Co-Sleeping with kids

Sorry, but that's rubbish. I know people who's babies have died of cot death because they WEREN'T in their parent's bed. Some babies die. It's harsh, but it's a fact. You can't blame the parents for that one. They'll be blaming themselves.

It's not rubbish at all. Newborns die from co-sleeping. Period. Not many. But do you want to tell the parents of a dead baby that for comfort?

Yes SIDS is terrible and we're not entirely sure how to prevent it. We DO know how to prevent parents from rolling over onto their babies. Put them in a crib.

Odds are everything will be fine when cosleeping. The odds are also good that you'll win at Russian Roulette. It's the times you don't that REALLY bite you on the *kitten*.

Just because kids can die from numerous different causes is no reason to ignore simple safety precautions that can save their lives.

Last time I checked my daughter's not dead. In fact she is incredibly secure and knows all the way down in her DNA that her dad and I are there for her no matter what. I don't believe babies can fend for themselves. I think they need nurturing and security.

Question: do you fall out of bed? No? Yeah, you probably are aware of where the edge is, even in your sleep. Similarly, you sure as hell won't roll over and smother your own CHILD.

Humans existed for a really really really really really long time before the Childrens Furniture Industry and the "I need my ME time" mentality took over.

You are right that babies don't fend for themselves --- but they don't need to sleep with a parent. Hundreds of thousands of kids sleep in a crib and are fine. Babies can sooth themselves, if they are taken care of -- changed, fed, kept clean --- then its no issue having them sleep in their own room. Its not at all neglectful or being a bad parent.

Personally I think, do what you want. I will admit (I work with kids) and I cannot stand when they are co-sleepers. Its annoying for me, and the kids are completely unable to sooth themselves (even at 2-5years old). And yeah, thats not 100% of the time, but usually these kids have a very hard time soothing themselves.

Why would you expect a small child to sooth themselves? That is what mothers are meant to do. Why do people want their babies to grow up instantly?

Shock horror, I fed my babies to sleep EVERY NIGHT too. And amazingly, they get themselves to sleep just fine now.

I was more talking about 6-8 month olds, not newborns.

I also never said you shouldn't sooth your babies. I said that babies CAN sooth themselves. So by keeping a baby in their own room isn't being a bad mom. Just like vice-versa having a baby in your room doesn't mean your a bad mom. I do think that there is a point (personally) that kids need to have their own room. But that is just me.

Isn't saying babies can sooth themselves just saying eventually they give up crying because they have learned no one is coming? I wouldn't let my 6 year old cry himself to sleep, I sure as **** wouldn't do it with a baby.

Anyway, for those talking about SIDS, it is lessened dramatically in babies that sleep next to their mothers because they regulate their breathing to be in synch with their mother. Babies are meant to sleep with their parents/mothers, you don't see any animals packing their baby off to sleep at the other end of the nest. SIDS happens when a baby for some reason stops breathing, which is more likely when it can't feel it's mother's breathing pattern.

My family was always against it. My younger half sisters (raised by my step mom) are 5 and 8 years old, and they still sometimes sleep with her. Very weird IMO

my friend and her husband havent been "together in 4 years" they child has slept with them every night. aswell as another friend rolled onto her 4 day old baby and the baby suffocated and died.

i have two kids... never liked/agreed with co sleeping, but i like my space aswell as time with my husband, i dont think a marriage/relationship should suffer just beacuse theres a new baby.

wtf does smoking have to do with your kids sleeping with you? someone please explain this to me. Im confused

if you smoke and your kids sleep in your bed, the smell of the smoke can be contained in the mattress, on you and become a contributing factor to sids. and /or suffocation

if you smoke and your kids sleep in your bed, the smell of the smoke can be contained in the mattress, on you and become a contributing factor to sids. and /or suffocation

is this smoking in the bed or just smoking in general?

I know you're not asking me, but smoking in the house in general is hazardous to a baby. The smoke will sink into ANY mattress, either the parents' bed or the crib mattress. But it will be on your clothes when you sleep, so that does add another layer of problems if you're co-sleeping.

I'd bet Jerry Sandusky would love to weigh in on this subject..

OO burn!

Everyone's different.

I operate best with firm boundaries, schedules, and rules. I wasn't comfortable bringing the kids into our room, but I didn't want to get up all night during that newborn feeding frenzy phase. So I slept in the nursery, and the boys slept in their cribs.

Both of my kids were in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) after birth. They slept in their own beds there. I bought a baby monitor with a lack-of-motion detector, and I used that too. Then, I gradually worked my way out of their rooms after about 6-8 weeks of age.

I used a baby sling during the day, because I love being close to my kids. But I also love putting them to bed at night and having a little space. Worked for us.

f you don't co-sleep and you're not planning on it, why do you care how and where other people do it? You're really opening a can of worms here.

What she said!?!? I'm not sure why anyone would wonder about this if it has no bearing on his or her life.

I wonder about things all the time that I don't personally do. She was curious, so she asked. We may have educated many people out there who are thinking of doing it, so the "can of worms" may all be worthwhile.

What she said!?!? I'm not sure why anyone would wonder about this if it has no bearing on his or her life.

I wonder about things all the time that I don't personally do. She was curious, so she asked. We may have educated many people out there who are thinking of doing it, so the "can of worms" may all be worthwhile.
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Very true!
M