Mothers Who Let Their Newborns Sleep With Them

It's perfectly natural for a new mother to want to be close to her newborn as often as possible. Bringing a newborn to bed with you may seem like a great way to extend the bonding experience. Mothers who are breastfeeding their babies may find that sharing a bed is also very practical. Although there are pros and cons to sleeping with your infant, it appears that positive aspects lag far behind the potentially negative consequences.

  1. Co-sleeping

    • Advocates of mother and baby sharing a bed say it promotes breastfeeding by allowing a nursing mother to stay in bed during overnight feedings, helps to synchronize the sleep cycles of mother and newborn and encourages babies to drift back to sleep more easily. Theses purported benefits may be a strong incentive for a mother to bring her baby to bed at least through the first few months. Supporters of what is sometimes referred to as co-sleeping also suggest that the practice allows working moms to regain the closeness with their newborn that they missed out on during the day.

    Warnings

    • Sleeping with your newborn can be hazardous, warns HealthyChildren.org, a website published by American Academy of Pediatrics. In October 1999, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned parents about the potential dangers of placing babies to sleep in adult beds. An analysis of incident data over nearly eight years, ending in December 1997, found at least 515 baby deaths linked to infants sleeping in adult beds. Suffocation was one of the main hazards revealed in a review of the deaths. Of the 515 deaths, 121 were reported to be due to a parent, caregiver or sibling rolling on top of or against the baby while sleeping. The CPSC statement was published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

    Expert Insight

    • Sharing a bed with a newborn may set the stage for sleeping problems for the mother, something that can be seen in stress hormone, or cortisol levels, according to Clarissa Simon, of the Institute for Policy Research and School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. Simon and her research teams studied saliva samples from nearly 200 mothers in a Chicago suburb six months after giving birth. Women with the best cortisol or stress hormone patterns from morning until evening were those who breastfed but did not share a bed with their infant, the study found. Mothers who bottle fed and slept with their newborns had the worst stress hormone patterns. The study was presented November 2012 at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting.

    Recommendations

    • Placing a bassinet or crib in your bedroom allows your baby to be close to you and makes overnight feedings a bit easier. Devices that resemble bassinets that can be attached to your bed are also available, points out KidsHealth.org, a website published by the Nemours Foundation. The affixed apparatus allows for the closeness you long for while keeping your baby safe at the same time.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How many diapers are used for one baby?
      Theres no single answer to how many diapers a baby uses because it depends on a lot of factors! Heres a breakdown:Factors Affecting Diaper Usage:* Age: Newborns use more diapers than older babies as they have smaller bladders and more frequent bowel
    • How many naps should your 6 month old take?
      A 6-month-old baby typically needs three naps per day. However, its important to remember that every baby is different. Some babies may need more or fewer naps depending on their individual sleep needs. Heres a general guide to nap times for a 6-mont
    • Baby Naps and Nap Routine
      No two babies are exactly alike, and the same is true of babies’ sleep schedules. How long your little one naps and how often is just one more aspect of your baby’s individuality.That said, establishing a dependable daytime sleep rou