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From Our Friends at ParentsAsk
Parents Ask experts Betsy Brown Braun, Elizabeth Pantley and Bob Sears, MD discuss the pros and cons of co-sleeping. Watch the video and leave your comments below. Do you think it’s healthy?
Three in a bed: Co-sleeping pros and cons
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Comment by Julia on Nov 10 2009 10:02:37:
Co-sleeping is a natural way to bond with your children and I have done so with both of my young girls. I don’t know what is creepy about having your children snuggle up to you if they are cold or scared? You just have to be smart and cautious about it and you’ll repeat the rewards.
Comment by Samantha on Nov 10 2009 10:27:09:
I can not believe that anyone would think that it was creepy to co-sleep with your babies. My husband works out of town through the week and I always sleep in the bed with my girls, ages 7 and 2. We are very close, but they can also sleep by themselves. I am also a pediatric nurse, and I believe that it is perfectly healthy!
Comment by Krista Brooks on Nov 10 2009 10:56:05:
I co sleep with both of my daugthers ages 1 1/2 and 3 years old. I breast fed both of them also while co sleeping it was less stress ful and easier on the infant. My girls are less stressed and are happier. My 3 year old also has a toddler bed in our room. Some days she sleeps there other times she doesn’t. My husband and I agreed from the start to co sleep and I dont think of it as being creepy. I enjoy it.
Comment by Amanda on Nov 10 2009 10:59:41:
I personally choose not to co-sleep with my 3-year-old, but I did so happily for some time–especially during those dark early breastfeeding days. He just happens to be independent and happy to sleep alone in his own room at this point, so why mess with what works?
Creepy? What a strange word choice for something that comes naturally to every other mammal in the world, and the majority of human cultures. As if it’s somehow MORE natural to banish your young to a dark room, alone and without you, while you snuggle up contentedly with your partner.
Comment by Michelle Cox on Nov 10 2009 11:31:12:
Why in the world would anyone think it is creepy to let your child sleep in the bed with you? My son sleeps with me. I didn’t plan on doing this but when he was 7 months old he got a terrible case of pneumonia. I couldn’t leave his side or he would wake up and cry. Finally I brought him into my bed and as long as he was next to me he slept and finally got better. I am so glad we did this. Every night we snuggle and play before bed. He is very happy and secure and I love the snuggle time I get with him. I wouldn’t trade those extra minutes everyday for anything!
Comment by Amy on Nov 10 2009 11:56:51:
I completely agree with everyone here! My favortite thing is snuggling my boys…on a cold winters night, a summer storm or anytime! We have a king size bed with a full size bed next to each other. Make sure to keep the infants safe though! I am expecting a baby girl in 4 months and I plan to let my kids stay in our bed until they decide they want their own bed. I used to ask my husband if he wanted me to put our son in the crib but he would always say no – he loves it too!
Like another person said every other mammal does it and man has done it too. Early cave men couldnt leave a child alone at night or it might freeze or be eaten. Co-sleeping is practiced all over the world and it was brought to America. It wasn’t until the early 1800s when so call experts of the time call it “unsanitary”. Do what feels right for you and your family!
Comment by Shannon Sadler on Nov 11 2009 12:11:50:
I think Betsy Brown Braun is creepy. I love how people think because something worked for them it will work for everyone. I would love to see what Ms. Betsy would have done with a baby who has colic. What would she have done if she had a spirited child? I think her tune may have been a little different.
Comment by dolan on Nov 11 2009 01:40:29:
I think children should sleep with their parents for at least few years.I have a set of twins and they seems to get good night sleep when they co sleep .I think it is also a sense of security for the children . As a result of which they grow at a faster rate and eat well since their emotional needs are met .
But everything comes down to what works for you . If you think you would not get a good night sleep then probably co-sleeping is not a good idea for you .Other alternative is -choose a crib where you can remove one side and place the crib close to your bed . You can have the baby in the crib at the same time the child is close to you . That way you do not have to get up at every feeding and the child is also on her bed and hence later on transitions will be easier for you .
Comment by Camillia Pignotti PA-C on Nov 11 2009 02:37:19:
I have found co-sleeping a natural way to sustain sleep for both me and my now 2 year old son. It helped made breast-feeding easy and bonding a breeze. I could not imagine what it would have been like to get up and go to another room to feed my son throughout the night.
As long as it is done safely with mom only at first, no drinking alcohol, taking sedating medications, pillows, blankets, or spaces between bed rails/walls there is very little risk. The use of a crib “sidecar” can give the family more room with the pros of co-sleeping and the safety of a crib.
The benefits are outstanding if it works for your family. Our son is secure, outgoing, and happy. My husband even loves the bonding he now shares, especially waking and the first thing he is greeted with is a smiling, cheerful “DA.”
Comment by Christina on Nov 11 2009 04:05:02:
While I do not think co-sleeping is creepy it is not the choice for us. All three of my boys slept in a bassinette besides our bed until 2 months old and then they slept in their own crib. There is an occasional night where the baby wakes up early and we will lay him in bed with us till we are ready to get up. I love my children very much but I would love laying next to my husband and feel it gives us a healthier relationship.
Comment by Kim Moody on Nov 11 2009 04:29:38:
I co-sleep with my five-month-old as I did with my two older boys. I have found that it makes nursing at night easier, which allows us both to get more sleep. My babies want to be near me and I want to be with them- it seems so natural to me. I don’t think there’s anything creepy about it, but I sure do get the look when people hear about it.
Comment by Maine Mom on Nov 12 2009 04:09:04:
Having a basinet/crib beside the parents bed should be the only option during the first year of life because it is extremely dangerous to have your infant next to you in bed. There is a very high death rate with co-sleepers; both due to smothering and increased chance of SIDS with infants sleeping in/on a parent’s bed. Although it is understandable to want that closeness with your child, safety should come first! If the child and parent want to co-sleep after that period that is your personal option! I don’t see what’s creepy about it unless you are an unstable parent. All 3 of my children co-slept with me starting at about 18 months until they were about 4 or 5 yrs old! I also have a few friends that have done the same.
Comment by Maine Mom on Nov 12 2009 04:13:01:
I agree with the other Mom’s that “creepy” is not a good word to use in this survey.
Comment by caro on Nov 13 2009 10:01:39:
I agree with asking yourself if you are doing it to satisfy your needs or your baby’s. No one should tell you is good, bad or even creepy.
The first month, was impossible to put my baby to sleep on his crib, but after that, he can’t sleep unless he has a lot of room for himself. The important thing is that we were able to tell.
He is 9.5 months now and i guess he will be needing a king size bed when he is older as he spreads like if he were tall when in fact he is a tiny 9.5!!