Safety Guidelines When Co-sleeping With Your Baby

By Author: Isabella Whitmore
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Co-sleeping has been around ever since humanity existed. People all over the world engage with the practice of keeping babies close to them during nighttime. Some with their baby in a crib, others in the family bed, or in a bedside sleeper that is attached to the bed. Co-sleeping practically means sharing the same room as the baby in which the infant is within arm reach of the parent or caregiver. Ensuring good monitoring of the infant during sleep.

Many people assume that co-sleeping means sharing the same bed with a little one, but there are actually different types of co-sleeping.
Shared room – here, parents and babies share a room but sleep in different beds. For instance, the baby is in a crib or bassinet while the parents are in the family bed.

Bed-sharing – this is when baby sleeps in bed with his/her parents, some include siblings. This type of co-sleeping is supported by many breastfeeding advocates as it makes breastfeeding convenient. Allowing the baby to have easy access in his/her mom’s breast.

Sidecar arrangement – the baby’s bed is attached to the parents’ bed. This is possible ...
... by using a bedside sleeper, which can be a crib or a bassinet that has at least one removable side panel. Allowing it to be affixed to the parents’ bed. This enables parents and baby to feel like they’re on the same bed but with their own private area.

There are risk factors in co-sleeping that caused concerns to many doctors and parents as they are associated to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

One of which is suffocation from a soft mattress, duvet, blankets, or pillows. Some adult beds are too soft for babies, like a memory foam, that can envelop an infant’s body and cause difficulty breathing. Duvet, and blankets. Pillows on the other hand can flip over to the baby’s head covering the little one’s airways.

Strangulation can also occur in co-sleeping as infant’s head may be trapped in the small gap between the headboard and mattress. Moreover, the infant might get caught in curtains near the bed and cover his/her head. There is also the risk of babies’ falling off the bed, bumping their head in the wall, or getting rolled over by an adult or an older sibling.

Despite the risks of co-sleeping with a baby, doctors still consider it the best practice to care for babies during sleep. Provided that safety guidelines are followed.

Many healthcare professionals highly advised parents to avoid bed-sharing with their infants. This is because of the risks of: suffocation, strangulation, getting rolled over, bumping their head into the wall, and falling off the bed. All of which can cause death to infants. It is recommended to put baby on a crib, bassinet, or bedside sleeper wherein the infant have his/her own area and away from the these dangers.

It is crucial to put baby on his/her back and not on his/her chest when sleeping to avoid suffocation. Allowing infant to sleep facing down can cause him/her trouble breathing. Do not leave toys, pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals in the little one’s crib or bassinet. As these items may also end up covering the infant’s head and suffocate them.

Keep infants’ bed away from curtains, cords, cabinets, and hanging objects that might fall off into the crib or bassinet. When using a bedside sleeper, make sure that the little one’s bed is securely attached to your bed. Leaving no space for the infant to slip and fall off between the two beds. Avoid dressing baby with extra clothing when sleeping as extra garments may end up covering the baby’s mouth and nose.

Do not drink alcohol or take drugs. These substances can cause you to sleep deeply and become unaware of the surroundings. As a parent, it is crucial to be attentive even during nighttime. As your baby may need you for milk, change diaper, or soothe him/her back to sleep. It is important for you to wake up when the baby cries.

The safest place for babies to sleep is with their parents. It is critical to co-sleep with your baby so you can attend to his/her needs quickly and to protect him/her from harm. I hope you find this article helpful and apply the safety guidelines that you learned when co-sleeping with your little one.

Isabella Whitmore is an article writer about family, parenting, and households. She works at https://electrickettlesplus.com, an appliance website that offers a wide selection of electric kettles for different needs.