What do you guys know (not think, not opine ) about the true risks of co-sleeping.
I co-slept with all of mine, and Dr. Sears (whom I greatly admire) recommends it, but I never hear anything but bad things about it. When my infant daughter was hospitalized the nurses didn't want me to sleep with her on my cot. I hear nurses warning new mothers against it. What confuses me is that in the anti-SIDS recommendations they advise against co-sleeping, though my understanding is that SIDS is, by definition, *not* suffocation.
Is co-sleeping dangerous because we westerners don't tend to sleep on mats on the floor? Can its dangers be mitigated in some way? Or is the danger a bit of hype.
We don't advocate co-sleeping where I work either. And be careful printing out things that aren't on the "approved" teaching list for your hospital...if something happens to the baby at home they will come after you and the hospital will not back you up. In the past 2 years, we have had two preemies that went home, were sleeping with mom (they didn't need monitors when they went home) and were smothered. One was by a sibling sleeping in the same bed. How tragic!
When my daughter was a baby and toddler she was a night owl. I was not. She would be up all night so I fell asleep one night with her in my bed. She slept most of the night also. Unfortunately she didn't like sleeping alone so she was in my bed til she was 10. Luckily I had no male in my life so that didn't cause a problem. She still is a night owl. I remember when she was 2 constantly asking me all night to "tell me a story". The purple cow who made the little calf lay down was her favorite.
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We do allow it at the hospital, but do discuss risks (as well as benefits) to co-sleeping. If a mom feels AT ALL unsure, we encourage the support person to hold the baby for her, or them to put the baby in the crib. If a baby is very fussy, or mom is afraid to sleep "too deeply" we offer to take the baby a couple hours for them (particulary for fresh csections and /or exhausted moms). We always check in and chart on babies no less than every two hours in our LDRP situation.
True, can't get around it: There is a risk of a parent "rolling over" a newborn in the bed. This can be overcome really, by having the side-attaching "crib" mentioned above. I think the benefits outweigh the risks (for my own situation). I did it both ways, crib and cosleeping. I preferred the latter.
I won't rehash what everyone else said here; there are risks and benefits that have already been discussed. I co-slept with my daughter when she was breastfeeding. For me, it was much more a benefit than risk. I slept very lightly and when the baby roused or peeped, I was there and ready to take care of her. Breastfeeding was much easier for us all with my daughter than my son.
I had breastfed my son and did not co-sleep with him, as I was advised by a ped not to due to his prematurity, etc etc etc. I wish I HAD coslept with him, looking back. Breastfeeding was such a big deal, getting up, getting settled into a rocker and nursing, then putting him back into bed, and leaving the room. It was hard to settle him back down; the minute I put him down, he would scream. I was exhausted and he was not happy in a crib; looking back now, I realize that.
My daughter, I would nurse with only the light of a tiny nightlight in my bed, sidelying. All I had to do when she was done was put her gently down next to me, and we both went to sleep. My dh never even stirred, it was so easy. She was secure, I was secure, and the whole house was so much more peaceful at night. She was a much more frequent nurser but it was much less stressful, doing it this way.
Anyhow You can see where I stand on this issue. I won't debate it here, because this is like many other things, people feel very strongly both ways. I will just say it worked well for us. But like I said, I am a light sleeper!
Co-sleeping would have been so handy in those first few weeks with my daughter! I just couldn't bring myself to do it though, because shortly after I started my NICU job 5 yrs ago, we admitted a baby that had been suffocated UP IN POSTPARTUM by a sleeping parent that was co-sleeping. So he was what... 1 or 2 or 3 days old? He was found by the CNA, God knows how long after he was rolled over on. Coded. He was eventually removed from the vent. He had been perfect in every way before that tragedy.
I totally realize that this is a rare occurrence and that many, many parents and babies co-sleep with wonderful outcomes. I just couldn't bring myself to do it though, because of that baby.
The examples of babies dying are examples of breaking the co-sleeping rules . . . . which is why I won't discharge a mom and babe without those rules. I don't care what the hospital says - although to date no one is worried about it.
If we are our patient's advocate and we know they will co-sleep, I see nothing wrong with giving them the safety instructions. Part of my job as a nurse is teaching.
Sleeping with a sibling is not advised at all! How medicated was the pp mom who suffocated her child? Co-sleeping with premies in contraindicated.
I'm not saying everyone should do it - I'm just saying give them the tools they need to co-sleep safely. The benefits are pointed out very well in Deb's post about the difference in her daughter and her son.
I have co-clept with all 3 of my boys and I loved every minute of it. I still have the baby in bed with me. The oldest ones moved out of the bed when the baby at the moment moved in, not very far though can only get them to beside the bed, lol. I read somewhere once that SIDS deaths were higher in countries that endorse crib sleeping. Steph, I agree with you 100% about giving people rules and information about crib sleeping. Getting into a bed while under the influence of any drug or alcohol or is really obese or with siblings is a big no no. I think that co sleeping can be a really wonderful experience for the child and the mother if the rules are followed so the baby is protected. :)
we are required to educate our moms & dads on the AAP guidelines for infant sleep, which do not support co-sleeping. I also educate families on the risks and benefits of cosleeping and specifically, how to do it safely.
A couple weeks ago, I went into a pt room to wake her for breastfeeding since she hadn't called out to tell me if she had or not. I considered waiting another half-hour, but really felt that I needed to go into the room now (nurse's instinct?)
Mom & her inappropriately clingy, bed hog boyfriend (teenage couple) were in bed, side by side, taking up the whole bed. Baby's crib was empty. I heard some muffled, distressed breathing sounds, but couldn't see the baby ANYWHERE. I woke the mom up asking "where's your baby?", she FLEW upright in tears and there he was under the covers, his face had been under her shoulder. I shudder to think about what I would have walked into if I had waited that extra half hour.
Baby was fine, of course; she had nursed him and put him in his crib, then took him into bed when he started fussing, then fell into a dead sleep (exhaustion). I had a long talk with her to calm her down & reassure her that the baby was fine. She woke up her lump of a boyfriend- "we almost smothered our baby!) and put the baby in the crib, and then we all talked for awhile about safe sleeping. That our hospital beds are not big enough for three, either baby needs to be in crib or better yet, dad in the cot (I don't like the cot, it's uncomfortable, blah blah blah), Dr Sear's recomendations, the AAP guidelines, she probably didn't retain it all but she got one thing right- when I went back about 2 hours later, baby was sleeping happily in his crib, and dad was sleeping less happily on the floor!
how medicated was the pp mom who suffocated her child?
steph
Actually it was the dad. He had laid down on the cot with the baby next to him. He had to be practically shoved off the baby once they found him later because the dad was literally on top of the baby's upper half. He was sleeping so deeply from being up and sleep deprived for so long. He was a young dad too, and absolutely devastated.
Actually it was the dad. He had laid down on the cot with the baby next to him. He had to be practically shoved off the baby once they found him later because the dad was literally on top of the baby's upper half. He was sleeping so deeply from being up and sleep deprived for so long. He was a young dad too, and absolutely devastated.
I think that the risk for co-sleeping with an infant is the threat of rolling onto the infant during sleep not SIDs. Many small infants have died this way. That said. I have to admit my infant slept in his crib until the age of approx. 8-9 months. When he was old enough to sit up I and give me problems going back to sleep I consulted of all things my paster's wife. She have 6 children of her own. Her response was. She made her first child sleep in her own bed. This child was the child who clung to her legs with around others. THis child clung to her when it was time to go to sunday school class etc. When her other children came along she was tired and told her spouse I will put them to bed each night but when they wake up they can stay in our bed if that is what it takes so I can get some sleep myself. The result of this is her last five children all were outgoing, self assured never giving her the 'clinging' problems her first child did. Could this mean that the children who were allowed to stay with their parent felt assured in their love and not abandoned to room to be alone. Also I do not like to sleep alone so why would my child. Since my talk with my friend I have let my child come into my room when he wakes up in the night. I want him to feel I am there for him and he is not ever a burdon on me.
i always heard it was good and that the SIDS people advised for it (in what i read) but when i tried it with my daughter, she started to cry, and i was so tired (long complicated labor, no painkillers with it either) that i covered her mouth and went back to sleep! i feel terrible, but somehow it all worked out--- she's still alive and healthy. i don't know how my hand moved off her mouth, probably just i was so tired i moved it.
) about the true risks of co-sleeping.
BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN
1,823 Posts
We don't advocate co-sleeping where I work either. And be careful printing out things that aren't on the "approved" teaching list for your hospital...if something happens to the baby at home they will come after you and the hospital will not back you up. In the past 2 years, we have had two preemies that went home, were sleeping with mom (they didn't need monitors when they went home) and were smothered.
One was by a sibling sleeping in the same bed. How tragic!