728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Issues for Mom › Sleeping in the Same Bed

Sleeping in the Same Bed

The Breastfeeding Co-sleeping Connection

By Gwen Morrison

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

"Another form of co-sleeping is room sharing; the infant's crib or bassinet is within sensory range of the co-sleeping caregiver," McKenna says. "Babies sleeping close but on different surfaces is a great alternative to bed sharing for parents that prefer less contact. For the most part, all that is achieved by bed sharing can be achieved by co-sleeping in the form of separate-surface-sleeping if the infant's bed is next to the mother's bed."

Is It Right for You?
McKenna stresses that bed sharing should be limited to breastfeeding mothers who do not smoke or take drugs or alcohol. McKenna adds these important safety reminders: Babies should always be on their backs; other children should not be permitted in the bed at the same time; keep the baby's head uncovered; make sure no ledges or spaces exist around your bed or its frame into which a baby could fall and make sure that mattresses without frames are at least a foot away from any wall or furniture.

"When [my babies] were nursing during the night, I had them sleep in a baby basket beside my bed," says Andrea Mack of Toronto, Ont. "I didn't have far to go when they woke up. With my first child, I often nursed her beside me in bed, lying on my side. Often we'd fall asleep there together – me with my arm around the baby – until I woke up again and tucked her back into the basket."

Whether you decide to co-sleep in the same room, bed share with your infant or sleep in separate rooms, the most important thing to remember is that babies wake up often to be fed. Do what works best for mother and child to ensure that both are getting the most sleep and that baby gets all the nourishment needed to promote good health and positive growth.

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.