Safe co-sleeping
I realize that I've talked about co-sleeping quite a few times in a defensive way, but I haven't really been proactive about it.
There are VERY legitimate reasons NOT to co-sleep. Not everyone should.
Some reasons you may elect not to:
- You or your partner has medical sleep issues that may make it difficult for you to rouse
- Obesity (harder to tell if you are on top of the baby)
- Unsafe sleep environment
- You are not the parent of the child (it is shown that this really DOES matter - moms are most aware of their infant when sleeping; grandparents and other care givers, not so much - not worth the risk)
- You have been drinking or taking medication
How can you safely co-sleep or enjoy the health benefits of co-sleeping? (yes, health benefits (PDF) for baby)
Well...
The easy answer is what we used to start - a co-sleeper bassinet. It attaches to the bed and makes it easy to be near your baby without having them in your bed. When we wanted her in our bed at first, we used a sleep positioner so she wouldn't roll over and so she was isolated a bit from us. When we got even more comfortable, we simply kept her near me. I remember when she was so tiny I could sleep with my hand wrapped up around her butt.
For your bed, you want:
- Nice firm mattress (we pulled off our fluffy mattress pad)
- Tight-fitting sheets
- Light blankets (wear jammies if you are worried about being cold)
- Firm pillows, and only one per person - extra pillows can get tipped over on top of the baby
- Safe sleep area - no big gaps for baby to slip into (headboard, wall, etc)
I have thoroughly enjoyed co-sleeping. I understand why the official stance is that it is bad - not everyone co-sleeps safely. Sadly, more people would co-sleep safely if there were some official education about it. But, that aside - when done safely, it is a great way to bond and really makes breastfeeding a breeze!
There are VERY legitimate reasons NOT to co-sleep. Not everyone should.
Some reasons you may elect not to:
- You or your partner has medical sleep issues that may make it difficult for you to rouse
- Obesity (harder to tell if you are on top of the baby)
- Unsafe sleep environment
- You are not the parent of the child (it is shown that this really DOES matter - moms are most aware of their infant when sleeping; grandparents and other care givers, not so much - not worth the risk)
- You have been drinking or taking medication
How can you safely co-sleep or enjoy the health benefits of co-sleeping? (yes, health benefits (PDF) for baby)
Well...
The easy answer is what we used to start - a co-sleeper bassinet. It attaches to the bed and makes it easy to be near your baby without having them in your bed. When we wanted her in our bed at first, we used a sleep positioner so she wouldn't roll over and so she was isolated a bit from us. When we got even more comfortable, we simply kept her near me. I remember when she was so tiny I could sleep with my hand wrapped up around her butt.
For your bed, you want:
- Nice firm mattress (we pulled off our fluffy mattress pad)
- Tight-fitting sheets
- Light blankets (wear jammies if you are worried about being cold)
- Firm pillows, and only one per person - extra pillows can get tipped over on top of the baby
- Safe sleep area - no big gaps for baby to slip into (headboard, wall, etc)
I have thoroughly enjoyed co-sleeping. I understand why the official stance is that it is bad - not everyone co-sleeps safely. Sadly, more people would co-sleep safely if there were some official education about it. But, that aside - when done safely, it is a great way to bond and really makes breastfeeding a breeze!