Sleeping with your baby whilst still in hospital?

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 was advised not to co sleep in hospital for safetys sake when in single bed. In queen size they didnt say anything.

Saying that in single bed he stayed with me on my chest. They never tryed to stop me and I actually got comments saying he knows where he wants to be.

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).

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.

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 had DS in a little cribette thing attached to the bed, so he was right next to me. Then later (in the special care unit) he was in this cot with wheels on so he could be taken into the nursery at night.

I was told that I wasn't allowed to sleep with him - mind you, this was post-birth and I couldn't move let alone put DS in the crib on the other side of the room. So I slept sitting up with him snuggled against my chest. I had to keep waking up every time someone walked in the room to check I wasn't sleeping with my baby, which wasn't allowed! I was finally "allowed" to sleep 7 hours post-birth (33 hour labour with no sleep after 7am the previous morning!) when I was taken into the ward and DS had his own sleeping space on the bed.

I'm really surprised that hospitals have a policy about this, and particularly surprised that some are so determined to enforce it! I co-slept with DD in hospital (and her dad lol!!) and no one said anything.

I coslept with all my babies, but I clearly remember with my first, I wasn't allowed to. :o

I did anyway, so they bought me a form to sign saying I knew the risk and took full resposibility.... Then they put up the bed rails and were real supportive. Never had a problem with the last 4..... :D

I co-slept in hospital with number one in hospital, purely because i fell asleep holding her. It was a single bed with no sides. That's when I knew I had an instinct and would be fine sleeping with her in a King size!! No one said anything. I still think back (10 years ago) and I had never heard of co - sleeping (no belly belly then), but to me it was the best choice for us, as she wasn't sleeping in the hospital, neither was I.
Now it may be different with policies, but really, they are dealing with women who have just given birth, If they tried to disturb my sleeping baby, whereever it was sleeping, they'd better be prepared!!!!

when i was in hospital with ds i co slept. the midwife actually encouraged it.

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.

I'd never ever thought about co-sleeping while in hospital with DS1, but with DS2 the first night after he was born the excellent male midwife I had encouraged me to co-sleep. It was awesome and the midwife was fabulous!
The other nights we didn't co-sleep cause I had so much after pain. I'm not sure if the other midwives would have let me though. No one ever mentioned it. :dunno:

I was to co-slept with both my bubs. In fact, with DD the midwife came in and set the bed up for me by putting the rails up and propping up our pillows so that DD couldn't slip down or fall out. With DS I just did it and no one said a word.

I co slept with both of mine too, though a few of the midwives did tell me 'we arent' supposed to let you do that, it's hospital policy' or if I fed thim in bed, they would tell me not to sleep with them, knowing full well that I was. But they did let me anyway and gave me tips of how to do it safely. Some also told me the benefits of it too.

My favourite way to sleep with my baby in hospital is with them tucked inside my nightie, with no top on them - skin to skin! It's a great way to bring your milk in. And you're less likely to drop them :)

I think I did by accident because I fell asleep. I felt a bit uncomfortable about it because I did feel that there was some danger of him falling off in the bed I was in. But I did it again later with some barriers. Noone said anything to me about it. I was in a public hospital.

never had any issues in hospital, my DD co-slept with me in my room and the midwives were more than happy when they checked on me, no problems here!

I have co-slept with all 3 of mine in the hosipital and one point or another. With my last one the midwifes pretty much left me to it as they were so busy I only sore them in the morn and at change over unless i asked them for stuff.

I did, and none of the midwives or nurses said anything about it. One of them actually came in and suggested we cuddle up together and she helped set up the bed so it was safer.

Just another fan of it here...

Did it with both my babies... more so my DD as she was a very clingy newborn, whereas my DS wasnt so much.. but still i did it and loved it. I believe it is so good with the bonding.... well for me anyways... that baby smell just made me feel euphoric! (s?)

All the best with your birth!

with izzy one of the mw suggested that i co sleep as i was buggered and izzy would only settly on me... So mw came and checked on me through out the night and new that we were okay...

But then the morning staff came on and she FLIPPED to see izzy and me sleeping 2gether, but i set her straight lol!

And i will definitly be asking about it with this one since its a different hospital.

I had DS at the old RWH, and the midwife on duty actually encouraged co-sleeping as DS wouldn't settle in the cot. She even put a couple of rolled-up blankets down the side of the bed for safety, and helped position bubs to help feed lying down. We haven't looked back!

Well the first night i had cody i was exhausted so they took him into the nursery, but he would not settle in there so the midwife ended up bringing him back into me and put him in my arms next to me and he settled straight away and slept all night.

In hospitals i think that it depends on the nurse who is looking after you. One says one thing is ok and the next one says no its not. So i would like to say stick to your guns and do what ever makes you feel comfortable, its your baby!!

HTH nikki

Miss M co-slep with me in hossy on a single bed we just had to have the rail up & the bassinette mattress stuck between the rails & the bed mattress because there was a fairly big gap. I had one midwife who put her back in the bassinette on the 1st night when I was asleep but I woke up when she left the room & put Miss M back in bed with me. None of the other midwives said anything

I'd check with your hossy.
I was public and they actually encouraged me to do it! I was a bit apprehensive/hadn't thought about doing it but it was great!
They pulled the rails up I had pillows too :)

One of my girlfriends was told she couldn't co sleep in the public hospital she was in. She did anyway.;)

i found when i was in hospital with Aiden, i could get him to sleep better overnight by having him with me. Most of the midwifes 'tsk tsk' me for it, but one said the important words... If you slept well, and he slept well... who cares! Apparently, she had been in to check on me several times overnight, and i had never realised, i slept that well that night.