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Attachment Parenting
kincaid44
member
Question about co-sleeping/bed sharing
kincaid44
member
I hadn't planned on co-sleeping with our little one, but he won't sleep unless I'm holding him or he's snuggled up next to me in bed. I worry a lot about SIDS, so I wanted to ask some experienced mama's how to safely bed share. I'm hoping once he's a little older he will start sleeping in the cradle next to our bed...but until then, this is the only way for me to get some sleep 
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Re: Question about co-sleeping/bed sharing
I make sure the sheet is tight fitting and only use one pillow. We also only use one blanket and no topsheet. I'm single so I don't need to worry about it but make sure LO sleeps on your side - not in between you and hubby.
There are some great resources out there with guidance and encouragement. I don't have the links handy but you can google.
Also, when DS was as young as your LO, I slept lower than him (kinda curled around his feet.) It made me feel better in case I rolled over (which, obviously, I've never done.) But that might not be possible if you have an SO. HTH!
MY JOURNEY AS A SINGLE BF-ING, CD-ING, BABYWEARING MOM
We co-bed out of necessity. Ds sleeps on my side. We face eacH other because he nurses side lying to sleep. I sleep topless obviously and on a pillow with my bottom arm straight out. I can't roll that way. I don't think I would anyway, but why not take the precaution. DS also moves his head around on his own if something covers his face, I tested it out. When he is done nursing he actually moves his head on top of my breast and uses it like a pillow. I think more people do this, but don't talk about it because it seems a little taboo.
The same thing happened to with me - wasn't planning on cosleeping, but DD had other plans. Now I love it!
Don't use a heavy blanket - they get really good at pulling it up over their face. Cover yourself and them with a loose-knit one, so that even if it works it way up to cover her face, she's still be able to breathe. The same goes in the crib, obviously.
If your hubby is a heavy sleeper, sleep between your DD and him so he doesn't hurt her by mistake in the night. That being said.......... my DH is a really heave sleeper and I let DD sleep between me and him all the time and there's never been an issue other than him waking her up by accident.
Side nurse! This isn't so much a safety tip, as a get-more-sleep tip heh heh. If you can master side nursing (and it really is so easy!) then when your LO wakes up in the night, you can just roll over, pop a boob in their mouth, and go back to sleep. I get way more sleep this way... and she does too! I wake up while she's still asleep but just starting to root around, so I manage to feed her before she wakes completely up and get's all revved up... she falls back asleep the instant she's done nursing, the whole thing takes 10 mins TOPS, more like 5-6 mins.
When they're a newborn, sleeping close to the edge isn't as big a concern because they cant roll yet. Now that my DD is rolling, I've moved our pack-n-play right up against the side of the bed. The siding is mesh, so even if she rolls up against it, she's still be able to breathe.
Hmmm... that's all I can think of... for now.... Enjoy!