLC  priv. pract. Austin, Tx