PLATYPUS POST, Number 18, Spring 2007, Sleeping with Your Baby Issue

A regular publication of Platypus Media, an independent publisher of books for families, teachers and parenting professionals.

WELCOME to Platypus Post, an electronic newsletter from Platypus Media. We hope you find that the parenting, teaching, and breastfeeding information we provide here is useful. Feel free to forward the newsletter to friends or colleagues.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

• DIA'S DIARY: An interview with Jim McKenna, Ph.D., talking about his new book, Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping
• BEDSHARING VIDEO now available in the U.S.! Platypus Media signs distribution agreement with Mark-It TV
• SPECIAL OFFER! Buy a copy of our Bedsharing VHS or DVD, receive FIVE FREE copies of Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping
• QUOTE OF THE MONTH... Thomas Lewis
• WHAT'S NEW?!: Exciting new deals and discounts at Platypus Media!
• PLATYPUS MEDIA ON THE ROAD: Come see us in Chicago and Anchorage!
• NEWSLETTER INFORMATION

DIA'S DIARY: An interview with Jim McKenna, Ph.D.,
talking about his new book, Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping

Platypus Media is thrilled and honored to bring our latest book into the world! Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping is an important work in the literature of maternal and child health.

This is the first authoritative consumer book dedicated to cosleeping. James J. McKenna, PhD., directs the Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame. He has been studying cosleeping for over 25 years and speaks with the authority of one who knows a subject inside and out. We are delighted to share some of Jim's words with you today.

Why did you decide to write this book?

My wife and I came into parenting in 1978 reading all the books and being nervous parents, as is everyone. We were quite surprised to learn that there were no infant care recommendations in the baby advice books that were based on human biology-or even on cross-cultural insights-as to how babies' best lived. They were based, strictly speaking, on 70- or 80-year old ideological positions that defined babies in terms of who we want them to become, rather than who they actually are-little creatures that are very much dependent physiologically, socially, psychologically on the presence of the caregiver. I decided to begin serious research on the practices that help both mothers and babies to thrive.

Does cosleeping benefit babies?

Benefits are, of course, always relevant to whom is cosleeping, what it means to them, and how they practice it. Cosleeping makes babies happy. From a scientific point of view, cosleeping babies cry less and sleep more. Babies lying next to their mothers can breastfeed easily without having to cry in order to make their needs known. Mothers get more sleep, too (though it is more light sleep). Here in the U.S., we are the most unsatisfied, unhappy and exhausted parents in the world because we place babies at odds with their biology.

Isn't cosleeping dangerous?

Sleeping alone is not biologically correct. Human infants are born more neurologically immature than any other species (excluding marsupials). Our central nervous systems depend on a microenvironment that is like the in-utero environment, full of sensory stimulation. Babies need the warmth, stimulation and monitoring that comes with sleeping next to a caregiver. Almost all, fully 95%, of the world sleeps with their baby, and there are only very few cultures in the world for which babies sleeping alone is even thought to be acceptable nor desirable. In many Asian cultures where cosleeping is the norm, including China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is either unheard of or rare. In Hong Kong and Japan, which have almost universal cosleeping, SIDS rates are among the lowest in the world. The vast majority of scientific studies on infant behavior and development conducted in diverse fields during the last 100 years suggests that the question placed before us should not be "Is it safe to sleep with my baby?" but rather, "Is it safe not to do so?" My book includes information on how to bedshare safely and when it should be avoided, information parents need to make sound choices.

Why do parents always get told that they should never sleep with their babies?

Parents are receiving dangerous advice from medical authorities that mislead them into assuming that ALL pediatricians and all SIDS researchers recommend against bedsharing. This is just not true. The American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on SIDS claims bedsharing is always hazardous. This is flat out wrong! Done correctly, whether this means cosleeping, bedsharing or room sharing, infants sleeping with their parents are more likely to survive! The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission says never sleep with your baby; the only safe place for an infant to sleep is in a crib that meets current safety standards. It is sad that a small group of "experts" have the parents in western countries bamboozled into believing that the entire history of civilization was wrong, that parents and babies have been doing it all wrong since the dawn of humanity!

Should parents rely on doctors for infant sleep advice?

One of the most important things I am hoping to do is remind parents that while professional evaluation is important for sick children, issues of childcare, especially regarding where babies sleep and the relationship this reflects, are decisions best made by information-armed parents, not by external authorities who neither know the parents, nor the infant, nor how sleeping arrangements might work in any given family. At this point in time, medical authorities seem overly willing to use selected and simplistic medical findings to infer their own conclusions about where babies should sleep. Many employ, in my mind inappropriately, a one-size-must-fit-all strategy for sleeping arrangements. Indeed, cosleeping is being misrepresented-often by people who think they know something about it but choose to dismiss any scientific evidence that disagrees with their own negative position. Many of these authorities only know about catastrophic failures associated with dangerous forms of cosleeping and use these failures to draw simplistic conclusions about a very complex practice.

Won't my child be emotionally dependent if we cosleep?

Absolutely not! Independence and autonomy have nothing to do with forcing babies to learn how to sleep by themselves. Parents are often under the mistaken impression that if they don't train their babies to sleep alone every night, somehow some developmental or social skill later in life will be kept from them, or that their babies will never exhibit good sleep patterns later in life. Yet research has consistently shown us that children who routinely sleep with their parents or are not "sleep-trained&quopt; actually become more independent socially and psychologically, are able to be alone better by themselves, and have greater abilities to interrelate and be empathetic.

What are the consequences of not cosleeping?

When babies sleep alone, they spend less time sleeping or eating, and longer periods of time crying. This deprives babies of energy that can be put into growth and fighting disease. Worse, it deprives infants of a kind of special interactions and parental sensory stimuli that builds brain connections needed for optimal development. The baby is burning energy and calories needlessly that could otherwise be invested in more beneficial processes required of the baby. Don't forget that the only reason babies cry is as defensive adaptive pattern that says something is wrong. It is not manipulation on the part of the baby. What parents are really talking about when they say they want their infant to sleep alone is freedom from caring for their babies during the night. Certainly parents have every right to choose that, but they need to know there are future trade-offs with respect to cutting themselves off from that wonderful interdependence that occurs when you are young in life.

Do you believe that all parents should cosleep with their babies?

No, I believe parents should do what they feel is best for their families. I think it is important to empower parents and let them know that every child born in the world is unique as is each family. Since no child is the same, no solution to what children need is necessarily the same. Parents know their own babies better than anyone. Pediatricians are not trained in human development, childcare strategies, or psychology. They know how to fix sick babies. We have to be very careful to not medicalize behaviors that are not appropriately medicalized: where babies sleep, what is a proper sleeping arrangement, and how parents decide to respond to their baby's nutritional needs. I do believe that parents should be well-informed so that they are able to make the best decisions for their families, and so that if they do choose to do something like share a bed with their baby, they can do it as safely as possible.

James J. McKenna, Ph.D., directs the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory and is Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. The first scientist to undertake sleep laboratory physiological studies of both mothers and infants, he is a leading authority on infant/parent co-sleeping, and especially bed-sharing. A sought-after speaker at medical, parenting and policy conferences, he speaks on cosleeping at events around the world. Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping [ISBN: 1-930775-34-2] is his first book. He can be reached at Jim@PlatypusMedia.com.

Interview available for reprinting at www.PlatypusMedia.com.
May be reprinted without permission.

BEDSHARING VIDEO now available in the U.S.! Platypus Media signs distribution agreement with Mark-It TV

Platypus Media is very pleased to announce that it has entered into a distribution arrangement with Mark-It Television (MITV) from the UK. Mark-It television is a multi-media production company producing a wide range of training program for universities, hospitals and corporate clients.

The first MITV product we are distributing is the The Benefits of Bedsharing. The DVD/Video looks at how bedsharing examines the benefits and safety issues of sharing a bed with a baby. It features a variety of mothers and fathers cosleeping at home, as well as in hospital environments. Examples of risky situations reinformationrce the importance of creating a safe bedsharing environment.

You can watch a segment of the program at www.PlatypusMedia.com

The DVD includes the same program as the VHS plus full chapter navigation, slide show, and a still frame library…excellent for parents trainers and child care professionals.

Here's what Jan Tritten, founder and editor of Midwifery Today had to say about The Benefits of Bedsharing:

"Finally, a video that provides clear information on the benefits of bedsharing with our children. This has been the way of raising children for thousands of years, and now, we get to choose it, too!"

The documentary was researched and created by three extraordinary authorities on the subject. Dr. Helen L. Ball, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Durham where she runs the Parent-Infant Sleep Laboratory. Sally Inch, SRN, SCM, works at the Women's Centre in Oxford and is a midwife with expertise in breastfeeding. Marion Copeland, SRN, RM, ADM, works as a Midwife at Southmead Hospital in Bristol and serves as a midwifery clinical advisor for Mark-It Television.

This DVD/Video is the perfect complement for our new book, Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping.

Watch Platypus Post for more information on the Mark-It products we will be carrying!

For more information, visit http://www.platypusmedia.com/merchandise_bedsharing.shtml.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

In its baldest tally of values, our culture automatically equates a dedication to full-time parenting with the absence of ambition. But in what human activity could there possibly be more?

~ Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini, Richard Lannon
A General Theory of Love

WHAT'S NEW?!: Exciting new deals and discounts at Platypus Media

LOWER SHIPPING AND HANDLING RATES!

We are always looking for ways to streamline our operations and save money for our customers. We've recently revised our shipping and handling prices. We think you'll like these new rates. They are easy to calculate and very affordable!

The shipping and handling charge is calculated AFTER discounts are applied on bulk purchases, so you save twice!

*Valid on orders in North America. Shipping and handling for international orders will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

NEW BULK DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!

Looking for even more ways to save? Are you in a position to sell books? Do you want to buy books in quantity to donate to a school or organization? Own a business of your own? We also have impressive reseller and bulk discounts on all Platypus Media titles!

Our bulk pricing offers you the perfect way to use our books as prizes, handouts, giveaways, or donations. Or sell the books and make some money for your organization!

Buy 10 or more books, we give you HALF OFF!
Buy 50 or more and the discount goes up to 55%!
Buy 100 books, and you get a 60% discount!

Once your order gets up to 250 or more books, the discount goes up to 65%. And, if you are really looking to save, buying 500 or more books affords you a 70% DISCOUNT! That's practically FREE.

And remember, shipping costs are applied AFTER discounts are taken, so you save even more!

With discounts as great as these, you can even stock up for holiday gifts and birthday presents!

(Note: All sales are non-returnable.)
For more information, visit www.PlatypusMedia.com

TRY OUR EVENTS SALES PROGRAM!

Are you having an event and want to raise money for your organizations? Because Platypus Media has a great way to help!

Our bulk pricing offers you the perfect way to use our books as prizes, handouts, giveaways, or donations. Or sell the books and make some money for your organization!

Our Event Sales Program can you spread the word and make money! It's simple. Here's how it works:

• Review our website or catalog and decide which products you'd like to offer at your event. You'll get a full 36% discount AND you don't pay us a penny until your event is over!
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• We'll send you an invoice for 64% of the products of the books sold, less the outgoing shipping charge.
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For more information, visit www.PlatypusMedia.com

PLATYPUS MEDIA ON THE ROAD: Come see us in Chicago and Anchorage

May 25-31, 2007 Annual Meeting of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Chicago, IL

Platypus Media will be exhibiting at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in Chicago from May 25-31. For more information, see the conference website at http://www.acnm.org/news.cfm?id=841.

July 18, La Leche League's Seminar on Breastfeeding for Physicians, Chicago, IL

We will also be at La Leche League's Seminar on Breastfeeding for Physicians in Chicago on July 18! To see the registration brochure, go to http://www.lalecheleague.org/docs/LLPS35_brochure_07_proof.pdf.

July 27, La Leche League International's 50th Annual Conference on Breastfeeding, Chicago, IL

Come visit us at the La Leche League International's 50th Annual Conference on Breastfeeding in Chicago on July 27. For information on this conference, go to http://www.lalecheleague.org/07conf/07conf.html.

October 5-6, American Association of Birth Centers' Annual Birth Institute "Believe in Birth ~ Trust the Evidence", Anchorage, AK

Platypus Media president and founder, Dia Michels, has been given the honor of presenting at this year's American Association of Birth Centers' Annual Birth Institute "Believe in Birth ~ Trust the Evidence" to be held October 5-6, 2007 in Anchorage, Alaska. The event, held in conjunction with the AABC Annual Meeting, will offer educational sessions on the clinical and administrative issues related to normal birth.

The Program Committee has asked Dia to present the Closing Session "If Your Mom were a Platypus: What we can learn by studying Mama Mammals" on Saturday, October 6, 2007 from 4:15 - 5:15 PM. They said her lively presentations would be the best way to end their event!

For more information, call Kate Bauer at (215) 234-8068 or email her at katebauer@birthcenters.org. The conference website is http://www.birthcenters.org/annmtg/index.php.

Mothering's Breastfeeding Symbol Contest Has a Winner

Mothering Magazine, the only independently owned, family living magazine in the world, is like no other publication. Born in 1976 out of the need for the natural family community to learn about raising healthy children, Mothering was the birthplace of the natural family lifestyle. Read in more than 65 countries, Mothering addresses contemporary health, personal, environmental, medical, and lifestyle issues in an upbeat, intelligent, compassionate, and courageous way.

Recently, Mothering Magazine held a contest for a new breastfeeding symbol. The purpose of an international symbol for breastfeeding is to increase public awareness of breastfeeding, to provide an alternative to the use of a baby bottle image to designate baby friendly areas in public, and to mark breastfeeding friendly facilities.

Of course, breastfeeding does not require a special place and is appropriate-as the Canadian government's slogan says-"anytime, anywhere." The purpose of the symbol is not to segregate breastfeeding, but to help integrate it into society by better accommodating it in public. For example, sometimes there are no chairs in public, sometimes nowhere to change the baby, or for the mother separated from her baby, nowhere to plug in an electric breast pump. Mothers welcome quiet, private places in public where they can collect themselves and their children. The symbol could designate these kinds of places. In addition, businesses could use this symbol to designate a lactation room, required now by law in California. Restaurants could use the image to let moms know, "Breastfeeding welcome here.&quopt; We've already heard from a new airport and a university interested in using the symbol.

The winning image was designed by Matt Daigle of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Matt is a stay-at-home dad, freelance graphic designer, and cartoonist. Matt and his wife Kay are the parents of one-year-old son Hayden. The breastfeeding symbol is available copyright free. Matt has signed it over to the public domain. You can download a PDF of the International Breastfeeding Symbol at www.mothering.com/sections/action_alerts/iconcontest/icon.pdf.

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About Platypus Media

At Platypus Media, our mission is to produce high quality books with a broad appeal to families from different backgrounds that share a commitment to attachment parenting or simply believe in the importance of family closeness. Our goal is to create books and products that parents love, children enjoy, teachers appreciate, and parenting professionals value in their work.

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