Co-Sleeping 101
Co-sleeping used to be a somewhat controversial subject, with some thinking it was a hazardous undertaking. Today, the benefits and importance of co-sleeping are widely known by many in the medical field. There are even ‘baby-friendly’ hospitals incorporating co-sleeping from day one post birth.
Sleeping with your baby after they are born is one of the most natural and most rewarding things you can do. Even more than breastfeeding which sits at the top of important health & wellness factors for your child, co-sleeping has the unique gift of setting you and your child up for a lifelong healthy & loving connection.
Seven positive aspects & benefits of co-sleeping:
Continued care from the womb, avoiding abandonment stress for your baby.
Easier breastfeeding for mother & baby, when baby is past 6 weeks old & mother learns to breastfeed lying down.
Better sleep for mother & baby, no need to wake up, get up & move to a different location, saving time, energy, tears & precious sleeping hours.
Reduced risk of SIDS, if parent is not obese, smoking or abusing drugs & alcohol.
Stable physiology for baby with body temperature, breathing & heart beat all more stable when co-sleeping.
Long-term emotional wellbeing – higher self-esteem, less anxiety, early independence, better behaved in school, less psychiatric problems & more comfortable with affection
Better bonding for parents & baby
Those are the seven top benefits of co-sleeping with the risks & downsides of not co-sleeping built in.
Co-sleeping looks a little different for every family. Some parents choose to sleep in different beds, allowing mother & baby their space & dad or partner the much needed sleep, while others prefer to sleep together, sharing the experience & many benefits of co-sleeping.
For some, co-sleeping means attaching a cot to the end of their bed while for others, baby sleeps next to mother, either on a flat co-sleeping pillow or specifically designed co-sleeping mat or directly on the bed, tucked under mothers arm or close to the line of her head.
Seven guidelines to safe co-sleeping:
Do your research & find out what best suits you as a co-sleeping family – will you co-sleep in the ned, beside the bed, 2 separate beds?
Be prepared for co-sleeping – do you need to get a co-sleeper or a cot that can be attached to your bed?
Discuss co-sleeping with your partner & make sure you are on the same page.
Do not co-sleep if you or your partner are obese, smoking, taking any medication & drugs or drinking any amount of alcohol.
Use a relatively firm mattress & light bedding – no big sloppy snuggly pillows & quilts that may easily suffocate or overheat baby.
Do not sleep with your baby on the couch as they may get stuck in-between the grooves & pillows
Make sure toddlers & babies sleep separately, do not allow toddler to sleep near a baby as they may daily role over on them or kick them in their sleep.
Becoming a confidant co-sleeper may take a wee while & allowing yourself the time, patience & dedication (much like you do in Breastfeeding for the first time) is essential to successful co-sleeping. Your body will take a while to get used to sleeping next to your baby, the baby is no longer inside you & your sympathetic nervous system will quickly adjust. Although co-sleeping may feel like second nature right from the get go, your body becomes confident & relaxed over time, all the while changing & shifting its attention as your baby's needs evolve & as your baby grows.
Do you co-sleep or are you considering co-sleeping? what worries you the most, what do you enjoy the most about co-sleeping or the idea of it? Have you told your friends and family or how normal is co-sleeping amongst your peer cohort? If you have stories to share around co-sleeping, I would love to hear them.
Love,
Annalee
