I thought he was dead, but he was just asleep.

[Epacris]

DS goes down brilliantly in his cot and then co-sleeps with us from sometime (of his choosing) during the night, usually from around 2am. This isn't really what DH and I want but it's what it is, so we just deal with it. Occasionally he'll go all night in his cot so we live in hope.

Anyway last night, DS was in the bed and DH was tossing and turning and driving me nuts. Then I noticed that DS was really still, he is usually the one tossing and turning and driving me nuts. So I felt him and he felt really cool (not cold). So I put my finger under his nose and I couldn't feel him breathing. So I put my hand on his back and I couldn't fell his chest rising and falling. So I poked him and then I shook him (gently and then more vigorously). Nothing. I am seriously thinking that he's got caught under one of our pillows and suffocated.

Then DH picked him up and his head flopped back and I totally freaked. I was just turning on the light when we heard an "ergh" noise. OMG it was amazing, the best noise I've ever heard. He must have just been in a really, really deep sleep.

Anyway, DS woke us up at 6:15am (not too bad) with some delightful singing and he's been the happiest little treasure all day. I just feel like the luckiest person in the world and every moment is such a pleasure. How silly and funny.

[Chocaholic]

I know exactly how you feel. Cooper was lying between Ian and I a few months ago. When I woke up, I couldn't see him breathe, couldn't feel his chest rising and it was so very very quiet, no sound at all. I jumped out of bed ready to call an ambulance when Cooper rolled over and stuck his butt into the air (his preferred sleeping position). I could have cried I was so happy. Scared the c@@p out of me. It has been almost 3 months and I still check him every time I wake up during the night.

Glad Angus is OK.

[~Raven~]

This happened to me when Mason was about 4 months old and he was in a very deep sleep in his car seat. He felt all limp and floppy and I totally freaked out and shook him (not hard though) as he didn't flinch a bit when I picked him up and he seemed not to be breathing.

[Enchanted]

you poor thing. How scary!!

I'm glad you're all ok! They sure can give us a fright!

[*Efjay*]

Isla did this to me the other day. I left all 3 sittin gon the couch eating 2 min noodles & I was sewing. I came out to check everyone, assuming there would be noodles everywhere & Isla was sitting but slumped over to the side. I freaked thinking she had choked on her noodles. As I rushed towards her I grabbed her arm to pull her up right & called her name. I knew she had just fallen asleep as she hadn't napped that day but I still went through the motion of OMG SHE IS DEAD! Poor little chook got the fright of her life being woken like that.

[Epacris]

You know it's funny now and I'm laughing about it, but I was seriously, absolutely terrified. I just thought, we've lost him, he's gone... how am I going to live without him?

Court - yeah I had the whole ambulance scene play out in my head too.

Sam - I could not believe how lifeless he felt, and my shaking was not so gentle (but no where near enough to hurt him).

Oshani - Thanks hun.

FJ - attack of the killer noodles! Glad your little lady is OK too.

Thanks guys

[aussienic]

Its scary when that happens isn't it..

glad it was just a false alarm though

[Michelle71]

I still hate the deeply sleeping baby. It is one of the reasons he is back in our room in the portacot I hate the cool skin and the not moving look. It does my head in.

FJ - I know it isn't funny but your story telling is. I have the image of Isla happily asleep with a full tummy of noodles being rudely awaken by one stressed out Mum

[Bathsheba]

Our babies have given us similar frights. I shook our first baby quite hard (not dangerously so.... poor sweetheart!) to rouse her and of course she was fine. This was when she was sleeping with us but later than usual. If she was sleeping in her cot in another room we'd be none the wiser. Rest assured that if your baby has ANY kind of pinkness in their face (complexion) that they are alive. Even pink lips. A deceased baby/person goes white/blueish very quickly... within minutes of low oxygen. So before you shake them awake look for some pink!!!!

ETA: just to add: I don't think co-sleeping is the issue here BTW... babies are more likely to die of SIDS in their own cots. Co-sleeping is nature's way of gently rousing them (as you move) which is meant to prevent too deep a sleep. Just from what I've read.

[Epacris]

Nic and Michelle, thanks.

Bath, thanks for posting that info about co-sleeping. I posted in here because DH and I don't like co-sleeping with DS (but we like co-sleeping with each other ). It's not our choice but the alternative, DS becoming terribly distressed, is not an option either (and yeah and we've tried everything else as well). My greatest fear is that he'll get caught under a pillow and suffocate, because he really likes to snuggle up to me and get close. But, like you said, even though we are asleep, we are aware of him and in tune with him. And that's why we don't like co-sleeping, because we don't get a good deep sleep. I'll be looking out for those sweet little pink lips! Thanks.

[Pretty Butterfly]

My kids have often scared me like that, and it is gutrenching!!

My daughter had "fallen asleep" under the kitchen table, a habit of hers to avoid going to bed, and I couldn't pull her out. She had choked on peice of sticky tape. I had her in my arms, on the phone to the ambulance, when I managed to pull it out. Her throat was bleeding, but she was ok. I know how much you can panic when they wont wake up!!

Looks like your little chook loves sleeping with mummy and daddy lots!!! How relaxed and loved he must feel to not be bothered by your attempts to get him up!!

[Epacris]

Oh Jodie, choking on sticky tape is real! (as opposed to just sleeping and being totally fine). Wow, I am so glad she's OK. Well done to you

And thanks for your kind words too

ETA: Oh yeah, and, DS slept through in his cot last night! WooHoo (except he probably won't do it again for ages, he loves getting our hopes up).

[Sequoia]

I still hate the deeply sleeping baby. It is one of the reasons he is back in our room in the portacot

We go away for the weekend fairly often, I got my dad to cut out a piece of cardboard to sit under DS's portacot mattress so I could put his BabySense monitor underneath it after having a couple of scares.

Paranoid, much?

[aussienic]

Not paranoid at all.. I do the same..

If you have the monitor you may as well use it my opinion.. We even take ours camping and stock up on batteries

[~clover~]

My MIL lost a baby to SIDS 17 years ago.
I can't even imagine how petrified she was when Bri stayed over at 8 weeks old.
FIL woke her at 4am yelling 'Suzie, the baby didn't wake up!'
For the first time ever Bri had slept for 10 hours straight. Everything was ok, but MIL hadn't been that scared in a long time.