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.
I think that might be a little harsh. Some of them probably just don't know how soundly they can sleep when they are very sleep deprived (like most new parents are). Honest mistakes happen.
Then you also have to consider, where these parents planning on co sleeping, or did they simply fall asleep with baby out of exhaustion. I've known Moms to fall alseep sitting up in a rocker after getting up to feed baby. Not any safer, IMO. What happens when a newborn hits the floor?
I think if you can sleep through your baby crying in the bassinet next to your bed, you probably shouldn't co sleep.
I think if it was a case of mom rolling over on the babies and smothering them, there wouldn't have been a need for all the other tests, kwim? I was under the impression that the diagnosis of SIDS results when there is not a determinable cause of death. Sounds like scare tactics to me. JMO.
What show was this, btw? I'd be interested in watching it.
As far as hubby rolling over on baby, don't co sleep with him. :chuckle
Well I think they did the other tests, because they did an autopsy on both of her twin boys and could not find a cause of death. But what are the chances that her twin boys died at the same time from SIDS? That was the wierd part. I dont think when infants die from roll overs it can be proven in an autopsy...???? The doctor on the show didnt have proof (I believe)that she rolled over on her children, but it was the only explanation of their death. I'm not sure what the show was called, I just was flipping through channels and I saw it. But I will look back in the tv guide and see if I can find the name of it.
**ok found the name of it, its called Ask dr. Braden: An autopsy special. I'm not sure when the episode I watched earlier in the week will be aired on HBO again though.
I dont think when infants die from roll overs it can be proven in an autopsy...???? The doctor on the show didnt have proof (I believe)that she rolled over on her children, but it was the only explanation of their death. I'm not sure what the show was called, I just was flipping through channels and I saw it. But I will look back in the tv guide and see if I can find the name of it.
**ok found the name of it, its called Ask dr. Braden: An autopsy special. I'm not sure when the episode I watched earlier in the week will be aired on HBO again though.
I don't know if they can prove it. I would assume they can prove suffocation though, which would be the cause of death, no? If they didn't have proof that Mom rolled over on the kids, I think that's an awful lot of guilt to give a Mom. JMO.
i am not a mom but my mom is (haha, inside joke between her n i, silly i kno) in my CNA course we were told to never let the grandparents co-sleep if they had a grandchild over, which is perfectly understandable, but wen i transferred to the hospital we had a big discussion about it. my baby sis is going on 4 now, i'm 20 and she still co sleeps (much to the chagrin of my dad who i don't think has slept in the same bed as my mom since she was pregnant) when we went in the hospital for delivery they advocated heavily that my mother let her sleep in the crib because of all of the benefits to parent and child and my mother looks and her and says (just to inject a little humour here), "dear, i'm 34, u look about 24 (actually she was 22) and this is my third daughter, the first is standing next to me and as u can see she is perfectly fine and she stayed in bed with me until she 3, so now disrespect to ur policies, but they're BS). the nursing staff that i'm training under now makes push the standard guidelines and protect the staff and the hospital law suits of course but we haven't had one incidence since i've been with any parent in suite or at home smothering or forgetting baby. mostly facts some opinion, hope this stayed on topic.
I can't explain the details but there is an idea that physiologically the wake/sleep cycles of mom and baby get in tune - it doesn't work the same way with anyone else but mom... anyone who is interested can look it up... there is a lot about all of this if you do a google search, you can also find a lot by searching the AAP website (aap.org)
I think it is a very individual decision. For myself, I did not co-sleep with my first and I did with my next two. In retrospect, I wish I had co-slept with the first one. I also let him cry it out a lot and I feel like it damaged or ruined the whole "trust vs. mistrust" step. He has a lot of good traits but he is my "difficult" child and I still wonder if it would have been different if his infancy was different.
I attached pictures of examples of options for safe co-sleeping.
We have babies in bed w/moms all the time, it's hard to get them back in the bassinet to do an assessment. We did have one incident--very sleepy post CS mom, kept bringing baby back into bed, but placing it on top of herself, despite repeated interventions by nursing staff. (We do put them near the breast and tuck sheets and pillows around both tightly, so baby can feed and mom can rest, don't know what went wrong this time) Everyone went tearing into the room when blood-curdling screams were heard from mother and child--baby took a header, fractured his/her skull!!!
Fortunately, it doesn't seem like any permanent harm was done; if so, no one told us. Baby stayed in Level 2 the rest of the time, I think s/he even went home on time! We gave the baby tylenol as need for a big fat headache.
I'm sure risk management was there in a heartbeat, everybody documented thoroughly.
I know from work that we did in South Africa in the 1990's that there was real concern about co-sleeping because it was believed that the baby would inevitably "slide" under the covers and would then be re-breathing its own CO2-and then those children that were predisposed to SIDS (with risk factors exacerbated in Third world conditions)-would have an episode.
Having siad that it remains one of the best feelings to make up and have your babes snuggle against you
LoL
Tim
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.
I wonder how the stats for rollover deaths compare to stats for crib-related suffocations (i.e. baby gets stuck in crib corner, etc)_ anybody know?
I have to say that co-sleeping with my son has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Bedtime is a pleasure for him, not a lonely burden to be avoided at all costs.
All this talk of sleep is making me tired 'Night y'all. :)
Of the rollover stories I've read, most of them seem to involve dad or a sibling rolling over the baby. I read a lot about co-sleeping when I was pregnant and was really excited about it. One of the 'rules' listed by Dr. Sears was not to put baby between mom and dad, but to put between mom and edge of bed (bordered by wall, or towels or co-sleeper crib). According to Dr. Sears, moms are naturally more aware of their bodies in relation to their babies and are much less likely than dad to roll over the baby. There are always exceptions of course.
not too long ago I saw a special on HBO called Ask Dr. Baden, a medical examiner known for taking and solving interresting and complex cases. he had a woman who had a toddler and a baby girl, but one day she woke up from her nap to find her daughter was cold, blue, & not breathing. the autopsy report stated the death as SIDS.
then, 2 years later she had twins and after a night of partying and drinking found woke up to find both her babies laying next to her, dead. of course this sparked an investigation to find out if she was killing her children. but when they couldn't find any evidence of foul play the deaths were labeled SUDS (sudden unexplained death syndrome), and the first was changed to SUDS as well.
Dr. Baden looked at all the autopsy reports and came to the conclusion that the mother had rolled over and crushed all 3 of her children, killing them. that must be a very hard pill to swallow! she was saying how all the parenting info recommend you sleep with your children by your side. then the Dr. stated that before they developed cribs the incidence of SIDS was much higher, which was believed to be attributed to roll-over deaths. to me, if you love your kids you will put them in a crib to avoid putting them in a casket.
to me, if you love your kids you will put them in a crib to avoid putting them in a casket.
Whoa now.... thems fightin' words!!! That kind of generalization is going to make a lot of folks VERY steamed! Uh oh....there is nothing I wouldn't do for any of my babies, including letting them sleep next to their mommy.
and after a night of partying and drinking found woke up to find both her babies laying next to her, dead.
Alcohol has already often been stated as a contraindication for co-sleeping.
There are people who use rickety old cribs that are dangerous, should we therefore make such a blanket statement that if you love your child, you won't put them in any crib? Do you see how ludicrous that sounds?
Co-sleep, don't co-sleep, but do either one carefully and smartly.
) about the true risks of co-sleeping.
'Night y'all. :)
RNnL&D
323 Posts
Then you also have to consider, where these parents planning on co sleeping, or did they simply fall asleep with baby out of exhaustion. I've known Moms to fall alseep sitting up in a rocker after getting up to feed baby. Not any safer, IMO. What happens when a newborn hits the floor?
I think if you can sleep through your baby crying in the bassinet next to your bed, you probably shouldn't co sleep.