4 Incredible Benefits of Co-sleeping While Breastfeeding

• What is co-sleeping?
• At what age is co-sleeping safe?
• The terminology
• Should I co-sleep with my baby?
• The benefits of co-sleeping
• The benefits of co-sleeping while breastfeeding
• When should I stop co-sleeping?
• Cribs for co-sleeping
• What are the Co-sleeping risks?
• Co-sleeping safety
• Transitioning from co-sleeping to a crib

What Does Co-Sleeping Mean?

Co-sleeping means that you are within sensory range of your baby. Within sensory range means that you are close enough to your baby to recognize and respond to their needs or cues through touch, smell, and sound. Some sleep in the same bed, and others merely sleep in the same room.

At What Age Is Co-Sleeping Safe?

Cosleeping soon after birth is the norm, except in some Western cultures. Why? Because of the introduction of cribs/cots and how our houses are laid out.

So, should you be co-sleeping with a newborn? Babies were never designed to sleep in complete isolation, psychologically or biologically.

Your baby depends on you, day and night, to provide for their needs. So why do we tend to push them into becoming completely independent little beings long before they are ready for it?

Understanding the Different Terms

Here's a quick vocabulary overview to help you understand what each term means:

• Co-sleeping: The co-sleeping infant sleeps close to one or both parents, whether in the same bed or the same room, as opposed to the baby sleeping in a separate room.
• Bed Sharing: When the baby sleeps in the same bed as one or both parents, this is one way of co-sleeping.
• Co-sleeping with twins is called Co-Bedding: Typically referring to multiples (twins, trips, quads, etc.) sleeping in the same cot/crib/bed.
• Room-Sharing: The baby's cot/crib/bed is in their parent's room. In other words, same room, different surfaces. The other form of co-sleeping.

Should I Co-sleep With My Baby?

Culture, socioeconomic status, religion, circumstances, psychological reasons, feeding methods, and the infant-parent bond you have with your children all play a massive role in whether or not co-sleeping will work for you.

There are many ways in which you can practice co-sleeping. You can do it all night or part of the night, in the same bed or the same room. Your attitude towards your sleeping arrangements will likely change as your baby grows and you get to know their needs and your needs better.

Co-sleeping does not necessarily mean that you and your child sleep in the same bed, all night, every night, from the day they are born until they are five years old.

Remember that no one, not even the experts, knows your baby and situation as well as you do. Do what works best for your family. Inform yourself, but then use your good judgment and follow your instincts. They are there for a reason.

'One study reported mothers getting more sleep and breast-feeding by co-sleeping than other arrangements. Parents also experience less exhaustion with such ease in feeding and comforting their child by simply reaching over to the child. As a result, co-sleeping also increases the responsiveness of parents to their child's needs' - Wikipedia

The Benefits of Co-sleeping

Many working parents love this, as it helps to make up for the time they spend away from their children during the day.

Many people will tell you that you are spoiling your baby or allowing them to manipulate you when you let them sleep with you in your room or, worse - your bed. But this is not true. You can NOT spoil a baby with love by providing for their needs! Never.

Some pretty amazing things happen between a mother and her baby who sleep close to each other.

Bodies Start Working in Sync.

Their movements, heartbeats, breathing, and touches all fall into perfect harmony without either one fully waking up.

The Mother and Her Baby Regulate Each Other's Breathing.

The carbon dioxide that the mother exhales will stimulate her baby to keep breathing, thus preventing apnea (periods in which a baby may stop breathing). This also results in fewer dips in a baby's blood oxygen level.

Reassurance

The mother and her baby will check on each other regularly by reaching out and touching the other without fully waking up. Nurturing touch is vital to a baby's survival. Co-sleeping provides this opportunity throughout the night as well.

Better Sleep

The mother and baby sleep better when they know they are safe and close. A mother is more confident that she'll know when something is wrong with her baby because she's close enough to hear and sense any changes. She's not worried about the working order of a baby monitor; there's no need for one.

Benefits of Breastfeeding and Co-sleeping

• Breastfeeding is so much easier when you co-sleep with your baby!
• Does co-sleeping increase milk supply? Studies have shown that co-sleeping increases the frequency of feeds, which increases breast milk production and the duration of the breastfeeding period.
• Breastfeeding mothers who sleep close to their babies get more sleep than those who sleep in separate rooms.
• It creates a bond between mother and baby differently from other bonding activities.

Is Co-Sleeping Bad?

When a parent smokes, uses drugs, drinks alcohol, is on medication, is over-tired/exhausted, or is obese, they should not bed share as this increases the risk factors for SIDS, injury, and suffocation.

When Should I Stop Co-Sleeping?

Co-sleeping has great benefits but can have a detrimental effect on a couple's relationship, affecting their intimacy, especially if the baby is now a toddler. Also, when a mother becomes exhausted, it may signal the time to stop co-sleeping.

Co-Sleeping Dangers

Co-sleeping has been linked with an increased risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and sleeping mishaps. But, many parents still choose to co-sleep because of all the benefits involved. There are ways to lessen the risk.

Some Factors That Increase the Co-sleeping Risks

• Smoking cigarettes.
• When your baby is ill.
• Being ill or overly exhausted
• The use of drugs, sedative medication, or alcohol.
• When your newborn is premature.

Co-Sleeping Safely - How to Reduce the Risks

• Always have a newborn baby sleeping on their back, not their tummy or side.
• Ensure the mattress is clean and solid, with no underlays or cushions.
• If you are at higher risk, you could use a crib for co-sleeping or a co-sleeping bassinet. These cribs have one side open, so your baby is still right next to you and at the same level as the bed, but not on the bed with you.
• Do not swaddle your baby if you are co-sleeping.
• If you have long hair, tie it up and remove any jewelry that may pose a strangulation risk.
• Keep covers and pillows away from your baby's face. Using a separate baby sleeping bag is an excellent way to keep your baby warm to avoid using other blankets.
• Avoid using bulky quilts on your bed.
• Safe co-sleeping positions: The baby should be sleeping away from the wall to prevent trapping them against the wall and bed. Consider placing your mattress on the floor so that if your baby rolls, they won't fall out of bed. Never put your baby between two people or next to any pets.
  

Transitioning From Co-sleeping to the Crib

Make small changes over several nights. This will help to get your baby transitioned to a crib gradually. Instead of holding your baby to fall asleep, you could put her in the crib and pat her until she falls asleep. After this, you can stand in the doorway and provide verbal assurance of your presence. It only takes a few days of consistency.

They are weaning while co-sleeping will be much easier if your baby sleeps in their own space. However, keep in mind that weaning is not recommended if your baby is younger than one year, and night weaning will drop your breast milk supply. It is best to wait until your baby naturally sleeps through the night before trying to move your baby to another room. Unless your pediatrician says otherwise, babies under four weeks are usually woken at least every 3 hours for feedings.

Remember, your child will likely not want to sleep close to you for the rest of their life. It's a season you get to cherish and enjoy for a short time in relation to the rest of your lives.