new baby isolation

I think you are going through a great change now, as you used to be a career person? That alone would make me think that's one reason for you to feel depressed, your whole schedule has probably changed and people don't even know you are lonely? I sufferred from post partum depression could that be why too. I would see a doc about the depression, even though you're happy with the baby, there is also the pshycical effects of it too.

OP - and, sun. Since it is springtime already. Sunlight helps some people with depression. Certainly worth a try.

yellowted - Professor James J. McKenna is the leading US researcher on infant cosleeping. See Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory // University of Notre Dame for state of the art research. I imagine that those UK health authorities that attribute deaths to cosleeping make one or more of the following major mistakes: 1) claim causation where there is none 2) fail to separate the influence of confounding factors, such as second hand smoke exposure, babies' being placed on their stomachs, etc. There may be more issues with how they compile and process their statistics.

OP - you do not need to read that since your baby is already outside of the window of risk for SIDS.

What ever you think HB, everyone is entitled to their opinion, mine certainly is that i personally would not risk sleeping with a baby if there is even the slightest chance of killing it inadvertantly which there clearly is if you are sleep deprived.
I do know cots are cribs and dummies are pacifiers in america, but as i am in the UK i use UK terminology and as people from all over the world are welcome on this site i have every right to do so uncriticised.
the reasons ground beef is not normally the first weaning food is that A its texture is not pallitable for a baby who is used to a liquid diet and B it is harder for developing tummies to digest than rice or oats. I agree that fortifications are not absorbed as well as vitamins amd minerals from proper food, but fortifications in the early stages are far better absorbed than iron given as ground beef if the the baby rejects or ejects the beef. also the RDA of iron for a baby can be given in one or two spoons of fortified rice where it would take three times as much pure ground beef to give the same amount ... an amount new weaners would not be able to consume. also ground beef contains a good deal of bad fats which are not good for small arteries. foods like spinach are a far better natural source of iron as it is easier to digest and easier on the pallet of new weaners.

sorry, i will use the british terms next time.

My point in sending you the link to the state of the art research was to prevent statements such as "if there is even the slightest chance of killing it inadvertantly which there clearly is if you are sleep deprived."

many babies have been killed this way no matter what any report says it is a fact that babies can die if you sleep with them and for that reason here in the UK it is strongly advised not to and if a child/baby dies this way then it is classed as neglect and can be trialled as murder.

well, then I will add it is as the second reason I am happy I am not in London. the other being the weather. California is much nicer.

Ski resorts at Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes, and Mount Shasta routinely receive over 10 feet (3.0 m) of snow in a season, and some years, substantially more London yearly average is 4inches
Northwestern California has a temperate climate with rainfall of 15 inches (380 mm) to 50 inches (1,300 mm) per year. Some areas of Coast Redwood forest receive over 100 inches (2,500 mm) of precipitation per year.London’s average rainfall for the year is 22.976 inches (583.6mm)
the Great Basin region, with hot summers and cold winters. During the summer months, especially from July through early September, the region is affected by the Mexican Monsoon (also called the "southwest monsoon"), which drives moisture from the tropical Pacific, Gulf of California, and/or Gulf of Mexico into the deserts, setting off brief, but often torrential thunderstorms, particularly over mountainous terrain . London does not get monsoons and only a hand full of light thunderstorms a year.
California's summers are typically hot and dry, particularly in the southern areas. This makes them prone to wildfires. No such thing in London!
think I prefer London! but every one is different and entitled to their opinion.

As this is getting off topic i will not be replying to posts about London on this page anymore

Well, this has developed in interesting directions in the meantime. I am following the government's guidelines on weaning, etc. They have recently changed it to six months; although it used to be four a few years ago:
Your baby's first solid foods - Pregnancy and baby guide - NHS Choices
Also, these days when you leave the hospital you get lots of booklets on going home with the baby, feeding and safe sleeping and so on; also people have a team of midwives visiting regularly for a while. I guess it must have been a lot less regulated in the past, at least it was for my parents.
Anyway, I think, scheduling in a holiday and some time off after the new baby stage is essential for one's general health and well-being. Speaking to others, my impression is that people tend to forget how hard it was and only remember the good things. Otherwise we might not have more kids )

you seem to have it all in hand Oceanwave, NHS choices is a great place to go for info, It is a few years now since i was involved with babies, so my info is purely what was the guidelines of the time. guide lines do change over time and from country to country. weaning age definitely changes i know because in the 80's it was 6 months, in the mid 90's it was 4 months and now as you say it is back to 6 months. personally i feel your baby will let you know when they are ready, because a full bottle of milk or a good breast feed will not keep him ful till the next scheduled feed time.
enjoy your time with your son, he will be a stroppy teenager before you know it!