Info and Updates

We had a fun weekend and I hope to download the pictures soon, but until then, I had some informational updates that I wanted to share. 
Wal-Mart is going to start carrying a cloth diaper system in select stores.  Mabu Naturals International makes a line of cloth diapers that are made from bamboo, charcoal, and recycled plastic  bottles.  This diaper has an outer shell and a reusable fabric insert or a disposable insert can be attached.  I didn't see price information on the website, but they claim these cost 20-50% less than other cloth diaper systems and a family can save $50 a month compared to buying disposable. 
After reading some blog posts about this it sounds like people are excited about this for the convenience of buying cloth diapers at a big box store, more families hearing about cloth diapering, and these diapers are made of really environmentally friendly products.  The concerns seem to be that it might take business away from the small cloth diaper companies here in the U.S. that tend to employ work at home moms and that the diapers may be a lesser quality and cause mainstream America to have a negative opinion of cloth.  Personally, I am super-excited about fewer disposable diapers ending up in landfills!  I hope they are good quality that will catch on with many families and help them to save money, help the environment, and reduce their child's exposure to chemicals.  I am anxious to actually see these diapers in a Wal-Mart near me.

The other update is on co-sleeping and bedsharing.  There was a recent ad campaign in Milwaukee that got parents buzzing.  The ad campaign focused on the potential negative outcomes from co-sleeping.  We don't co-sleep, mostly because Sarah Graves wants no part of it, but I can definitely see the benefits of it.  When baby is very small, it is so nice to have them right there for middle of the night feedings and newborns sleep best when snuggled up against someone.  If you spent nine months growing inside someone, wouldn't you find it weird to suddenly find yourself all alone?  I miss Aaron when he isn't here to sleep in our bed and I am a grown woman, so I can see how someone brand new in the world would find it uncomfortable. 
Dr. Sears addressed the concerns raised by the ad campaign in a recent online article.  First, let me clarify between co-sleeping and bedsharing as these are distinct terms.  Co-sleeping means baby sleeps nearby such as in a bassinet or co-sleeper next to the bed.  Bed sharing means that baby sleeps in the same adult bed with the mother.  Dr. Sears had this research to support the benefits of co-sleeping.
Cultures who traditionally practice safe co-sleeping, such as AsiansCultures who traditionally practice safe co-sleeping, such as Asians, enjoy the lowest incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Trusted research by Dr. James McKenna, Director of the Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory of the University of Notre Dame, showed that mothers and babies who sleep close to each other enjoy similar protective sleep patterns. Mothers enjoy a heightened awareness of their baby’s presence, what I call a “nighttime sleep harmony,” that protects baby. The co-sleeping mother is more aware if her baby’s well-being is in danger.
Babies who sleep close to their mothers enjoy “protective arousal,” a state of sleep that enables them to more easily awaken if their health is in danger, such as breathing difficulties.
Co-sleeping makes breastfeeding easier, which provides many health benefits for mother and baby.
More infant deaths occur in unsafe cribs than in parents' bed.
Co-sleeping tragedies that have occurred have nearly always been associated with dangerous practices, such as unsafe beds, or parents under the influence of substances that dampen their awareness of baby.
Research shows that co-sleeping infants cry less during the night, compared to solo sleepers who startle repeatedly throughout the night and spend 4 times the number of minutes crying. Startling and crying releases adrenaline, which can interfere with restful sleep and leads to long term sleep anxiety.
Infants who sleep near to parents have more stable temperatures, regular heart rhythms, and fewer long pauses in breathing compared to babies who sleep alone. This means baby sleeps physiologically safer.
A recent large study concluded that bed sharing did NOT increase the risk of SIDS, unless the mom was a smoker or abused alcohol.
With Sarah Graves I was nervous to let her sleep in the bed with me as a newborn, but it was the only place that she slept for any period of time.  It was a lot more convenient to put her in bed next to me and knowing what I know now, I would have done it from the very start and felt good about it.  Sleep is vital and any way that a new mom and baby can get it should be applauded.
I have complained about it before, but it really feels like these blanket recommendations go out to parents and really each situation is different and people have to take all the information and make their best choice.  It's just a shame that we live in a world where parents can't be trusted to receive information and make their own informed decision. 

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