This is most likely a really silly question (and possibly one that I should just ask the hospital themselves!), but is anyone aware of any situation in which your baby would not be allowed to co-sleep with you in hospital? I am going to Frances Perry and I know that they have a rooming-in policy, but I don't want to wait until we return home to begin having baby in our bed. Has anyone ever experienced any resistance to this? My feeling is that no-one could ever tell you not to co-sleep, but I'm interested in other people's experiences or thoughts on this. Thank you!
I didn't have any issues at my hospital. I got more smiles than anything when the midwives came into my room and DD was always with me. Definately check with the hospital, but I can't see how they can stop you if that's what you want to do.
I went to a public hospital in Sydney and the policy was rooming in but no co-sleeping for safety reasons. Pretty sure it would be a policy across public hospitals but not sure about private.
I was advised not to by a midwife (she had to as hospital policy) but she did suggest ways in which to co-sleep safely!
Talk to your dr, but I dont see how they could stop you co-sleeping if thats what you want to do
I went to a public hospital with DS and co-slept with him. No one said anything about it. I was only in there for 1 night. He slept on my chest the whole time. I couldnt really sleep though due to the high of just given birth!
I lost count of the times I got told off for having Jacob with me on my chest, id just had a csection and it was damn hard trying to get him out of his little wheelie bed, so once I had him out to feed him, I wanted him with me, damn midwives kept taking him off of me and telling me I would suffocate him (mind you, I was on some serious drugs, but it really peeved me at the time.)
With DD1 my hospital actually put her in the bed with me....pulled up the bed rails and had a pillow behind her (she was laying on her side as she had alot of yucky stuff in her belly they wanted up).
Oh, i would have LOVED to ... but my bed was single and OMG my baby would have fallen out for sure ... i wouldn't have risked it if i had fallen asleep and we were squished in a single bed together
Hope you can get a bigger bed so you can co-sleep with bubba !!!
DD slept with me during the 2nd night at hospital. I gave birth in a public hospital and was given my own room, which had a double bed. The midwives didn't say anything. However, if I were in a single bed, I probably wouldn't sleep with my baby. I wouldn't feel safe especially after giving birth, all you want to do is sleep and feel exhausted.
I was in two public hospitals with DS (there was no midwifes at the one he was meant to be born at) I spent 1 night in each hospital and co-slept with him in both hospitals. They never said anything. I would have agrued with them if they had, I wasn't going to try to get out of bed every time he cried with 3 layers of stiches.
With my recent bubba the midwife gave him to me after he had been in his cot for an hour cos his temp was low and encouraged us to snuggle (early hours of the morning and I just wanted a few hours sleep) - and then during the next morning before I went home I kept him pretty much on my chest so he could sleep and I could doze knowing he was fine and comfy - no-one said anything to me either.....
I did with all of mine, but with my first they would take him to the nursery nearly every night anyway, but during the day if I needed a sleep he slept with me. With Alister I co slept with him 100% of the time we were in there (5 days). I would get the odd cheeky *tsk tsk* and a grin from the midwives, but they were cool about it, just said something along the lines of "you know we aren't suppose to let you do that, but you know what you're doing by now"
I can understand the safety thing and hospital policy though because of the tiny chance that something did happen, like a baby falling off the bed etc and then the parents suing because no one told them not to kwim? (and it would happen too) but I think most people are sensible enough that when they do do it, they make sure the side of the bed is up or they have a pillow behind bubs etc.
I actually broached this at one of my first middie visits. My midwife (who actually trained me as a nurse lol) praised me and said I actually encourage it, good on you for asking!
Even if I'd wanted to I couldn't have co-slept with Brock. The bed was single & the rails would not have held him in. I tried positioning things just for when I was holding him & I just couldn't get things right. He also needed to sleep on his side due to all the gunk that he was bringing up. I kept him right next to my bed until they took him to SCU. If you are unlucky enough to have bub go in there you wont be able to sleep with bub at all until you get discharged to a bonding room.
I had DS in a public hospital and was encouraged to co-sleep the 2nd night as he wouldn't settle in his bassinet.. That's where the co-sleeping started he's co-slept ever since. he recently moved into his toddler bed but at some stage during the night he ends up with us
I know there is a large hospital in Brisbane that has a very strict no co-sleeping policy. They had a very sad incident there a few years back (baby was suffocated by sleeping mama) and since then they have been very vigilant.
It would definitely be best to check with your hospital as policies will vary.
Sleeping with your baby whilst still in hospital?
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