Co-Sleeping and SIDS

[EmnM]

I am co-sleeping with our newborn 3wks. I just read in a pamphlet today that SIDS assoc doesn't recommend co-sleeping as it increases the risk of SIDS.

I had heard the opposite as long as certain conditions are being met ie parents not drinking/doing drugs; separate bed clothes for the baby. We are doing all of this - sometimes we both fall asleep with breastfeeding during the night though.

What is the truth? Does anyone know?

Thanks,

Mich

[SJmumof2]

I co- sleep with my 2 and have been doin so since they were new borns.
A midwife told me that co-sleeping is fine unless u have been drinking or doing drugs etc. I was concerned that i might roll on my baby but the midwife assured me that there was no way a mother would roll on her baby unless she was inder the influence. She said that even when you are asleep your are conscious of the fact that your baby is there.
Im not sure about you 2 falling asleep will breast feeding that may be a choking hazard. Maybe someone else could touch on that subject.

[Mum0809]

I have been co-sleeping with my son since he was born. I was told the SIDS assoc doesn't recommend co-sleeping incase people don't follow the guidelines, example, been drinking or doing drugs etc. It is easier for them to say don't do it then to insure people do it properly.
As for falling asleep beastfeeding, do you see it has a hazard or do you feel he is totally safe? I always move ds back up the bed after he feeds because I personally feel unsafe falling asleep feeding and leaving him there, because one I got big boobs and two I worry about him getting totally covered with the banket. If you think he is Totally safe do it but if you think he is not totally Don't do it.

[EmnM]

'Thanks ladies for writing in with your advice,

I have been a bit sleep deprived lately hence the late reply back. It is reassuring to even know there are people out there co-sleeping with there bubs and interesting re SIDS and why they technically don't recommend co-sleeping.

I decided to feed Heidi sitting up in bed - because of copious vomiting as well as the rolling into her thing - she is settling better now that I am doing that anyway . We then put her back into a separate bed for her using the change mat as my other daughter still comes in at night.

Feeling better about that and still have the benefits of co-sleeping.

[Mummatotwo!]

I have been told it actually REDUCES the risk of SIDS as your body regulates bub's breathing patterns.

[MantaRay]

The thing is that co-sleeping is safer, when done properly. Babies heart rates and breathing are regulated by mum, and mum is also very in tune and usually wakes up if the baby stops breathing. Not to mention the convenience of bfing without getting out of bed, which leads to mum getting more sleep, which reduces the risk of car accidents etc.

BUT, not everyone who co-sleeps will do it safely. I think this is why the SIDS foundation recommends not co-sleeping. Because on the law of averages, more babies are probably safe if they don't recommend it, because more people who did it might do it wrong than right otherwise (I hope that makes sense, I don't think I worded it very well). If you are ensuring that bub doesn't overheat or suffocate in a pillow etc, and that you are have not been drinking or taking medications that make you drowsy etc, then you should be fine. It is, after all, the way that babies have slept for hundreds of years, and still do in many parts of the world!

[EmnM]

Mummatotwo and mantaray I couldn't agree with you more. I think I will be going on my maternal instinct with this one. How can something people have been doing for 1000 of years suddenly be wrong???

Mich

[Phteven]

I woke up when Imran stopped breathing once. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. The adrenaline kept me awake for hours afterwards and for months afterwards I would wake up feeling panicy if he was breathing very softly.
If he hadn't been in bed with me I wouldn't have woken up so I think co-sleeping saved his life. I can't imagine sleeping any other way with a baby under a year.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Michelle, maternal instinct is nearly always right. Good for you for going with it.

I still co-sleep with DS sometimes. Obviously if he starts climbing over me and wanting to play then he's on his own again! But you can feel the baby relax and the sleep is so much calmer. I, too, started co-sleeping because I was falling asleep feeding and decided that it was (a) easier and (b) a lot safer to plan to do it than to just fall asleep sitting up in bed holding a baby. Or on a sofa during the day. I had pillows and duvets, which isn't recommended, but you have to be aware and move the pillows away from the baby (a bit of hassle when changing sides) and consider blankets rather than duvets, which meant we were both freezing, so that stopped - although DS's head (and usually his neck, shoulders and arms) was never covered.

[satya]

Interesting subject this one. At hospital I was came across a brochure on co-sleeping and it said that co-sleeping was very popular in other parts of the world and thought to be quite safe. I was also given a SIDS brochure which said the opposite. It's quite confusing.

I try not to co-sleep as I don't want him to get into the habit, but if he just wont settle he ends up in bed with us. This is usually after the early morning feed and as his cradle is next to our bed it is very disrupting if he wont go back to sleep (DF does have to get some sleep before he goes to work). I just hope I'm doing the right thing.

[BellyBelly]

Co-sleeping is safe, there are safe sleeping guidelines just like there are for cot sleeping.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/baby/c...art-of-bonding

Something interesting I saw at an ABA conference was results of a study which showed a huge percent of cosleepers were breastfeeders, and very little were bottle feeders - bottlefed babies were highly likely to be in the cot. Not saying everyone but it was huge.

[EmnM]

Satya, I did a similar thing with my now 4yr old daughter. She sometimes comes in to sleep with us still but she is also fine to sleep by herself. And to be honest, we (DH and I) don't care - I figure when she is ready she will sleep by herself. Interestingly as parents we sleep together yet expect (generalisation) our babies to sleep by themselves???? trust your maternal instinct on this one.

I am not co-sleeping with DD2 this week as parents are down and using bed that DD1 and DH sleeping in - not enough room in our bed for three of us! It was much harder to relax and go to sleep as I kept worrying about DD2's breathing, even though she was in a bassinette right next to our bed. So far though, I haven't noticed a difference with either of our sleeping patterns but I do miss her being next to me!

Hugs,

Mich

[meow]

We coslept full time when our bubby was a newborn- I believe it's the safest and most natural way to care for little bubbas (provided you have the right safety measures of course).

At about 2-3 months old we started putting him in his cot (next to our bed) for the first sleep of the night and he's taken to that no problems at all. I don't believe in forming habits with little babies as they are different people from one age to the next anyway so just because he needs more attention at 3 months old, doesn't mean he'll have the same needs at 6 months old so things can change as part of the natural course.

[Pretty Butterfly]

I have co slept with all 5 of my babies!!!

They have a policy that you cant in hossy, but i insisted with all 5, and they let me!! Provided i signed a form, and kept the safety rail up in my bed. When they were saying no, but would find us asleep together anyway, they gave up!! (esp with Kane, I couldn't let him go. He was supposed to stay in the nursery and I also refused that!!)

I could not imagine not having my babies with me, and beleive i have had good sleepers due to it.

Do what is right for your family hon!!! You know best...

[meow]

They have a policy that you cant in hossy, but i insisted with all 5, and they let me!!

Good on you! I'm surprised- I didn't realise they would do that. We spent one night in a birth centre and none of the midwives batted an eyelid that we were cosleeping whenever they came in the room.

[Pretty Butterfly]

Thanks hon. I was shocked too, but its just a public hossy, with *****e beds!!! I guess its for safety, but I wasn't getting drunk then taking them to bed!!!! I was shocked they actually had forms all ready to go if you refuse. It was to say I took full responsibilty, and was going against their wishes.

My sister went to a private and had no worries either.... She had a gorgeous double bed too....

[littleme]

We co sleep occasionally....

When Maddy was a new born she was in a bassinette in our room, but if she was having a horrid night we would bring her in bed with us to help, and it always worked. We had one of those support things so she couldnt roll away nad we couldnt roll onto her....

As she got older we dont use the support, she is now in her cot and we bring her in bed with us if she wakes for her feed anytime after 5am, a good day is 7am...but before 5am, we bring her to bed with us, she gets cuddles, bottle nad we all go back to bed till we have to get up at 7am!

She loved it, and when i work nights we sleep in till 10-11am in bed together, while hubby is at work!
My biggest thing was not wanted to make it a permanent habbit as i didnt want hubby and i to loose our bed and so far its working great, she is a fab sleeper day and night were v lucky.

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

Personally, I think that the reason co-sleeping isn't recommended by SIDS Australia, Ngala or anywhere else "mainstream" is because it isn't 'the done thing', it's not as socially acceptable as sleeping seperately. I wonder if this is because in the bad old days, women were told right from the time their babies were born to teach them to be independant (with timed feeds, etc.). Maybe some of it is even the influence of the womens lib movement which unfortunately encouraged the same thing, encouraged women to seperate themselves from thier children and have their own lives.

Co-sleeping is safer for babies. I think manta-ray already said that mothers and babies react to each other during the night, waking each other occasionally which actually stops the baby falling into too deep a sleep and hence stop breathing. Eventually we'll all be advised to co-sleep with our babies, I think.