Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Newborn Co-Sleeping

by Janelle
(Kansas, USA)

How do you feel about having a newborn infant sleep in bed with his parents?

Answer:

Hi Janelle,

I thinking having a newborn baby co-sleep in the parent's bed is fine. All four of my babies have co-slept from birth up to 12 months or so, and two of them have co-slept longer than that.

In my experience it's the best way for both baby and parents to get restful sleep.

I do think you need to go over some safety precautions to make sure your bed is suitable for baby. Having your bed flush against the wall is helpful, so there are no small spaces for a baby to get trapped in.

Also be sure that you're able to be fully aware - if you're taking heavy pain medications, for example, it's probably best to put baby in his or her own bed in your bedroom.

I've written on the benefits of co-sleeping as well as on co-sleeping safely - feel free to read through those articles and ask any additional questions!