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Thank God for Attachment Parenting!

Okay, so God probably doesn't whole-heartedly buy into the full version of attachment parenting when it causes families to neglect other areas of their lives, but in its pure form, attachment parenting is God's idea: to "train up a child in the way he should go" is, in essence, to respond to each child's individual needs. That is what we practice in our house, and have practiced with each of our three children.

I firmly believe that my dedication to attachment parenting is what led to my discovery of Dania's sleeping problems. Think about it.... If I were a "normal" mother, I would have put my child in her own crib in another room from the first day of her life. I would have probably let her "cry herself to sleep" when she had difficulty sleeping. I might even have let her scream in the middle of the night with the assurance that she would learn to put herself back to sleep. However, because she sleeps in my bedroom, and because I did not force my need for a complete night's sleep upon her, I discovered that my daughter might have sleep apnea.

The Vanderbilt Sleep Specialist called today with the results of the sleep study. Dania DOES have sleep apnea, though not a severe case, and she will need to see a pediatric E. N. T. to discuss a possible tonsillectomy. Then we will follow up with the sleep doctor depending on the outcome of the ENT.

My baby has breathing issues an average of 2.5 times per hour. She spends too much time in light sleep and not enough time in dream sleep. She gets small decreases in her oxygen levels each time she sleeps. None of this is good, but I am pleased that I was concerned enough to visit a doctor - even against my husband's advice. Mommy just knew something was off.

So, while Dania has some stuff still to go through before this is resolved, I can say that I am glad we aren't failing to discover this problem until much later in her life. I am very glad that God made me the parent that He did. He is completely in charge, even when we cannot begin to understand how. And knowing that His plan was in place even before Dania was conceived, I feel less exhausted than I should considering how long it has been since I slept straight through a night!

I wish you all pleasant dreams and a peaceful night.... Dania and I will be sleeping soundly soon enough!
Angie

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