Co-sleeping is the practice of parents sleeping with their babies or young children in their bed. With my first child I was very afraid of co-sleeping. I remembered a Bible story I had heard as a child where a woman accidentally smothered her son by laying on him (read the rest of the story in the Bible 1 Kings: 19-21). However, I did become a fan of breastfeeding while in bed when she was older, which meant that I would sometimes fall back to sleep with her still feeding.
With my second child, my husband was in hospital from when she was a few days old. She was a bit unsettled so co-sleeping was the easiest way for us both to get a decent night sleep. I become very confident that co-sleeping was a really beneficial practice for both mum and baby.
Recently I read an article which stated that co-sleeping placed babies at risk of SIDS and recommended that parents only feed in bed if needed but put the baby straight back into its bed/bassinet. While I knew that there was a slight risk, I had not heard such a negative report on co-sleeping. I had previously discussed co-sleeping with my midwives and they had assured me it was safe within certain guidelines.
While I agree that you need to be cautious and I would never tell anyone they should co-sleep with their child, I still think there are benefits to the baby. When our third child was born, co-sleeping was something we automatically did. Alicia does have a bassinet, however on the night after she was born my husband cuddled her to sleep as she wasn't able to settle in the bassinet. She had only been out of the womb for around six hours when we went to bed and I imagine that it would be traumatic to be deprived of body contact that early in life.
While I enjoy having her in our bed, now that she is older I prefer to have her sleep in the bassinet. I am able to be more comfortable and sleep better without her next to me. However if she is unsettled co-sleeping means we get at least a bit of sleep. Some nights I think she just needs to be close to me to feel secure enough to sleep.
As there is always a risk of SIDS with a small baby I do make sure that I am mindful of the Safe Sleeping guidelines outlined on the SIDS and Kids website I generally sleep with her in the middle of us, with her laying in my upper arm which makes it impossible for me to roll onto her. In doing some research I have found that having her in the middle is not actually part of the recommendations.
Despite the report I read, I still think there are many benefits of co-sleeping. It is not new, and has been practiced safely for many years and in many cultures. I will continue to co-sleep with Alicia where I feel she needs it, and will do it with confidence that she is safe.
Do you co-sleep/have you co-slept with your babies?
Below are the Co-Sleeping recommendations from the SIDS and Kids website:
Do not share a sleep surface with a baby if:
• You are a smoker
• You are a smoker
• You are under the influence of alcohol or drugs that cause sedation
• You are excessively tired.
• Other children are sharing the bed with a baby
• The baby could slip under bedding e.g. pillows and duvets or doonas
• The bed is a waterbed or if the mattress is too soft
• The sleep surface is a sofa or chair
• Baby could become trapped between the bed and the wall or the bed rails
• Baby may fall off the bed
• You are excessively tired.
• Other children are sharing the bed with a baby
• The baby could slip under bedding e.g. pillows and duvets or doonas
• The bed is a waterbed or if the mattress is too soft
• The sleep surface is a sofa or chair
• Baby could become trapped between the bed and the wall or the bed rails
• Baby may fall off the bed
Using these guidelines:
• Put baby on the back to sleep (not on the tummy or side)
• Make sure the mattress is firm and flat (not tilted or elevated)
• Sleep baby in a baby sleeping bag to avoid bedclothes
• Make sure the mattress is firm and flat (not tilted or elevated)
• Sleep baby in a baby sleeping bag to avoid bedclothes
• Make sure that any bedding cannot cover the baby’s face. Keep pillows, doonas and any other soft bedding well away from the baby
• Do not wrap the baby
• Do not wrap the baby
• Place the baby at the side of one parent - not in between two parents, as this would increase the likelihood of the baby becoming covered or slipping underneath adult bedding
• Ensure that the baby is not close to the edge of the bed where he/she can fall off. Do not place pillows at the side of the baby to prevent rolling off. A safer alternative is to place the adult mattress on the floor.
• Pushing the bed up against the wall can be hazardous as baby may become trapped.
• Ensure that the baby is not close to the edge of the bed where he/she can fall off. Do not place pillows at the side of the baby to prevent rolling off. A safer alternative is to place the adult mattress on the floor.
• Pushing the bed up against the wall can be hazardous as baby may become trapped.
