How do you feel about co-sleeping?

Question

To clarify. I am talking about having your child or children sleep in the same bed as you at night. Also known as The family bed or Attachment parenting.

Answer 1

I think its a wonderful idea, having a baby not sleep in bed with its mother is actually a new idea (only been around about 100 years, and its only done in the "civilised" western world)

Infants and parents sleeping together or in proximity to one another is how the human infant's nutritional, transportational, social-emotional, and thermal needs continue to be met worldwide. This includes Japan, where the rates of SIDS are the lowest in the world. In most cultures, parent-infant contact is thought to be as important during the night as it is during the day. In contrast, the industrial western world's accepted model of "normal" and "healthy" infant sleep assumes that it is best for the infant to sleep in isolation with minimal parental intervention. But, infants were designed to sleep next to their mothers for night time breastfeeding, so solitary infant sleep represents a novel, if not alien experience, for which not all infants, we contend, are equally prepared. Our work challenges western assumptions on "normal" infant sleep in hopes of uncovering hidden environmental co- factors heretofore not considered to be relevant to some types of SIDS.

Dr. William Sears, advocates co-sleeping as a way for parents to actually lower the risk of SIDS in their babies. According to Dr. Sears, "anthropological studies have shown that the rate of SIDS is approximately three to four times higher in cultures where mothers do not sleep with their babies." cosleeping also discourages parents from starting solids too early in a misguided attempt to make the child sleep for longer periods of time.

cosleeping is contraindicated if parents smoke, are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or if eather parent is obese, or if you have a waterbed.

You also can not put the baby to sleep on its stomach, and it cant use a blanket or pillow (same as in a crib)


I'm am glad you are looking into doing what is best for your baby

Answer 2

I don't think it is healthy for a child since they could have issues with independency and more. I understand the desire to bond with your children but that is easily achieved during the waking hours. There are boundaries that children need to understand in order to become well-developed and this can certainly hinder the development.

I did sleep with my son when he was an infant sometimes; like when he would wake-up crying and I would feed him and he would fall asleep on my chest. But he was in his own crib at about 2 1/2 months, when he started sleeping through the night. He has slept in his crib ever since and he is now 2 1/2 years old. He is still very loving and affectionate, yet he has no problems with feeling abandoned when I leave him with anyone he knows.

I am sure all children are different but I feel good about the way we handled our sons sleeping arrangements.

Answer 3

Not for me. Kids always take up the majority of the bed and you end up sleeping on the edge..sheesh, my hubby does that too..so, no, not for me. I had my babies sleep in a cradle about six inches from my side of the bed so that I could reach out and replace dummys etc but once they got to around six months they went into a cot in their own bedroom. Maybe you are one who can do it though..I just know it was not for me.

Answer 4

I did this with my first one and breaking the habit was almost in possible to do, but you have to do what you feel is best. Get a bassinet or a crib in your room if you have to feel close, it was just easy for me with my first child my husband worked at night so it was just me and her, and I loved it, she would sleep on my chest, but as she got older, it became more of a problem not to mention the intimate issues with my husband that arose, she had a crib but never slept in it, so just do what you feel is best for your baby, just be aware of the consequences.

Answer 5

If it relates to sleeping with your baby then I have been guilty of this..only because breast feeding makes you fall asleep. Yet, as soon as I woke up and was aware of the baby next to me I put them back in their crib. Risk of SIDS and all that is not worth it. PLenty of time for cuddles in the day time..let the baby know when it is night and day from separating the two :)

Answer 6

if you mean by a couple either living together or having their own places but say spending the weekends. its the norm in todays society. its called co-habitating. i myself and everyone i know live together as many feel the only differance in living together and marriage is the paper and a tax write-off. it is rare for any couple to not sleep together or even live together before marriage. with divorce rate so high. everyone is living together after dating awhile. some will eventually marry. i have even slept in the same bed with some of my close girls i knew and never had sex as we didn't want to mess up the friendship. its how you feel about it that counts, not what people tell you to do or your partner tells you. i have known people long ago in college who waited until getting married and known some who lived together, but never had sex till they were getting married. its all about you and how you feel about it. i do things for me and never worry about what others think or might think. your own happiness is up to you. good luck.

Answer 7

to be honest hunni, i slept with both my kids, my son Hunter was co-sleeping with me when he died at 11 days of age from SIds last year. I breastfed both of my kids, so I thought I was doing the right thing. The coroner stated that along with the SIDs factor, co-sleeping played a factor in his death.

Would I sleep with another infant> that is a very scary thought to me now...

not to scare you but to inform you hunni....

Answer 8

Me and my boyfriend co sleep and I like it. But I'm assuming since this is in parenting this is not what you are asking? Feel about whom co-sleeping?

Answer 9

Isis, my daughter is nearly 3 and we've co-slept with the aid of fact the day she replace into born. it truly is truly labored for us with the aid of fact she's a sound and sturdy sleeper. i've got heard undesirable memories of infants who kick and squirm and their mothers and fathers have not had a sturdy night sleep considering the fact that they day they extra the toddler domicile from the well being center. My female is amazingly self sufficient and self helpful, so I basically have been given to assert it truly is hogwash that co-dozing leads to dependency. yet, co-dozing isn't for each individual and that i do no longer think of there's a incredible or incorrect thank you to flow pertaining to to the entire sleep ingredient.. truly, in user-friendly terms a "good" way for each family contributors. i do no longer worry that it is going to be confusing to get my female to sleep in her very own mattress (she naps in her very own mattress and he or she falls asleep in her very own mattress at night... we flow her into ours as quickly as we are waiting to flow to sleep for the night.) while she needs to awaken in her very own mattress, i think of she'll tell me. I do ask her on occasion... i'm going to save on along with her lead. i do no longer comprehend if all of us can answer your question, with the aid of fact what we each and each ought to flow to sleep is so distinctive - it truly is basically thoroughly based on your daughter. you're good, even however, it truly is intense-high quality to snuggle with a sprint one/toddler at the same time as you sleep. There are down aspects, of direction, and if it made you experience sturdy i ought to catalog them for you... i does not supply it up for the worldwide.. and the day she does not decide to sleep with me anymore, i'm going to be terrifically unhappy! She's already waiting for those

Answer 10

yeah, how about a crib right next to your bed?
it seems the best compromise.