Cosleeping, breastfeeding...

[Fuschia]

I notice a few mums popping up in the threads with this kind of approach... I wondered if we'd like to get together for a meet up or a cuppa some time? No disrespect to the GF types, I count some of my best friends amongst them...but it would be nice to feel so out of place as I sometimes do!

Any takers?

[Pickle]

I'm a Gina Ford (lite version admittedly) follower who has breastfed two children past the age of 1, co-slept for a while and use a sling. The two "approaches" can work together ;-)

[The Nappy Lady]

Fuschia, I hope we will meet over the summer hols, but always up for a cuppa when I can fit it in (life seems very hectic, especially now I am starting to think about going back to my 'other' non-nappy lady work, so the diary does get hectic). Every time I see anyone out with twins now I have to restrain myself from going up to them and asking them if they are 'Fuschia'!

Molly

[Belle]

Hi - I don't fall into this category as ended up bottle feeding (not the original plan) and sort of half heartedly routining though in truth he set his own routine. But jsut wanted to say that like Molly, I too always look twice at mums with twins and wonder if it's Fuschia! There def seem to be quite a few little twins out and about in ED.

[The Nappy Lady]

I gather Belle, that the reason for the high number of twins in London in general is two fold;

1) Because of career women leaving it later to try for a family - at which point your body often starts 'churning' out more than 1 egg during each cycle in a last ditch attempt to get you pregnant!

2) Because of career women leaving it later to try for a family and then not being able to get pregnant naturally, so going for IVF, at which point of course twins can often occur.

Of course there are lots of natural twins around too, and as I have said before 'we' (Wandsworth, Clapham and extending over this way) have the highest density of children per head of population in Europe, so I guess it is therefore the case that there are more twins around too. BUT I have to say, in the past 12 months I've become aware of seeing a lot more twins around and about. Strange.

Fuschia, can we have a brief description of you, and the buggy you drive so we can identify you (ooh, it's like Most Wanted!).

Snigger.

Molly

Edited for some dodgy spelling. Now, must go and clear up the kitchen post dinner chaos, and put washing on...sigh.....

[Pickle]

Oooooh, I feel a bit lucky to have actually met Fuschia :) The rest of you will just have to keep guessing B)

[Fuschia]

Lol.

We have a nipper buggy, one blue baby and one pink baby... most of the twin mum sI know (and yes, there are LOADS) have babies both of the same flavour... I have long purple fingernails is another clue!

[EDmummy]

I co-slept and breastfed both of mine on demand as a very natural response to each individual child (although baby no. 2 took to the bottle without fuss after spending time in Special Care - where they said I would "never get him on the breast now!")....and never, ever read GF (GF only just out when 1st was born and was old hand by the time of second). I am no hippy mother earth type but quickly caught on that in order to be close and loving to my children this approach was what my children responded to the best.

I do feel that many mothers feel that their child should conform to their lives which makes me sad although I would NEVER criticise another mother's approach - god knows we get blamed for enough things (see thread on the attack on LL).

And...I once met Fuschia (you bought my breastfeeding chair).

[Fuschia]

EDmummy Wrote:I once met Fuschia

And I spent many many hours in it with one twin or another sttached to me, remote control in my hand. oh, those were the days!

[Superstarpen]

You might enjoy The Green Parent Forum (http://www.thegreenparent.co.uk/forums) as many of the mums are in to co-sleeping, baby wearing, cloth nappies etc

Some of us London mums are meeting on Tuesday at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground to have a picnic lunch.

[Fuschia]

Thanks!

[Fuschia]

We've pencilled in a date for a get together on Tuesday 14th July...

[agathoise]

Hi Fuschia

You might find some kindred spirits at La Leche League meetings (LLL is the world's largest breastfeeding support organisation; LLL in the UK supports mums in their "mothering through breastfeeding"). While there's no one "LLL" way, many breastfeeding mums do choose to co-sleep and many adopt attachment parenting principles. Meeting info for the SE London group is here http://lalecheleagueselondon.blogspot.com/ (National website http://www.laleche.org.uk/) Meetings are a bit like coffee mornings, in someone's house, with a discussion, time for questions and queries and a LLL Leader (breastfeeding counsellor) present to facilitate; mums share their own experiences - mother to mother helping - on everything from breastfeeding issues, to sleep, family nutrition & weaning, loving guidence for toddlers, etc.. They're a great way to meet other mothers. I'm still good friends with mums I met 7 1/2 years ago when I went to LLL with my eldest.

Another option is Slingmeet -- again, not all baby-carrying mothers will subscribe to the same ideas, but you'll find a higher proportion of attachment parenting / co-sleeping / natural duration breastfeeding types there than in the public at large... Info on London get-togethers here (there are regular SE London meets): http://www.slingmeet.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9

Happy mothering!

Agathoise & four attachment parented co-sleeping wild things x

[Fuschia]

Thanks!

[KateMontero]

I'm a co-sleeping breast feeder sling wearing camper van driving cloth nappy using surprisingly un-hippy type and I'd like to meet too.

[Fuschia]

KateMontero Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm a co-sleeping breast feeder sling wearing

> camper van driving cloth nappy using surprisingly

> un-hippy type and I'd like to meet too.

Can you do Tues 14th? x

[InfantSleepStudy]

Hi all,

I'm a researcher based at the Institute of Education, looking for mums-to-be who are planning on sharing a bed with their new baby. Having a baby who sleeps through the night is an important milestone for many parents. This study aims to understand why some babies acquire this ability by about 12 weeks of age, while others do not. In particular, we want to understand whether infants learn to remain settled at night and what factors in the environment help them to learn.

We are comparing two groups of parents. One group, already recruited, will plan to look after their babies using conventional London approaches to baby-care. The other group, recruited via places such as this, will plan to share a bed at night with their baby.

The study involves three short home visits by a researcher and keeping a simple diary of your baby?s behaviour for a few days. In order to accurately measure how your baby is sleeping through the night, during two of these visits we will set up a small video camera where your baby sleeps, to record for two consecutive nights.

Parents who chose to complete the study receive ?100 in high street gift vouchers for their time and contribution. All personal details and data collected are kept completely confidential and this study has received ethical approval from the Riverside Research Ethics Committee.

We hope that the findings from this project will help infants and parents alike in the future. We are hoping to recruit via various internet groups, so apologies if this comes up on several of the websites you use! We are hoping to get the word out to as many people as possible.

For further details about the study and how you can get involved, please contact the Thomas Coram Research Unit on email: [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you!

[The Nappy Lady]

Fuscia, where is the 14th July meet? I'd love to tag along if that's OK, though I may be working that day, not sure yet.

Molly

[Fuschia]

The Nappy Lady Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fuscia, where is the 14th July meet? I'd love to

> tag along if that's OK, though I may be working

> that day, not sure yet.

>

> Molly

Dunno... weather dependent I suppose.

Horniman sandpit?

[The Nappy Lady]

Cool, sorry didn't realise you were yet to set a venue, will 'watch this space'.

M

[millie42]

Hello all,

Can we come to the meet as well? I still co-sleep with Felix and did wear a sling until he grew into a budha baby. I was a total gf with my first child but threw the book away for the second. The two babies were totally different andI wonder whether my more laid back approach made a difference.

Michelle

[largeginandtonic]

Can I join? I'd like to make some new mummy-friends in the area and although I'd love to fit in to the usual mum & baby groups and think of myself as a pretty inclusive person I'm beginning to find the constant eyebrow-raising at my sling-wearing, co-sleeping habits a bit depressing.

I am free on July 14th - I have a 4-year old in nursery till 11.30am and a 12-week old who'll be busy all day making various rods for my own back....

[Fuschia]

of course xx

[millie42]

Hello all (and esp Largeginandtonic)

I may have to bring along my 3.5 year old boy as well if you fancy having a playmate for your 4 year old!

[lorraineliyanage]

hi fuschia - yep the sandpit was a hit with iris, and was nice to meet you, superstarpen and zoe. i'll see you on the 14th - any chance of morning / midday if it suits most of the mums?