I love cosleeping | Imamother

amother

RosePink

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 11:52 pm

amother Slategray wrote:

My bed is not against a wall. Baby sleeps between me and DH. When I get up before baby, I line the edge of the bed with pillows and rolled blankets, but BH baby doesn't move much in her sleep. More importantly, DH is usually still in bed when I wake up so I feel safe leaving baby with someone (he is a light sleeper).

I'd actually feel less safe against a wall bc a baby could cvs get stuck between mattress and wall - happened to someone I know. (Baby was ok BH but they couldn't find him for a while!)

Also to put in my two cents: I'm a pretty heavy sleeper ("Man, that thunder was crazy last night." "There was thunder??") but Hashem made motherly instinct strong. If baby's breathing pattern changes I automatically wake up. I also wake up in the same exact position I went to sleep in, much to the chagrin of my back and neck.

As for accidentally cosleeping, etc - DEFINITELY more dangerous from what I've seen/heard. Once I was playing w baby exhausted, woke up to see her a second away from a horrible accident that BH didn't come to pass.

Another two cents: I originally only coslept w baby when she was flat on the mattress w no blanket or pillows nearby, etc, but she had nightly congestion so bad she couldn't sleep, and I ended up inclining her by putting her head and torso on a firm pillow... and then just plopped my head on that same pillow next to her. Gravity made her head lean on my face, which is not only not much of a suffocation hazard, but also happily accepts a way to monitor baby even more closely, as she breathes practically into my ear.

I propped my baby on my arm to help with reflux. Safer than a pillow. Less comfortable for my arm but comfy for her (my elbow under her head, elevating her body). Also makes it impossible for either of us to roll in any direction. Which we never did.

amother

Ballota

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 11:53 pm

amother Magenta wrote:

I have some questions:
What do co-sleepers do if you wake up in the morning before baby. how do you make sure they don't fall out of the bed? Big fear of mine when I slept with a baby.
Also- does everyone have a bed near the wall? What if your bed isn't next to a wall, how do you have a baby sleep there?

Switched beds with dh when baby was born as his was closer to the wall and moved it all the way to the wall.
If I get up before her, I move her mini crib against the bed to keep her from rolling off.

amother

RosePink

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 11:56 pm

amother Magenta wrote:

My bed is not next to the wall. If you've never tried it, I can't explain how it works. It's the position and the training for both mother and baby. You don't roll over neither of you. It works because the instincts are in place. It's not a conscious decision.

If I wake up early and I'm nervous about her rolling, I'll put her in her crib. Usually she'll wake up when I wake up anyways. I can watch her while getting dressed. I'm not leaving her alone in the room to go downstairs on my bed.