At around 2 or 3 weeks of age, Lorrie Kim's baby let her parents know that she
was only going to sleep in their bed with them. Whenever they put her down alone
in her sidecar crib, she'd wake up and cry. Kim would pick her up, nurse her and
get her to fall asleep again. She'd stay asleep if Kim held her or lay in bed
next to her, but wake up if she felt herself being put down alone, even if Kim
had her hand on her.
"Then I learned that sleeping next to her meant that I could nurse without getting out of bed, turning on the night lamp, fetching the Boppy and positioning myself in the chair with [a] nursing stool," says Kim, a Philadelphia, Pa., resident. "I could just stay right there in bed and not even wake up all the way. Sold."
The AAP has recommended that families avoid co-sleeping given the increased risk of SIDS. |
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For parents like Kim who choose to co-sleep, here's some advice on how to make it work for your family.
Safe co-sleeping is great for maximising sleep.
The photo with this article is misleading - baby is much safer between mum and edge of bed (with bed guard or similar barrier) than between mum & dad.
We've been co-sleeping since the big 4-month growth spurt (now 21 months); wish I'd started from birth.
I love to sleep with my 18 month old. I am still breastfeeding, and as a working mom, it just creates more time for me to admire my sleeping beauty! I treasure every morning waking up with her, and every night cuddling with her. It is really a great choice, and I wish other parents would be more open minded and not be critical of other's choices. I am glad to see that people are realizing that it is a happy option to spending more time with your child, and that it makes breastfeeding so much easier.
Content provided on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be construed to be medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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