Self fulfilling prophecy

I was reading a blog the other day about people in the UK being very negative about child rearing. It's almost like if we focus on the positives, we're bragging.

I completly agree, Edward is such a delight and the most happiest boy I've ever met, but do I dare say this to anyone? No, because as soon as I do I am reminded not to speak too soon, just in case he turns bad. It can't be all good, was one of the comments, which immediately made me try and find something negative to say. I believe that if a child is labeled "naughty" then this can be a self fulfilling prophecy.

When Edward was a new baby, he cried constantly and I remember clearly being told he was a screamer and a potential difficult baby. I was so determined this would not be the way, that I hid how much I was struggling from the world and only admitted the positive things. And guess what, Edward has turned into a delight, I wonder if this was a self fulfilling prophecy too. I am sure it is.

No more biting

I am so relieved to be writing this post, Edward hasn't bitten me for a few days now. It must have been teething related because one tooth has popped through.

Next time we have a few days of biting I can re-read my previous post and rely on the fact that the biting won't last forever. I am so glad we've come through that problem because I love breastfeeding so much. Nothing can beat the intimacy and closeness of feeding my baby. Like any relationship, we've had our ups and downs, but the good times have returned and it was well worth persevering.

Breastfeeding getting tough (again)

Hello again,

Breastfeeding has suddenly got tough, Edward is nine months old now with four teeth and he's had me in tears when he bites me. Some people say maybe he doesn't want feeding, but I am sure he does and once he has bitten me I try and put him down, which makes him cry because he really wants a feed.

A friend said I should promptly push his face into my boob so he releases. Which I do, but if I let him back on he instantly bites me again. I can't help but make a slight noise because it hurts. This is a huge problem, I dread feeding him now, which is not good in this hot weather. Just writing this down is upsetting me because I love him so much and want to continue feeding him myself.

Note to self I need to find support on Monday about this problem.

"A very hungry baby"

Edward 1 day old

This picture reminds me of the early days when Edward fed every twenty minutes and for hours at a time. I think he would be considered "a very hungry baby". It was hard work and I can honestly say without the support of my husband I would have given up. We stayed in hospital for a week after his birth and Edward would only sleep snuggled up next to my breast. So that is where he stayed and I stayed awake for a week unwilling to let him cry in a cot. My only salvation was when my husband arrived with a willing pair of arms so I could catch an hour's sleep. He would distract him for as long as possible, so I could sleep.

Drawing a line

After a series of events recently, I've decided not to go back to work and become a full time mummy instead. It wasn't a difficult decision at all really, I think becoming a mother changes you in ways you could never imagine. All I have to do is look at my ever changing little boy and I know I could never leave him.

We had a really rough night last night and I am not stressed at all, because I know we can eventually nap later and make it up, but if I was working full time I would be really moody now and resenting Edward. This would have changed our relationship.

I would have had to rush his breakfast and getting him dressed, even if he was crying. Argue with Charlie, this would be inevitable because we would both be stressed. Then if we were running late, we would have had to rush Edward to nursery with hardly any time to kiss him goodbye for the day. This would break my heart but I would have been so exhausted. Then I would be making silly mistakes at work and have my boss breathing down my neck about that also.
Yes, we've made the right decision!

I worry about money and surviving on one wage, what happens if my husband loses his job, how would we cope? I am going to try and be frugal with money, this isn't a skill I have at the moment, so I'm looking for some inspiration.

Things I do to save money

Use reusable nappies
Walk everywhere
Shop for food online
Breastfeed

Co-sleeping

I have an 8 month old son and I have been co-sleeping with him since he was about 2 weeks old. It has been an amazing journey that started out purely to get some extra sleep. I am convinced that mother and child should not be separated at night, for the reasons I am listing below:

• It helps babies thrive! Edward eats just as much at night and spends longer at the breast, therefore getting more hind-milk, the fatty stuff (also good for brain development).

• It's the kindest thing to do. We often put Edward to bed earlier than us and sometimes he wakes up crying. During the evening we respond to him very quickly, but if this happened at night, it would be terrible, for all of us. This way I can respond to him quickly and appropriately.

• I have a huge problem with what feels like dumping Edward in a cot and leaving him there. Even with a baby monitor it will still feel like I am abandoning him. At the moment he wakes up a tiny bit and I feed him back to sleep, if he was in a different room, we would both have to wake up fully, which would mean we would both get less sleep. Unless we're willing to let him cry it out or force feed him food to fill him up, both of which we are not willing to do.
  

• Edward sleeps better. He sleeps lighter than I do, so if he wakes up, he knows he's not alone and goes back to sleep or has a feed. I'm sure we share similar sleep cycles as I often wake up at the same time as him. We sleep in harmony.

• I tend to stay close to Edward during the day, I don't see why I should parent him differently at night. We've chosen to follow the attachment parenting method and we're happy with this choice because it feels natural to us.
  

• It's good for my marriage. Yes I know that might sound strange, but because we all get a good nights sleep the house is a happier place to be.

• We are a happy family and very happy in our decision to co-sleep. Edward can decide when he wants to go to his big boy bed, I can assure you that he won't be sleeping with
  us when he is 15. Edward is the most contented boy I've ever met, so we must be doing something right!

• Marriage. Yes I know people must be thinking what about my marriage, it is fine thank you, as I said before Edward goes to bed early, so we get plenty of adult time alone.