Mia's Routine

Mia's routine?! Mia's routine is NO routine!! Upon leaving school, I completed a one year traineeship in Children's Services and spent the next 5 years working in long day care centres and as a nanny. I was always kind and enjoyed games and adventures with the children in my care, but I liked things a certain way, I liked structure and routine. Over the years I created a strict 'when I have children of my own' list. Then Mia was born. The sound of her cry literally breaks my heart and I can't help but rush to comfort her. She is fed on demand, put down for (or should I say rocked to) sleep when she looks tired, cuddled when she is sad, carried around the house and yard as I go about my day so as not to get lonely, played with one on one, taken on outings and (most 'worrying' to family) sleeps in bed with my husband and I. I never intended to co-sleep. Mia was to begin in a Moses basket beside our bed, before moving to a cot of her own. For the first six weeks or so, she did spend her nights in her moses basket. Then the exhaustion set in. I would pull her into bed for an early morning breast feed and we would both fall asleep. I would wake up in the morning to see my beautiful little angel smiling back at me. I loved it! Mia is in the 97th percentile for length, so she outgrew her Moses basket very quickly! Buy a cot, or co-sleep? I did some research and discussed it all with my husband and together we decided that co-sleeping was the right decision for our family. I don't think I would have been able to stick to breast feeding if Mia was not beside me at night and I would definitely be a lot more tired than I am. Besides the practical benefits, I just love having my daughter close, all the extra cuddles and her being the first thing I see when I open my eyes. Extended family warn that it is a 'bad habit' to get into, that it 'might be easier now, but we will regret it when she is older' and that we will end up with a 'clingy child.' They believe it will create problems between my husband and I. I have no intention of creating a fuss when Mia is older. I will buy her a bed and let her choose when she moves to it. It will happen naturally and when she is ready. I don't find Mia clingy at all. She is a very happy and content baby. I believe that if her needs are met quickly as a baby, she will grow up knowing that I am there for her whenever she needs me. My husband and I are still very close. Mia sleeps on the edge of the bed, so Shannon and I are still next to one another. Some nights she falls asleep in her bouncy chair and doesn't come into our bed until her early morning feed. My sleep is less interrupted, so I am (generally!!) easier to get along with and less stressed. We feel close as a family. I know that each family works in a different way and that each parent has different views and opinions. I know that such a lack of structure would not work for all families, especially families with a working Mum or older children who need to be dropped to school at a certain time. I am lucky enough to have the freedom to follow Mia's cues. I also know that this works for my family and my daughter, who is also my best friend, who I can't stand to be apart from... Hmmm, I think it might be ME who is clingy!!