Bed sharing?

Question

Just curious what other people’s experience/knowledge is with bed sharing? I’m a FTM and I always thought it was an option but the hospital told me not to. I find conflicting information online but has anyone done this and have tips or products to ensure absolute safety? Obviously his safety is my priority. his crib is next to our bed but sometimes it would just be easier if he was already in the bed with me. I don’t think I want to bed share full time but it would be nice to have as an option when he doesn’t want to stay in his crib. 
Thank you!!

Answer

If you’re going to bed share, definitely make sure to do the safe sleep 7.  I started bed sharing because my son was waking every 15 minutes when sleeping alone.  I wasn’t sleep training a newborn and I was honestly going to lose my mind if I had to continue to wake every 15 minutes.  After about 4 days of that, my mental health was on a significant decline.  Baby’s doctor and my midwife both agreed that safe bedsharing would be best given the situation 
This is what I follow and I also use an owlet

Answer

https://www.llli.org/the-safe-sleep-seven/
Le leche League has some great info on the facts and how to bedshare safely. 
We bedshared the first year with our first and are bedsharing again with our second.

Answer

I swore before my baby was born that I wouldn't bed share, but now she's 4 months old and is EBF, so it's much easier to put her in bed with me to nurse. Sometimes I fall asleep with her in the bed for a couple hours, but when I wake up I put her back in her bed. I didn't start bed sharing until she was around 3 months. Before then she slept so well, there was no need. I would get up with her once a night and she slept 5+ hours straight. Now we're going through a sleep regression and that's all she wants to do. I still try to put her in her bassinet throughout the night, but she usually fusses until she's back in bed. If you do it, do not sleep with covers or pillows. I have a pillow, but I always move it away from her when she sleeps with me. Also, she doesn't need to be swaddled or in a sleep sack. Laying next to you plus being swaddled can make her get too hot. Also, no covers. I don't even cover myself up unless it's just my feet. Most cases of SIDS, babies have covers over their faces. Also if you smoke or drink or take any kind of drug. And I don't mean just illegal drugs, but if you take a prescription and a side effect is drowsiness, don't bed share because you'll be more likely to roll over on the baby or not wake up when she is in distress. I try not to do it and I never sleep well when I do, but when you EBF it ends up accidentally happening and then it becomes normal. A lot of people might mom shame you for it, but bed sharing is done all over the world and in many countries where the infant mortality rate is much lower than the US

Answer

I bed share, I only feel comfortable doing so because I am a light sleeper and we have an owlet first peace of mind! We sleep so much better. Baby doesn’t wake up at all in the night where as she would when she was sleeping in her bassinet/pack n play

Answer

I share my bed with my twins have done since birth as they hate their twin sleeper! I’m a light sleeper and I ensure the side they sleep on is safe so they can’t roll out of bed if you have a drink or anything(drugs) I recommend not to share a bed with your baby as I know a couple of people who have got drunk n rolled on their newborns n killed them.

Answer

We bedshare since 4 months old! Love it. He’s a bit over 2 now. It’s looked down upon in the US but so many other countries it’s normal.

Answer

You can do research and take precautions to make it safer, but the truth is that statistically it is not as safe as putting baby in their own bed. People who love it will tell you that babies sleep so much better that way! Which is probably true. My pediatrician explained it to me one time by saying that babies probably evolved to sleep next to their moms so that's what they prefer, but evolution favors the survival of the species and not individuals. We are doing our best to minimize the risks of babies dying. There's the issue of whether an "absolutely not" approach from medical professionals is better than advocating for safe bed sharing and maybe there's merit to that. I swore I'd never do it but my baby could not be put down for the first few weeks and it was not safe for me to be so sleep-deprived. So there will be many factors influencing your decision. I also know I see an awful lot of posts on here asking how to get babies/toddlers OUT of the family bed because they've been doing it so long. Just my two cents.

Bed sharing?

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