Am I co-sleeping?

[Mrs E]

I'm a new mum and I'm not really sure on what the term co-sleeping means. My little girl is just over 2 weeks old and I've found the only time I get any sleep at night is if I feed her on my side (thankfully big boobies make this easy) and she just falls asleep curled up beside me. Don't get me wrong I love that she's this close to me but my mum keeps commenting how unsafe it is. Is what I'm doing co-sleeping cause if so don't lots of people do it?

I have tried bubs in a bassinet beside our bed and in her room. The second I move her I wake her up and have to start all over again. After 2 hours I pretty much give up and just let her sleep beside me. Am I being unsafe?

[headoverfeet]

Sounds like co sleeping to me! As long as your not smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, using a big puffy blanket and a million pillows is perfectly safe :)

[Mrs E]

Negative to all the bad things :) I've got pillows covering all edges and if she's between my husband and I, I make sure she's in the crook of my arm so she's protected from my husband in case he rolls.

I was just unsure what I was doing was safe but after reading every thread under this section it seems fairly common. Thanks for replying :)

[LoCo]

I say co sleeping but I think co sleeping can mean a cot next to the bed also. (I'm a new mum 2) bed sharing is being more specific. (I think)

We co sleep/ bed share. We love it and have done it since DD was 4 weeks. I just made sure I followed the SIDS guidelines and made sure everything was very safe. You know no doona's, cushions, walls etc:)

Oh and as for the comments well I just don't tell people anymore it gets me very upset. I just say yea yea she's in her cot. :)

[changethestars]

It sounds like you are very safely, sensibly and intuitively bed sharing/co-sleeping :-)

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[BaronessM]

Loco has it right. This is bed-sharing. Co-sleeping is same room.

Sounds perfectly safe, us humans have been pack-sleepers for thousands of years! There's a great device my mummy friend has which is a bassinet that clips onto the side of the bed where you can just pull bub into the bed when need be but they can also be pushed back into their own space. Not sold in Aus anymore but what a great idea!

Our bub at mo just uses his bed as a trampoline (he's &months, bounces on his back), so for the sanity of all, sleeps in our bed 50% of the time.

Enjoy your bubba~ my boobs were never big enough to bf in bed~ what a joy! Lucky you! This is when big boobs come in handy, I suppose!

[Violet belle]

I slept with my little bubba until she was 3 months and then she just happened to sleep through the night when I put her in bed early and she didn't wake until morning. I loved having her beside me cuddling up. Now I only get my baby cuddles when she wakes for her first feed in the morning around 6 or if I nap with her during the day.
I don't think there is anything wrong with sleeping with your baby as long as its a safe bed and your not drugged or drunk.

[smallpotatoes]

Yup, as the others have said, perfectly safe if you are following SIDS guidelines and haven't been drinking etc.

DD starts in her cot which is in our room, but we end up bed-sharing most of the night because she wakes so frequently.

My mum is worried - there's been some articles in the news recently about how co-sleeping is unsafe. I've just sent her the following links:
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/scientific-benefits-co-sleeping
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/co-sleeping-yes-no-sometimes

[Mrs E]

I love those articles, thanks. One point is definitely true to. I can get 4 hours sleep at once with bub beside me. In the bassinet I'm flat out getting 2 hours

[One of THOSE mums!]

There are some great benefits to safe bed sharing. Unfortunately like alot of things, it is the negatives that get all the attention.
For me and my boys, bed sharing was perfect. Like you I would breastfeed in bed and we would fall asleep!

[Windupbird]

I felt it really natural to bed share with dd but also felt guilty the first few weeks as though I was being some kind of reckless parent. I read the Dr Sears article someone posted on this thread and started to relax. I then started looking into it and found that numerous authors/paediatricians recommend it such as Pinky McKay, Dr Howard Chilton (Baby on board) and Dr Harvey Karp (Happiest Baby on the Block).

I'm also now more used to having dd in bed with us so I think that has made me more relaxed. I think it's sad that this practice receives such unwarranted criticism and am glad that I found this thread so that I can do it with more confidence and enjoy all the cuddles and closeness with my little one.