Co-sleeping has several benefits for newborns and infants alike, but there are risks parents take when allowing their child to sleep with them.
For starters, there is the suffocation factor. This was one of my biggest concerns when we first decided to share our bed with Sebastian. This was not a tough decision. We knew it was the only way he would sleep throughout the night. So, being the exhausted first-time parents we were, we allowed it.
I woke up several times the firs few nights just to make sure our son was still breathing. To calm my nerves, I developed a mental check list that would allow me to worry less about whether or not Sebastian was okay at night and get some sleep. After all, I was exhausted from breastfeeding most of the day.
Here is what that check list looks like:
1. Dress him in comfortable, yet fitting clothes.
2. Place Sebastian in the middle of the bed.
3. Level myself with his head and chest to prevent the covers from coming over hi face.
4. Remove any excess pillows.
5. If he fell asleep during a feeding, I like to make sure his hands and legs are properly positioned so feels comfortable.
Are there any tips you or someone you know can offer to a parent looking to co-sleep?
One response to “How A Paranoid Mom Deals With Co-Sleeping”
Great list. Yea I was too scared to let the baby sleep with us the first few months. Now he still doesn't, but I pull him into bed when I nurse in the morning (on weekends) and we nap together for a while – when we're not sleeping as deeply. Normally at night I've got too many layers of blankets I burrito myself in hehe.