Poll: Where Does Your Breastfed Baby Sleep?
May 19, 2008 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breastfeeding, mothering, poll, sleep
In light of the recent debates over the safety of co-sleeping versus baby sleeping in a crib, and the issue of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, I thought it would be interesting to survey where our nurslings are sleeping. I limited the poll to nurslings because I think it affects several things — safety, parenting style, and just plain convenience of the sleep location! Please answer for where your baby usually (more than 50% of the night) sleeps or slept when he was under 12 months of age. Feel free to leave a comment to explain your situation. I know my family has played musical beds before, and this is not the easiest question to answer!
In bed with us, we have a huge 8 ft x 6.5 ft futon bed, low to the ground so littlepixie can just scoot off the edge if she wants. She slept her first 3 nights in the hospital crib, then 2 hours in her moses basket on her first night home and has been with us ever since. It’s fantastic, she still nurses a lot at night, but at 18 months can help herself, I barely need to wake up! And seeing hubby and her playing in the morning before we get up is the best. We did a lot of research before choosing to cosleep, and observe all the safety rules!
We’ve started getting pressure from family members to wean littlepixie, to move her into her own bed, her own room, what next? her own house perhaps! But it suits us all, I love when I wake in the night and hear hubby and littlepixie softly breathing beside me, it’s just the snuggliest thing.
I voted “in a crib in her own room” as that’s been the majority of the time. But the last 5 weeks or so, she has been in our bed, as separation anxiety is huge factor right now (and teething). She night weaned around 4 months old (not by anything I did), so the current sleeping arrangement isn’t for nursing purposes. It’s so we can all get a decent night’s sleep. (And I love having her with us!)
I chose “my bed” because it was the most correct. My husband has always been concerned that he would roll onto Reid. There has been a twin bed in her room since birth and for the first 12 months, the two of us slept in it more than I slept in the “big bed” (with my husband) or she slept in her crib. As time passed, she did spend part of each right in a bed as she stretched the length of time she slept without nursing. When I returned to work when Reid was 12 months old, she returned to nursing every 3 hours to make up for the time we were separated. Co-sleeping kept me sane!
Our son sleeps with us most nights. He always starts off the night in his crib, but then when he awakes (which tends to be right around the time I go to bed), I bring him in bed with me. My husband doesn’t always sleep as well when our son is with us, so sometimes he sleeps in another room. But b/c I am working full time, I much prefer my son next to me as I get a MUCH better night’s sleep b/c there are fewer interruptions – meaning that I don’t have to physically get up as much, even though my son probably nurses more often!
Our son sleeps so much better when next to a warm body as well. We didn’t really go into parenthood expecting to co-sleep, and we subscribe to a hybrid version of it, but it works for us!
Despite my pre-baby declaration that there would be no way I wanted to have my baby in bed with me, we have come to love and enjoy our family bed arrangement. Our little one wouldn’t sleep a wink by herself, even with the bassinet up against the bed, when we brought her to bed with us we instantly got more sleep.
I laugh at those who say my co-sleeping is the “easy” way out. I say, “you try sleeping with a foot in your face!” or when she wakes up and starts kicking my stomach sometimes I dream that I’m pregnant again
We weren’t blessed with an easy sleeper (blessed in other ways, just not in sleep), and I’m absolutely positive that co-sleeping gives us the maximum sleep possible.
We did the crib thing for a while– mostly due to my husbands fears– but then I started sleeping in the baby’s room on a queen bed in there, while hubby stayed in our bed. I voted in bed with me. The first night we co-slept, I felt like a new woman, and I refuse to go back now!
I should clarify– not that he will sleep with me forever, but I am not going to force him to sleep alone either.
I co-slept with both of my boys. My oldest is 15 and my youngest is 2. I think it’s funny when I hear moms who say they want to breastfeed, but are completely against co-sleeping. To me, these go hand in hand,whereas cribs…(aka-baby cages) go hand in hand with bottle feeding. I can’t imagine not having slept with my sons. My two year old continues to sleep with us, and is still nursing, and I have absolutely no regrets! When he wakes up in the night, he doesn’t need to cry, as he knows I’m right there! Baby beds, in my opinion are about the worst investment a parent could make. : )
I was always against co-sleeping…until I had my daughter who’s now 4 months.from the day I brought her home she’s been sleeping right next to me.i found its so much easier when ur breastfeeding and considering I’d be getting in and out of bed all night to comfort her,as it takes her a little bit to fall asleep when not next to me.co-sleeping is also a good bonding experience, even though your sleeping.i suggest it,just remember to always make it safe for baby.i make sure all the blankets and pillows are away from her,and I’m really alert when she moves!
I have coslept with all 3 of my little ones (and breastfed all), the eldest now being 18 years and youngest 10 months. Did not start out that way but after having a very colicky baby found it worked the best. And before anyone could tell me I was wrong, found a wealth of info out there about why bub should be close by not in ‘another room’. So slept with the other 2 even though not as difficult sleepers. It has definitely made my mothering experience more positive as I have not been in ‘conflict’ with bubies as meeting their needs. BTW your 18 yo definitely will not want to sleep with you or breastfeed (as some professionals make out will happen if you don’t force/train them otherwise) it just happens.