Parents Mag article

"Leslie" wrote in message
...
Anybody read the latest issue of Parents? I don't know why I bother--it
always
gets me angry--and this issue was even more full of garbage than usual.

There's an article on preventing SIDS. There is NO mention of the
preventive
effects of breasatfeeding, but there is a diatribe against co-sleeping:

"2. Don't let your baby snooze in your bed. It's tempting to bring your
newborn
into your bed, at least occasionally. And more moms and dads are making it
a
permanent arrangement: Nearly 13 percent of babies under 8 months of age
usually share an adult bed at night, up from just 5.5 percent in 1993,
according to the NICHD.



Y'know, I don't think I know how NOT to co-sleep. Can't do it. I just flat
out don't wake up that thoroughly at night, and once I lie back down to
nurse or give a baby a bottle, I'm just out. Can't stay awake for it, which
means baby spends the night in the crook of my arm. The flip side of this is
that when they're THAT close, I'm totally aware of every move they make.
With my daughter, many, many times I would startle awake a little, not hear
her, put a hand on her and either feel her chest moving or feel her suddenly
take a deep breath. Then I'd fall back asleep. I'd be much more dangerous if
I was getting out of bed to feed someone--because I'd be falling asleep in
the chair.

The few times we tried not cosleeping, I could NOT stay asleep because I
could not hear/feel my baby breathing.

Jenrose

Patty Reali wrote:
"larissa" wrote in message
u...

I just found one I like called 'Natural Parenting' (Australia) It has
articles on natural weaning, cloth nappies/diapers, bad behaviour and
nutrition, homeschool and natural remedies.

Larissa



Do you know if it's available in the US? I might pop over to Barnes and
Noble in the near future to look at their selection.

Patty


Don't know availability but you can check out their website and read
some articles.

www.naturalparenting.com.au

cheers

Larissa

Leslie wrote:

Mothering. I also like The Compleat Mother, in which I "read around"
the more radical stuff!

I just got a box of "hand me downs" of both of those.
Haven't had a chance to get into them, though.

Phoebe

Stephanie and Tim wrote:

Do other people's very pro-breastfeeding peds not also agree with the
recommendation to not cosleep?

Our pediatrician (who has come across as pro-bf in person,
and bf'ed her kids, although her handouts aren't too
bf-friendly) never asked anything about sleeping
arrangements, and assumed Caterpillar sleeps in a crib. I
let her assume that, because I honestly don't care what she
thinks of co-sleeping.

Phoebe

"Stephanie and Tim" wrote in message
. ..

Do other people's very pro-breastfeeding peds not also agree with the
recommendation to not cosleep?

We've gone to a large pediatric practice where we've seen three different
pediatric residents and I sort of think of them as being lukewarm on bf.
They give lip service to encouraging bf, and the attending pediatrician made
a point of congratulating me for bf successfully when he came in during our
last (10-wk) visit. But the growth/development booklet they gave us was
produced by a formula company, and it's got formula ads front and back. My
impression is they'd probably go out of their way to give a woman
"permission" to discontinue bf and not feel "guilty."

Anyway, two of the three residents we saw did make a point of telling us not
to co-sleep. We smiled, nodded, and continued to do what works for us.

But I don't really consider them "very pro-breastfeeding."

Belphoebe

Sue said:

But co-sleeping isn't that important of a parenting issue.

It can be. You say below that they need to be accurate re bf; for some people,
co-sleeping is absolutely essential to a good bf experience.


If it was about
breastfeeding, sure they need to be as accurate as they can be. But,
co-sleeping isn't for everyone and it isn't even required.

Even so, they don't have to out and out lie about it, you know? Babies who die
while co-sleeping are victims of suffocation for the most part, not SIDS. It's
not the same thing any more than someone putting a pillow over their baby on
purpose is SIDS.

And again, they
are reaching the general public so they have to be very careful in what they
write about because there are all walks of life reading the magazine. They
have to cover their butts.

IMO, there is no excuse for inaccuracy. They don't have to endorse it; they
can even talk about the safety issues.



Leslie

Emily (2/4/91), Jake (1/27/94), Teddy (2/15/95), and William (3/5/01)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/o/onemoremakesfour/

"Children come trailing clouds of glory from God, which is their home."
~ William Wordsworth

I just got a box of "hand me downs" of both of those.
Haven't had a chance to get into them, though.


When you do have time, let us know what you think!


Leslie

Emily (2/4/91), Jake (1/27/94), Teddy (2/15/95), and William (3/5/01)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/o/onemoremakesfour/

"Children come trailing clouds of glory from God, which is their home."
~ William Wordsworth

Patty Reali wrote:


I do the same with Parents mag, but just out of curiosity - anyone found a
parenting mag that they generally like *most* of the articles? I know
this will vary by person, but Parents struck me as most balanced out of
the 4 or
5 I looked at way back when I was still expecting. (I guess that's not
*so* "way back," but feels like it, ya know?)

Yup. THe only parenting type magazine that I don't get totally aggravated
while reading is Mothering. I don't agree with every article they print,
but probably 85-90% of them.

Of course Mothering magazine is difficult to find. The only magazine rack
I've ever seen it on is at the big Barnes & Noble. Its not a magazine that
you'll see while you are standing in the checkout line of your local
grocery store or on the rack at Wal-Mart, so most people have probably
never heard of it or seen it.


Tracey in CT

Well they are covering their butts because there are still many babies dying
and they are attributing it in part to co-sleeping. When I say co-sleeping
isn't required, I mean its not like they are giving poor advice on
breastfeeding because that is required (feeding). Co-sleeping for a lot of
people is out of neccessity and isn't really needed by all babies. Yes, I
agree they should have put something in the article on what to do if you are
co-sleeping, but like I said before, I think they have a wide range of
audience and they really don't want to have any lawsuits.
--
Sue
mom to three girls

Naomi wrote in message
om...
"Sue" wrote in message
...
Yeah, but what about all those mothers who are unfortunately less
endowed
with brains than you who are going to read that article and think it's
gospel truth because Parents said so? Doesn't the magazine have some
responsibility to be truthful in informing people who really take it
seriously as a source of
parenting wisdom?

Leslie

But co-sleeping isn't that important of a parenting issue. If it was
about
breastfeeding, sure they need to be as accurate as they can be. But,
co-sleeping isn't for everyone and it isn't even required. And again,
they
are reaching the general public so they have to be very careful in what
they
write about because there are all walks of life reading the magazine.
They
have to cover their butts.

I'm not quite clear what you are getting at here. Right, it isn't for
everyone, and it isn't required. So, if they were to write, "Everyone
is required to co-sleep or be considered a terrible mother!" they
would be way off base. But it is JUST as wrong, therefore, for them
to write "Nobody should co-sleep, because is horribly dangerous!"
which is, essentially, what they are doing here.
Co-sleeping is an option. It has pros and cons. It does not increase
the risk of SIDS and, if done carefully, does not increase of risk of
suffoccation. So claiming in the article that co-sleeping increases
the risk of SIDS is just plain wrong, and doesn't, in any way, cover
their butts.

Naomi

The magazine is who "they" are. The magazine editors and writers who wrote
the article for the magazine. The magazine has to cover their butts and not
give advice that could kill a baby.
--
Sue
mom to three girls

Meredith Edwards-Cornwall wrote in message
...
In Sue wrote:
Well they are covering their butts because there are still many babies
dying and they are attributing it in part to co-sleeping.

Who are "they?" I haven't seen any research that suggests that co-
sleeping is to blame for SIDS. I'd be interested in seeing it, though!

Meredith