Contented Little Baby Book

[Epacris]

My MIL gave me a copy of the CLB Book when my DS was 3 months old, as recommended by my SIL who had just given birth to a baby of her own, and had been told by her "nanny friends" in the UK that the CLB Book was excellent. MIL said something like, "I thought you might like to have a look at this book because if you follow what it says DS might start sleeping through the night".

At 3 month DS, DH and I were doing really well. DS usually woke a couple of times in the night for a feed, so DH and I were tired (some days more than others) but DS was so happy and "contented" and we were generally all getting along just great! DH and I were both totally prepared for the night waking and frequent breastfeeding and regarded it as a completely normal (and healthy) aspect of looking after a baby.

Anyway, after just glancing at a few pages of the CLB Book I was plunged into a depression that took me three days to dig myself out of. I was absolutely gutted! I could not believe the tone of the book, that "unless you do it this way, you're doing it WRONG and you're STUPID!" I could not believe that my MIL thought I should be parenting her grandson in that way either.

After regaining my composure I put the book in the back of the cupboard. I have looked at it a few more times since but now regard it with the appropriate level of importance, it is one method that may work for some people (but I personally think it is barbaric and would never parent my baby/child in that way).

Now the time has come to get rid of it from my life. I wanted to shred it and put it in the compost but with my respect for books, that has been built up over my whole life, I just can't do that. I thought about donating it to a charity shop but then I though, Oh no, what if ends up in the hands of a new mother and she has the same reaction as me.

So, I thought I'd offer it up here to anyone that would like to look at this parenting perspective. So someone PM me and I'll post it to you FREE (we've got so many stamps here, but DH and his stamp collecting is a whole other story). Maybe when you've finished with it you could also pass it on, with the appropriate warnings required of such a dangerous thing, of course.

Oh and BTW, my SIL ended up being a lovely gentle parent and still breastfeeds her now 12 month old frequently during the night. And MIL still gives me advice that I am much better at disregarding now.

Phew, that feels much better.

ETA: Just looking at it now, it says on the front “Britain’s Bestselling Childcare Author” – Scary!