Comments on Analytical Armadillo - The Booby Whisperer: "Me Time" - When did it become critical?

As Bec said, having a baby is a new stage in my li...

2011-11-06T17:47:26.060Z

As Bec said, having a baby is a new stage in my life, and I knew that things would change. I don't get how people think that they can bring another person into their families and not think that their lifestyles will change. Didn't their lives change when their spouse or partner entered their lives? And this is a full grown adult who's needs (in theory) are a lot less than a baby's. So, wouldn't it be logical that a baby would necessitate a change in their life as well?

Re PND - breastfeeding is supposed to make it less...

2011-11-04T16:05:56.911Z

Re PND - breastfeeding is supposed to make it less likely, and babywearing promotes breastfeeding, as does co-sleeping. Ergo, babywearing should make PND less likely. Also, doesn't mean baby won't sleep anywhere but the sling.
Re 1950s parenting - I've often thought about this myself. Unfortunately, I think the pressure women were under at the time to do everything around the house, care for the children and still look presentable meant they resorted to tactics such as CIO and 4 hourly feeding schedules. This was the case with my gran, even though she did breastfeed. Also, she only fed for 9 months because doing it for longer than that was seen as 'strange'. There is still a hangover from all this today. When my gran sees me breastfeeding my 17 month old she asks what my friends say about it. My husband's gran keeps telling me my daughter will start biting me when she gets more teeth so I have to stop bfing. There are loads of ways in which the 50s childhood was probably idyllic, but I'm really glad that I'm not subject to the pressures that mothers were under at that time.

My son sleeps 2 hrs max at a stretch at night, he ...

2011-11-04T13:19:00.260Z

My son sleeps 2 hrs max at a stretch at night, he is 7 months. I'm nowhere near having pnd by the way. Some babies sleep, some dont. Me time is a long shower while daddy snuggles babs! I honestly dont understand people that expect to get their pre baby life back, surely having a baby is a new phase of your life??

On the other hand, I don't think you can dismi...

2011-11-03T10:44:16.364Z

On the other hand, I don't think you can dismiss PND just because 60 years ago things were harder, and having a baby who doesn't nap anywhere other than a sling and only lets you get three or four hours sleep a night for long past those first few months is certainly going to contribute to the probability of that for most people.

We're such an individualistic society now and ...

2011-11-03T07:25:53.043Z

We're such an individualistic society now and are encouraged to care for ourselves first before we care for anyone else. A favorite saying is "If momma's not happy, no one's happy!". CIO is justified because parents supposedly need their 8 hours of sleep in order to function the next day with the baby. In the 50's, family was put before one's own needs and wants. After being raised in a society that promotes the finding of one's self and happiness, spending an entire day or night devoting yourself to someone else feels like a major sacrifice and "me time" feels necessary. If we were raised to put others before us, like our grandmothers and great grandmothers were, an entire day tending to a baby would probably feel tiring but it would be a normal day, just doing what's expected, no treats needed or deserved.