> I had a client whose baby wasn't a sleeper and wanted to be carried
all
> day.  I did my best to get her to use a sling, even loaning one so
that she
> could see how great it was.  Baby loved it, and slept between
feedings
> allowing mom to do some things around the apartment.  But she gave
it back
> to me, finally admitting that the above book had scared her away
from using
> it.
>
> I am always amazed at Americans who see only what *we* do, and what
we've
> done in the last 50 years, as the only healthy way to live with
babies.
> There is a constant effort to make science out of our anti-child
behaviors,
> and not to see the rest of the world and their history *at all.*
>
> All of these practices are programmed to foster the sense of
isolation and
> detachment that pervades our American culture. Again and again I
hear my
> clients saying that their HCPs warned them against getting too
attached to
> their babies. And again and again the mothers heed the warning, against
> their natural instincts.

...

> Perhaps you could steer her to Dr. Sears' The Baby Book.  His
chapter on
> baby-wearing is very covincing--and I have seen some of his
children and
> they aren't misshapen of body.


Another _excellent_ book is "Our Babies, Ourselves", by Meredith
Small, which addresses all of the above, from an anthropological
survey point of view.  I imagine that you may already be familiar
with this book, and that it has probably been discussed regularly on
this list, but I feel compelled to mention it.  It's an _excellent_
treatise - in fact we intend to make it required reading for our own
childbirth classes, once we start teaching!

Anne
Jessica - 8/28/78
William - 4/11/98
Tazi, Nika & Ryzhik - our canine kids
Shakespeare & Sonnet - our kitties

I am: Mom, Attorney, Professor, Childbirth Educator (in training)
Founder & Director - Western N.Y. Mother's Milk Drive (1978-1979)
My own favourite baby-related tips: http://www.dadsrights.org/annie/kidtips.html

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