Co-Sleeping Essay Contest

March 17th, 2010 by Dionna | 3 Comments
Posted in Ensure Safe Sleep, Feed with Love and Respect, Just for Fun/Miscellaneous, My Family, natural parenting

Update: I am so excited! I found out that my essay is one of the winners in the Co-Sleeping Essay Contest. It will be featured in the book “Are You Co-Sleeping? Me Too!”
Even better? My husband Tom’s essay was also chosen! Both of our essays will be published! Congratulations honey!!

Our son, Kieran, was born three weeks early and spent almost a week in the NICU. Despite a bad latch and the sleepiness that often plagues early babies, we exclusively breastfed for ten months and still nurse today at 27 months. I credit the beginning of our successful breastfeeding relationship to co-sleeping.

In the NICU, my husband and I rarely left our son’s side while he was tethered to the warmer. Once at home, Kieran slept snuggled up on my chest, skin to skin in our family bed. He barely needed to stir when it was time to nurse – I was alert at the first sound of his hungry snuffles and snorts. We mastered the art of breastfeeding by the dim nightlight, my husband snoozing quietly beside us.

Our family bed has been a parenting dream. Sharing sleep with our son lets us all sleep longer and more soundly. We have never had to drag ourselves to another room to tend to a lonely baby. Kieran has never feared sleep or nighttime. Illness and teething do not cause drama – I simply sit up and nurse or comfort as needed.

Better even than the convenience of co-sleeping are the emotional rewards. Kieran’s first “I love you” was a groggy whisper snuggled between us. He wakes every day with a smile, and our mornings are filled with hugs, cuddles and laughter.

And breastfeeding? I don’t even have to wake up anymore – we’ve perfected the art of nursing and sleeping.

________________________________________

I submitted this post as an entry into the Co-Sleeping Essay Contest. You have a few more days to enter – entries must be received by March 23, 2010 (the deadline has been extended 3 days from the original!). If you submit an entry, please be sure to tell them you heard about the contest on www.CodeNameMama.com. Here are details:

In 2008, the Great Co-Sleeping Survey was initiated and in just a few months over 9000 parents from all over the world logged on to www.Co-SleepingSurvey.com. These parents relayed powerful statements and stories about their bed-sharing experience. The result is a new book titled, “Are You Co-Sleeping? Me Too!” With more than 30 chapters of specific bed-sharing topics, it will provide relief to parents who have been affected by the negativity that often surrounds the issue.

ESSAY CONTEST:

You have the opportunity to be included in the book by producing some short “feel good” essays to head 7 of the chapters. These essays should be written by parents who love or have loved bed-sharing with their babies or children. This opportunity will take the form of a contest/giveaway program. The 7 prospective winners will have their story included in the book. The top essayist will win the Dr. approved bed-sharing aid, The Humanity Family Sleeper, a $200.00 value!

RULES & ESSAY GUIDELINES:

Essays (250 words or less) should focus on the writer’s personal experience with one of the following topics. Bloggers are also invited to enter their own essays.  There are no international boundaries, all countries are invited to enter. Prizes will be shipped for free (essays need to be in English).

1.    Oppression or negativity they received (Mother-in-law, parents, media, doctors, general society).
2.    How bed-sharing enriched their parenting experience.
3.    How bed-sharing helped breastfeeding (extended duration, adverse physical limitations, etc.).
4.    How they got better sleep.
5.    A Dad’s perspective, written by a Dad.
6.    How it saved their child’s life.
7.    How they intended to use a crib, and chose not to.

Entries need to be received by March 23rd, 2010.  Winners will be chosen and announced by April 1st. The grand prize will be delivered to the winning entrant before April 20th. Contestants need to log their entries at http://cosleepingsurvey.com/cosleepingsurveyessay.html.

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