new baby isolation

No, sleeping on a hard surface while breastfeeding is not only perfectly safe but very pleasant for the mother. I have done it with three children and most of the world has done it for most of its children for most of its history. Place the baby in such a position that it would not fall off the bed.

There are some exceptions to this rule that have to do with the mother being heavily drugged or intoxicated, but given that OP posts perfectly coherent messages without any lapses of reasoning, I would say that she is clearly not abusing drugs or alcohol.

I have not checked these guidelines in more than a decade, but back then, many years ago, the world health organization recommended breastfeeding until at least 2, and american pediatrics society (approximate title), until at least 1. I very much doubt that since then, those guidelines have been changed to reduce the recommended duration of nursing.

Sincee nursing is also beneficial to the mother's long term health, there should be reasons to stop it that are strong enough. Say, if the mother absolutely must take a medication that is incompatible with breastfeeding.

Feeling a little isolated is not such a reason. It is a problem that should be solved using tools that are more peaceful and less harmful than early weaning. Jogging stroller, new moms group, yoga,sex, etc.

something fun to try with your baby is to prop him up in a sitting position in the corner of a sofa or big soft chair, kneel in front of him, look into his eyes and say something..."hello ..."
then wait until they make a vocal noise
when they finish say something else "oh really"
then wait till they make a vocal noise
when they finish say something else "wow" or "i know"
continue this for about five minutes at least once a day, it really helps them develop the rules of holding a conversation, taking turns and language skills needed. it really works, i tried and tested it and the child was talking properly well before her peers.

children who do not crawl have more difficulty with balance and co-ordination than those who do, so don't be too impatient for him to learn to walk.

try laying your son on his back, take his right hand and guide it to his left foot, then do the same with his left hand and right foot, then his right hand to left shoulder and left hand to right shoulder,... these actions help build the bridges that link the two halves of the brain to allow signals cross... great for babies and children up to age 7 to do regularly,

I don't know where you are HB but over here in England it is and hasd been a big NO NO for at least the past 30 years. hundreds of babies a year die because mothers fall asleep with their baby in the same bed or because mum fell asleep feeding baby, that is why babies have cots, so they do not get rolled on. you do not have to be intoxicated or drugged to roll on a baby, lack of sleep can be a result too as you are more likely to go into a deep sleep if you are very tired or had a disturbed night due to feeding baby.

I can't remember what, but there is something missing in breast and formula milk that children need, they have enough reserves to last for around 6 months when they are born, but after that they need to get it from proper food. that is why the recommended age to start weaning is between 4 and 6 months. just because you start weaning does not mean you stop milk feeds, the weaning tops up the milk for a good few months. bottle feeding till two will result in the teeth developing in such a way that they do not meet at the front when the teeth are clenched, the same goes for dummy suckers. children by 1 year old should be using sippy cups or straws, by two they should be using unlidded cups as these are better for their developing teeth.

I am in us.

The thing that is missing after 6 months is iron. So it is a good idea to offer table foods rich in iron, such as ground beef. Ground beef cooked in a cast iron skillet with diced tomatoe is best because the combination of vitaminc c found in tomatoes and iron increases iron absorption, and a little iron from the skillet gets transfered into the food in the process of cooking.

Cots are called cribs in the us, and no, babies do not need them. Babies MAY use them provided the surface is flat and hard without pillows or crib bumpers or other suffocation hazards. There are guidelines for flat surfaces in family beds as well. plus, you cannot roll over a six month old baby unless you are morbidly obese. Since OP is considering buying a jogging stroller, I conclude that she is not morbidly obese and see no issue.

Toddlers continue to have a need to suck which is yet another reason why breastfeeding for at least two years is optimal - sucking on the breast is optimal for the development of the jaw. Both dummies, called pacifiers in the us, sorry both sucking on dummies and thunb sucking can lead to bite problems and needing orthodontic treatment later in life. In theory, using a cup is a good idea but since they still need to suck on something, a cup is not always a solution. But definitely a good idea and you can even express milk and leave the baby with someone who would offer expressed milk in a cup thus circumventing the bottle. That would be a very good idea. But the bigger the baby, the more table foods you can offer and the less the bottle is an issue.

Another iron rich food source is beans, esp. Red beans. You can use low sodium canned red beans, carefully and thoroughly rinsing them to remove salt. Even low sodium products have some salt. Then mash the beans and offer to the baby. Heating is optional and if you do heat, test the temperature.

And, speaking of iron, they are so called iron fortified infant cereals which in the us are often the first solid food offered to babies. They are basically a marketing gimmick, as is more or less the whole baby food industry. Iron from iron fortified products is not absorbed as nearly as well as is iron from foods that are naturally rich in iron such as ground beef and red beans. Plus, if you try iron fortified infant cereals, you will find that they range in taste from tasteless to disgusting. So it is not something you would want to offer the baby.

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!