Getting Millie to sleep is like challenging her for the heavyweight title. I have to have enough stamina to get through all twelve rounds of alternately baby wearing, nursing, singing, rocking, walking, rinse and repeat.

But if I didn’t have this routine I’m not sure what I would do.

I know what certain pediatricians would like me to do at this stage. Hand her a bottle, put her in a crib in her own room, and then leave her to her own devices until 7 AM. Yes, I was shocked and dismayed when my own pediatrician said that at 8 weeks, Millie would be fine for 8 to 10 hours without milk and to train her not to ask for it at night!

It probably wasn’t wise of me to tell him we were bed sharing. But I thought I should be honest. After all we’re not the only ones.

We have a family bed and I feel it is a wonderful thing for our family. I tell other parents that I do it and that I get much better sleep and we’ve been able to continue our breastfeeding relationship for longer because of it. Not only that but it promotes bonding especially for my husband and the baby. When he gets to cuddle with our daughter before I move her into the safety of my arms, he gets to experience a bonding moment he might otherwise have lost. When he works during the day, every minute of nighttime parenting counts for him and it is so important.

I feel personally that this has strengthened our relationship. Gone are the arguments about who got up last time and who fixes a bottle. We all just snuggle together in our bed and dream, occasionally waking up with a kick to the ribs and a loudly babbling baby.

I feel strongly that this has helped me with my struggles with PPD.

When I was in the hospital, I was labeled very high-risk for PPD and the doctor wanted me to meet with my midwife at my six week check up and discuss how we wanted to deal with it. I got screened again and labeled high risk. I was horribly emotional. My baby cried all the time, I was surviving on 4 hours or less of sleep a night, and I was convinced I must not be making enough milk because my baby was hungry all the time and needed to be helped all the time. I was still angry about having a C-section and my healing stitches made getting up very painful. At my check up, my midwife gave me three options: either see a psychiatrist and get on meds, start therapy, or join the hospital’s postpartum adjustment group. For me it was an easy decision. Having been on medications throughout my teens, I was done with pills and very mistrustful of therapists. A group would be better.

If you’re reading this ladies of Beaumont’s program, I love you but while talking things out was great, learning to bond with my baby helped me out even more. It’s crazy but learning to bond with my baby has helped me with the resentment and confusion I felt and sometimes still feel.

It is said that when a mother touches her baby, she feels a contact high of oxytocin, a hormone necessary to bonding that feels amazing (the same hormone is experienced during orgasm!) So if  touching your baby promotes good feelings and a great relationship with your baby, isn’t it better to do it all the time? Better for you and better for your baby? That’s a win-win!

Mamas need all the wins we can get.

Shout-out to the Baby-wearing mama I met in church this morning! She was carrying her squish in an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder ring sling and discreetly breastfeeding in it. I was beyond jealous as the baby looked so warm and cozy in it and she didn’t have to take her baby out to eat the way I did in my Moby.

I may need to upgrade.

I guess I can ask the ladies at the Detroit Baby Wearers meet up on Thursday what to get.

Join their page on Facebook, they’re an awesome group of mamas.

Shout out to the ladies of Granola Crunchy Parenting Facebook Page who were so nice to help me with Millies’ DTAP shots issues.

Also check it out, October 21st at the Daily Method in Birmingham, MI I’m going to Bump, Baby, and Beyond at 7:30 pm. It’s a dinner with a panel of experts and it should be a lot of fun so Detroit-Area Mamas come on down!