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."

For parents like Kim who choose to co-sleep, here's some advice on how to make it work for your family.

First, it's important to be aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that families avoid co-sleeping given the increased risk of SIDS, says Jodi Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Suffocation is another risk. La Leche League International (LLLI) has questioned the AAP's results, however, advocating the benefits of co-sleeping.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.