Co-sleeping and SIDS

[RedPanda]

I don't co-sleep with DS all night, but I bring him back to my bed after his early morning feed (5am-ish) and I also nap with him during the day in my bed. I'm just reading this month's "Practical Parenting" and it says that unless you have the "appropriate" bedding, you shouldn't co-sleep with babies. Apparantly doonas and pillows are dangerous (I knew about pillows!). When DS is in my bed, he is swaddled in his own blanket and then I pull the doona halfway up to his chest. I fold my pillow in half so it doesn't go near his face. Is this enough to prevent SIDS? Or should I ditch the doona in favour of a blanket? What do other co-sleeping parents do?:confused:

[MonkeyMum05]

I know this may cop me some flack, but we co-slept with pillows and doonas.
Just our normal bed arrangement, with bub attached to my boob. We never had and problems. he usually kicked the doona off his feet... we were careful to keep the pillows away from his head.

I think that magazines or anyone promoting co-sleeping has a responsibility to advise the safety precautions that should be taken so as to protect themselves from being sued. I believe most people would have enough common sense and intuition to judge wether or not their bed is a safe environment for their baby.

[RedPanda]

Yes, good point. I'm still in the panicky new mother stage, so I'm always watching out for recommendations and warnings!! But you're right - I'm always aware of what is near his face in the bed and any potential dangers etc...

[rylea's mum]

im always wary as well but i sleep with a pillow and doona(not a big heavy one)
rylea has here own blanket but usually ends up with me under the doona.
i think it comes down to what you feel comfortable with, and what you think is safe, as long as your using common sense.:yes:

[the_queen]

Sleeping Safely with your baby (http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t102200.asp)


# Take precautions to prevent baby from rolling out of bed, even though it is unlikely when baby is sleeping next to mother. Like heat-seeking missiles, babies automatically gravitate toward a warm body. Yet, to be safe, place baby between mother and a guardrail or push the mattress flush against the wall and position baby between mother and the wall. Guardrails enclosed with plastic mesh are safer than those with slats, which can entrap baby's limbs or head. Be sure the guardrail is flush against the mattress so there is no crevice that baby could sink into.

# Place baby adjacent to mother, rather than between mother and father. Mothers we have interviewed on the subject of sharing sleep feel they are so physically and mentally aware of their baby's presence even while sleeping, that it's extremely unlikely they would roll over onto their baby. Some fathers, on the other hand, may not enjoy the same sensitivity of baby's presence while asleep; so it is possible they might roll over on or throw out an arm onto baby. After a few months of sleep-sharing, most dads seem to develop a keen awareness of their baby's presence.

# Place baby to sleep on his back.

# Use a large bed, preferably a queen-size or king-size. A king-size bed may wind up being your most useful piece of "baby furniture." If you only have a cozy double bed, use the money that you would ordinarily spend on a fancy crib and other less necessary baby furniture and treat yourselves to a safe and comfortable king-size bed.

# Some parents and babies sleep better if baby is still in touching and hearing distance, but not in the same bed. For them, a bedside co-sleeper is a safe option.



:thumbsup: DS is in a side-car next to me. Generally he does spend a part of the night snuggled up next to me.

[RedPanda]

Thanks Queen! That's a great piece of info. Actually, DH and I have been discussing a king-sized bed! I usually put DS between us, but I'll stick him next to me now.

[Rainbowbrite]

We had the side car arrangement up until a few weeks back. We cant use the cot anymore as we borowed it & need to give it back :rolleyes: So, now MJ sleeps between DH & I & we use pillows & a doona :shame: I cuddle MJ most of the night so know exactly where she is & if she gets too warm she climbs out onto the doona to sleep. She spent most of last night with her feet at my head & her head at my waist :p

IF we have another though, we will be investing in a king size bed :thumbsup:

[Funkychicken]

I think the previous posts seem to have helped you out with your questions. We have also always had a doona on our bed and all three of our babes, when hot, lift their legs up in the air and then put them back down on top of the doona. Can be a bit of a pain if I am cold as they pull it off me!
I wonder, out of interest, what is considered appropriate bedding in places such as Nepal, Greenland, Africa, Mongolia........and whether Practical Parenting feels the need to 'educate' these people too....:rolleyes:

[Funkychicken]

I just reread my post and I have to say that although I made a 'comment' about practical parenting magazine, I did consider this and other similar magazines to be fantastic when DS#1 was born and I devoured them from front to back. So I'm not knocking them, or you in any way for reading them, as they do have loads of helpful stuff in them for new parents. In fact Mother and Baby was my fav back then. Hope I haven't offended you Hazel. That wasn't my intent at all. :wave:

[Niki]

we are side caring but i often cuddle ds most of the nite

[Pixie]

OK in the old days I am speaking cave man do you think they had this info....nope lol OK slight exageration but Eliza slept and sometimes still does sleep in our bed with a doona, a top sheet and a pillow she is in my arms with the doona half way up her and she's fine I do make sure she isn't near my pillow though.

[reAllytee]

Back in caveman days as in Mongolia & the likes of Greenland they dont have anything like pillows or doonas .... :rolleyes:

Just be sensible & happy with what you do thats all that matters !

If Boof comes in to sleep with us he is smack bang in the middle but thats because he thrashes so much he would fall out !

Oh & he is like me in that he likes his blankets etc all up around or even over his head !
I had abuse from many people about how his blankets were over his head etc even as a newborn to which id laugh at them yanking them down cause Boof would stir get cranky & either wiggle or use his hands to pull it back up ! His choice not mine !

[stellarella]

We co sleep with pillows doona etc. I take precautions such as having pillows WELL away from babys head, and having him positioned up higher on the bed so the doona cannot possibly cover his face.

I read PP too and the article about NOT co sleeping. In fact there is a great deal of research suggestiong co-sleeping reduces risk of SIDs because you are in close range of baby so you are conscious of his breathing and your breathing encourages bub to regulate his with yours. It does say that if you formula feed you shouldnt co sleep because mum doesnt have the same instictive connection with bub. I was encouraged to co-sleep by my midwives.

I will find the link to this info and post it later.

[stellaj]

Luca sleeps with us- in the middle, with blankets and pillows :eek: He starts off in his Amby hammock but i don't try to put him back after he wakes for the first of many feeds for the night. DS#1 slept with us until he was 3 and he decided to move out, now he is on his own and even insists the door is closed and no nightlight. Did n't do him any harm.

[jessgray]

ds1 has his fold out sofa next to our bed (he wont sleep in his cot lol) and often he climbs into bed with me and dp at night. we use doonas and pillows. ds seems to prefer using a doona to his blankets when he naps on our bed. often though ds sleeps ontop of the doonas in between me and dp like a puppy would lol
when he was younger and he started sleeping next to me at nap time i would move the pillows away from him and make sure the doonas didnt cover his head and stuff :) now i dont worry so much coz he tosses and turns so much the doonas never stay on him and half the time he isnt sleeping on the pillows lol

[cupcakemafia]

I put my 4 month old on a pillow on top of our doonas and sheets and she has her own little blanket that i wrap her in. She sleeps in between my husband and I when she wants to - most nights she just sleeps right through in her bassinette next to our bed, but there are the occasional nights when she wakes and wants a cuddle. We've never had any problems with her co-sleeping but are still careful not to put her under our covers because we don't want to accidently cover her face when shes sleeping.

[Natsmummy]

Our bubs has co-slept when we go back to bed after the early morning feed since he was about 3 weeks old, and we often have day sleeps together in my bed too. I love doing it so much. He mostly sleeps across my body with his head on my shoulder or in the crook of my elbow - I prop that arm up on a pillow so his head is level with the rest of his body. In the last few weeks he's also often just wanted to sleep on his back next to me as well. He sleeps next to me rather than in the middle because my DH is a heavy sleeper and I often accidently get whacked in the head by a stray arm or whatever. As he isn't with us right in the middle of the night when its cold I just put the doona up to about his waist at most so there is no way it can end up over his head.

[JATS]

We have a waterbed and Tom has co-slept with us since the day we brought him home from hospital.

[YoungSupaMum]

I read the same thing in "Practical Parenting", they have to follow SIDS guidelines. You just do what feels right for u! I used to co-sleep, but found i wasnt getting any sleep and Ashton didnt sleep that well either. He got really attachted to my boob and every time he would wake up he would want it back in his mouth! But It worked really well when he was a new born, he would feed every 2 hrs!
I really miss co-sleeping with him though! So when i do feed him during the night it usually lasts a long time, so we get lots of cuddles in!

[AM]

With my first son, I had separate bedding for him, and kept the doona away from him completely, but this little snuggle bug is right in there with me, I guess I'm just a lot more confidant about co-sleeping this time around, with my first babe, i didn't know anyone who did it, so had to make it up as I went along.