Sunday, September 05, 2004
I could write about how wistful I am about leaving, how I'm aware of life going on without me, how I wish I was bonding more with my mothers' group, going for pram-sleep walks with one woman in the group who lives nearby, getting to know the funky younger mother better, baking cakes to take for us all to eat. I could say how much I'll miss Melbourne's clean air, having the front lawn for A. to sit on on sunny spring days, the organic vegie and meat stalls at the market (as I munch into organic pineapple salad).
but what's really on my mind are two stories I heard when I went to Ballarat to see relatives - apparently different families, although the similarities made me think maybe one person had their details wrong. the stories of two baby girls, one four months, the other 6 1/2 months, who went to sleep - one at night, the other for the afternoon nap - and just didn't wake up. you hear so much about SIDS, but it hardly ever happens to people you actually know, or know of.
and I just can't imagine how a mother could keep living after that. it would be impossible to accept, to get your mind around.
(a PS: that site has most of its info in PDF, which is silly because it makes it harder to get to. but this research paper is interesting: it's worse in winter, worse for boys, worse at weekends. and the national anti-SIDS day was last Sunday...
And there are two or three babies a week lost this way just in Australia. maybe I rely on my paranoid-mummy alarm too much, but I won't feel silly insisting on using it any more. not that the news that it can even happen in car seats helps me. I'd though that the motion would stop them turning off altogether. nor am I comforted by the news that it can happen over a year old. A. is keeping his alarm on until the next baby needs it. I can't believe I didn't start using it until he moved to the big cot at 3 months.)
but what's really on my mind are two stories I heard when I went to Ballarat to see relatives - apparently different families, although the similarities made me think maybe one person had their details wrong. the stories of two baby girls, one four months, the other 6 1/2 months, who went to sleep - one at night, the other for the afternoon nap - and just didn't wake up. you hear so much about SIDS, but it hardly ever happens to people you actually know, or know of.
and I just can't imagine how a mother could keep living after that. it would be impossible to accept, to get your mind around.
(a PS: that site has most of its info in PDF, which is silly because it makes it harder to get to. but this research paper is interesting: it's worse in winter, worse for boys, worse at weekends. and the national anti-SIDS day was last Sunday...
And there are two or three babies a week lost this way just in Australia. maybe I rely on my paranoid-mummy alarm too much, but I won't feel silly insisting on using it any more. not that the news that it can even happen in car seats helps me. I'd though that the motion would stop them turning off altogether. nor am I comforted by the news that it can happen over a year old. A. is keeping his alarm on until the next baby needs it. I can't believe I didn't start using it until he moved to the big cot at 3 months.)
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