too tired to be witty!

On the verge of being a mom for the 4th and 5th time, I have a few insights! Maybe better categorized as observations, or experiences or well just my 2 sense.  First of all I would love to write a book called...Every child is different, or You have to do what works for you, or maybe even...Parenting for your lifestyle type (ok...I took that one from "eating for your blood type!).  But really hear is the skinny.

1. You have to parent for your lifestyle. I am not a rigid person, so those certain books out their that put you on a strict schedule are not for me. 
2. We really try to read the "cues" of each child. 
3. I don't believe that you should schedule feed your child, or limit their intake.  Unless maybe they are like my chowhounds and eat up to 40oz by the time they are 6 weeks.  So what to do?  Common sense...we put oatmeal in their bottle.  They where not getting satisfied and eating that much made the reflux much worse.  BTW...they are far from obese...in fact devin is so thin now...we are trying to find ways to "beef" him up!
4. Formula does not make them fat.  I was led to believe that breastfeeding  reduced that chance...and Yes I BF...but I will tell you that while I BF'd they were the chubbiest! And Again, I will not kill myself because "breast is the best."  I will attempt again to BF and if it doesn't work...well thats the way the ball bounces.
5. Sleep.  RARELY do babies sleep through the night before 12 weeks.  So don't kill yourself, thinking they will.  Sleep is one of the single most important things to me!  But I realize their is a time when they are ready and for my kids that was between 12-14 weeks.  And here is when I become rigid.  If they start sleeping through the night on a reg. basis...I do not get up and feed them in the middle of the night...no way jose!  The only time we cave is when nothing else works to sooth them. 

HERE IS FUNNY THINGS about HOW I got our kids to sleep through the night!

1. Grace...Slept on tummy.  The back to sleep campaign did not work for us b/c she had silent reflux and would choke. She once aspirated...so she was put on a sleep apnea monitor and we put her to bed on her tummy.   By 6 months she was off and all was great.
2. DEVIN...he would sleep long periods in our bed, but not in his?  hmmm....we finally wondered if it was our sheets.  So like the crazy people we are, we found 600+count sheets put them on his crib and there you go...he slept away.  Whenever on a trip...the one thing we never forgot...the SHEETS!!
3. ROWAN...BLANKETS...he liked it "cushy"  and I still never get over that SIDS fear, but we took his magic bed (fisher price rocknsomething) and put baby giraffe blankets under him.  He couldn't roll over and he was swaddled a lot of the time...so their really was no risk.

So the point of this is not to say don't follow the recs from your Ped  but to say sometimes common sense can win out.

OK so my last rant is Pacifiers.  Baby's natural instinct is to suckle.  Please do not get confused... I personally do not believe that they will get nipple confusion from them.  They figure out really quick were the meal comes from!

I can't leave without posting a picture!  Good night!

Comments

[Tara]

I totally agree. I was the furthest thing from a rigid parent. I was a "whatever works" kind of mom. Aidan slept best on her side when she was little so we got a sleep positioner and helped her sleep propped up on her side. She started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks old, I definitely didn't look a gift horse in the mouth! I let the kid sleep and fed her when she was awake. I knew we had a lot in common!! :)