Cosleeping

foodie12rn · February 2013

I've always been told that sleeping with your newborn in your bed isn't safe, as it increases the risk for SIDS. However, my 8 day old will not sleep in her PnP for more than 30 minutes after a feeding. Last night, we fell asleep with her in the bed and she slept for 5 hours.

Can anyone give me some more information?

TIA

tokenhoser · February 2013

https://safebedsharing.org/safetyguidelines.html

Never leave an infant or toddler unattended on an adult bed. Co-Sleeping or family bed sharing consists of an adult & a child. Babies can roll off of beds (even when using a co-sleeping device) can become tangled in blankets, or otherwise need the attention of an adult. We recommend babies not be left unattended in the early months.
Never sleep with your baby on a water bed or on a couch. Water beds and couches are associated with suffocation of babies.
Avoid adding railings or putting furniture next to the side of your bed. Baby could become lodged next to railing or furniture and suffocate
Avoid pushing your bed against a wall. Baby could also be lodged between the bed and wall causing suffocation.
Never let another sibling sleep next to your baby. Children sleep deeply and may roll over on baby. Baby is best placed next to Mom or Dad only.
Never sleep next to your baby if you are intoxicated or have been using drugs, are taking medications, are overly tired or in any other way feel that your ability to be aroused could be affected.
It is not recommended that you bed share if are currently smoking. This has been associated with higher incidence of S.I.D.S.
Use a firm mattress for bed sharing. Soft mattresses can allow baby to accidentally roll over causing suffocation.
Make sure all bedding fits snuggly on the mattress. Fitted sheets that come loose could cover baby's face.
Make sure mattress is flush against head and footboards. If there are any gaps baby could become lodged between head or footboard and mattress and cause suffocation.
Always place baby to sleep on her back. This has been shown to reduce the risk of S.I.D.S.
Avoid over dressing your baby. Overheating is also associated with an increased risk of S.I.D.S.
Avoid strings or ties on night clothes or blankets. These could cause strangulation. Be sure to remove toys or other objects from bed before sleep time, to avoid suffocation.
If you have long hair tie it in a pony tail or braid it. Long hair could cause suffocation or strangulation.

veggie04 · February 2013

Yeah it was pretty much same situation with my baby. Will not sleep alone but sleeps just fine with us. My MIL got us a book called sleeping with your baby. I'd recommend it. Do what works for you and your LO. Sometimes I'm a little nervous but I find that if I nap during the day and try not to be 'dead' tired then I am more aware of her when I sleep. The deep sleep is what scares me but as long as I nap, it's usually fine. And honestly I love sleeping with my LO! Hope all works out for you, be confident!

kdjudd · February 2013

There is a perfectly safe way to sleep with a baby so don't worry about it.

The poster above me listed everything wonderfully. There are actually a lot of benefits to co-sleeping! I sleep with my daughter every night. I love it! It is such a wonderful way to bond.

KateLouise · February 2013

SIDs is not the same as suffocation. Bedsharing can increase the risk of suffocation but there are plenty of ways to ensure baby is safe. In the same way a baby could suffocate in their cot if you don't take simple precautions.

My understanding is that bedsharing actually reduces the risk of SIDs because baby doesn't settle into as deep a sleep.

Do what feels best to you and what works for your family, and just ensure you are being safe.

grangerize · February 2013

There are great suggestions above! Others that I do personally: I wear a tight fitting tank top, keep covers at waist height, and use only the corner of one pillow so that there is no loose fabric near LO. My dh is a very heavy sleeper, so I never have dd next to him... Also, I sidelie breastfeed and feel that this helps with awareness of where lo is during the night... We've been bedsharing for almost 5 months. Before her birth, I never thought that we would, but like you, it was the only way anyone got any sleep. I now love it! Gl!

BriDaily · February 2013

My DH was working on nights for the first few months after our DS was born, so it was just me and the little guy in our bed for awhile. I found that laying on my side worked really well. I would move DS from side to side for feedings. It was almost like I was still pregnant, DS was just outside of me instead of inside. It was summertime so I didn't sleep with a lot of blankets.

Safety measures should be taken when co-sleeping, just as you take some when placing baby in a bassinet, PnP, or crib. Co-sleeping actually decreases the risk of SIDS because your baby is close to you, which they are used to. It helps regulate body temperature, breathing rate, and instills a sleep cycle in your baby. If you are breastfeeding, the biochemical bond between you and your baby is strengthened a great deal by co-sleeping. Co-sleeping is actually the norm in most cultures, as is breastfeeding. SIDS is basically non-existent in these other cultures (there are several factors which play a role in SIDS, I won't go into them here).

I do not recommend co-sleeping if you are not breastfeeding. Simply because the biochemical bond that is brought about by breastfeeding will be almost non-existent, thus increasing your risk of rolling over your child during the night, etc. You won't be as aware of your child's location, your body won't alert you if something is not alright with your baby the way it would if you were breastfeeding.

I hope you are able to find a bit more peace and much needed sleep through a successful co-sleeping relationship!

ldpm · February 2013

I grew up overseas bedsharing is normal. I was really surprised at how negative the US is toward bedsharing, cosleeping, carrying babies, breastfeeding other AP practices. Years later I am still boggled by it.

I have a ten year old. She slept with me until she was around 7. She breastfed until 5. I wore her until school age she still loves to cuddle. I had a lot of people tell me I was spoiling her, etc. I feel the proof is in the pudding. She is well adjusted healthy. With this new baby, I don't see any reason to not do the same things.

Want a personalized experience?

Cosleeping

Re: Cosleeping

Choose Another Board

Search Boards