Do you sleep with LO on your chest?

MrserinJ · July 2013

LO is 4 days old and only wants to sleep on my chest at night. This is fine with me, I love it and the close contact, but I am exhausted and keep falling asleep on the couch with him in my chest. Of course, I am making sure there are no blankets by his face and that its just my skin he's next to, but I'm wondering if its safe? My first 2 kids slept fine in the swing and didn't need to do this.

Does anyone let their baby sleep on their chest and you sleep too? I just worry about the the sleeping on the tummy/SIDS risk, but not sure if this would apply ? What do you guys do? Thanks!

khetzel · July 2013

I do. That's usually how LO falls asleep for our morning nap and right before bed for the night. And I usually get a nap in before putting him in his bassinet. I love the closeness.

[Deleted User] · July 2013

This is how my LO likes to sleep...I'm just careful...at least I think I am.

emmanemm · July 2013

Alicia0817 said:
E sleeps on me most of the night this way. It's the only thing that works.

This. At first I was extremely scared to fall asleep with her there. It wasn't until I realized that I was a light sleeper and any sound or movement she made I was up. That helped to give me just a little bit of peace about it. Thankfully, now she'll go in her swing some as well, but for the first 3 weeks she'd only sleep on my chest. You have to do what works for you and your LO.

MrserinJ · July 2013

You are all the best. I think I'm going to let myself relax and have a little sleep with him on my chest. I'm exhausted!

arlingirl · July 2013

I've had to do this. I put the boppy around us so I Know he's not going anywhere.

rondokye · July 2013

It's seems like I'm very lucky, and an abnormally, when it comes to where LO sleeps at night. She's been sleeping in her crib since the second night home. The original plan was for her to sleep in a cradle in our room but with my c-section, I had a hard time getting in and out of our bed. So I slept on the twin bed we have set up in the nursery. It seems that Ema will sleep basically wherever we lay her. *lucky baby mama*

But there have been a couple of nights when she's slept with us for a few hours due to cluster feeding.

CarlaAndJames · July 2013

if I do, I try to do it in my bed with no blankets around us so if he does roll off its into a flat surface. please be careful about doing it on couch where they can roll between you and couch back and suffocate easily.

[Deleted User] · July 2013

juliedave151 said:
I've been sleeping with her on my chest too. She just seems so comfortable and I hate to move her. I do really want her to sleep in her bassinet so I can sleep in my own bed.

I figure it's only for a little while and they're only this small for such a short amount of time...I can live without my bed:)

kmc217 · July 2013

Logan is napping on my chest right now. He naps on/with me a lot. At night I try to have him sleep in the RNP but usually around 5am he wakes and I nurse him while side lying and admit to occasionally dosing off with him still on me. My DD2 co-slept with us until 20 months because it was the only way she would sleep and I'm hoping not to go down that road with Logan. Our bed isn't big enough!

lancomechica · July 2013

We nap with LO sleeping on us in a chair or propped on the couch. The first 3-5 days he wouldn't sleep anywhere else but on our chests. We have gotten him in the bassinet for night sleeping now at 11 days.

Lelo2006 · July 2013

I'm so paranoid about suffocation but I have fallen asleep with him a few times. Like, rem sleep. It scares me too much so now I put him in his bassinet before I fall asleep. The worst was when I fell asleep with him nursing while we were laying down. I woke up in a panic

tarabob19 · July 2013

I've done this a few times too...mostly during feedings at night because I am so tired. Like a PP said, I always put the Boppy around us and I am a light sleeper so I feel comfortable doing this. I think it depends on how you sleep and your comfort level with it.

thegoodpotato · July 2013

Yep... My midwife said its very normal. They're used to your smell, and they can be uncomfortable without you. I'm a firm believer in babies sleeping in their own beds (no judgement to co-sleepers; it's just not for me), but Amanda slept on me for the first few nights, and in her chair for the first week and a half... And still does on occasion. Whatever enables a sane mind for you. I found the couch a 'safe' place to sleep, because I could sleep with baby on me, and up against the back of the couch so I couldn't roll. You gotta do what works.

equinus · July 2013

I've done a lot of research on safe bedsharing/cosleeping, because it makes maintaining the breastfeeding relationship so much easier, and I don't sleep with my LO on my chest, but I do when we are nursing side-lying. Please don't sleep with your LO's on a couch/recliner, it is much safer if you are in an actual bed.

Here is a pretty new research article on it:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-bedsharing-debate.html

Quote from the article:

"In fact, when you remove deaths associated with sofa-sharing from the analysis, the rate of bedsharing deaths is lower than the rate found in babies sleeping by themselves in cots."

Believe me I understand doing what you have to do to get some sleep, which is why we cosleep, but always in a flat bed, no pillows/blankets around, we don't smoke/drink etc.

queenbone · July 2013

DH will sleep with babies on his chest. I am more likely to sleep with baby in a side lying nursing position. I really don't enjoy bed sharing, but it ends up being the thing that works for us the first 3 mo.

periwinklebloom · July 2013

We had to let him sleep in our arms the first two nights in the hospital and the first night at home if we wanted any sleep. DS didn't want to be put down at all. We were able to transition him by waiting until he was deeply asleep and putting him in his PNP or moses basket until he got fussy. He went a little longer each time. He still only falls asleep if we're holding him, but he'll sleep on his own now.

coco2787 · July 2013

My MW recommended sleeping skin to skin to encourage bonding and help with BFing. We don't swaddle yet, he seems pretty content as long as he's on me or close to me. I don't think it's possible to sleep soundly when your baby is right next to you, but obviously be wary of spaces in the couch cushions or blankets. You can always keep LO in a moby or boba wrap to make sure they don't go anywhere.

Do you sleep with LO on your chest?

Re: Do you sleep with LO on your chest?

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