Product Description

Only since Victorian times has it been standard practice for mothers and fathers to send their babies to sleep alone, away from the parental bed - often in another room. This book reveals how babies who sleep with their parents benefit by getting virtually a full night's sleep. The author explains the advantages of this radical form of baby care, including its benefits for breastfeeding mothers, reviews the history of babies in the bed and, through interviews with parents, explores attitudes to the idea. The book also contains a fresh perspective on the tragedy of cot death, as well as practical advice on how to sustain your sex life, hints on safety in the bed, answers to all the common objections and dealing with the moment when the baby leaves its parents' bed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14735 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Current Western parenting advice, says Deborah Jackson, stresses the need to minimise the "bother" that children cause; Jackson claims that this culture views the child as a potentially dominating personality that could undermine parental authority when older and emphasises that this tendency needs to be trained out of them early. The author disputes the scientific basis for such claims, and such a culture, and appeals to parents to trust their own instincts. Using extensive research she puts the case for a child-orientated approach to parenting.

This book is controversial, thought-provoking, carefully researched and passionately argued. It is extremely interesting, and, even if you don't accept all her conclusions, will definitely prompt the reader to reassess their own expectations of the parent-child relationship. --Alison Jardine

Review
"I feel a good deal of sympathy for anyone who tries to plead for infants' rights. Deborah Jackson does so thoroughly" Germaine Greer, Independent Magazine

Daily Mail
'An impeccably researched rulebook for the thoroughly modern mother ... lively, impressive'

Customer Reviews

Presents the facts, with research and backup
I know various families who have bedshared with their children, and none of them have experienced the problems described by the reader from London.In fact, quite the opposite - increased independence, feeling of security and closeness as a family. As Deborah Jackson points out, bedsharing does not automatically make all the other problems a family might have, disappear. It is simply a way of giving your children one thing they need. We are the only creatures on earth who separate ourselves from our young.
Every day I see crying babies, alone in their prams, who are calm and happy once picked up and in the arms of their parent. We too have bedshared with our baby, having had no 'broken nights' yet. She is a bright, strong, confident and happy child, who at nearly eight months is crawling everywhere and pulling herself up to stand. She is incredibly sociable and quite easily falls asleep without a feed or cuddle if she really wants to.
This book is inspiring and thoughtful, and worth a read no matter what you decide to do in the end, as although it is passionate in it's argument, it is very balanced and well researched.

A reassuring triumph for a new Mum-to-be - a must!!!
I was lent this book during my pregnancy and at first was very sceptical - I'd always had the idea that I'd bring up my child to learn independence from an early age. Sharing a bed with a baby would be making a rod for my own back. How narrow-minded I discovered I was. This book has completely convinced me that co-sleeping is the best for everyone and given me a new perspective on the needs of my baby. How can we argue against 1000's of years of experience, after 9 months in the womb of course a baby will scream the house down if left alone in another room. I've read it over and over again. Thank you Deborah Jackson for teaching me one of the most important lessons of my life. Mum's-to-be go buy it, it's such an interesting book culturally apart from anything else. Don't remain ignorant, widen your views on babycare. Can't recommend highly enough.

I love this book
I wish that this book could be given to all pregnant women and new mothers. I have had my daughter (now almost a year old) in bed with me since the day she was born and it has been one of the best things I've ever done. There is nothing better than feeling your precious baby next to your body at night. My husband also loves having her in the bed! And we have not suffered from the sleep deprivation that "normal" parents do because we never have to get up to feed her or even wake up fully. Deborah Jackson's book gave me the permission to follow my instincts and encouragement when the pressures of western society make me feel I was doing the wrong thing. I would recommend this book to any parent.