[SweetSimpleThings]

I only have one thing to add to this debate... why the hey is it in BF/FF? This is a co-sleeping topic, couldn't it just be in the main board? I'm so confused

[**Badfish**]

Originally Posted by ~Christina A~

I only have one thing to add to this debate... why the hey is it in BF/FF? This is a co-sleeping topic, couldn't it just be in the main board? I'm so confused

Haha! When I read the OP I actually thought, "This is going to drive Christina nuts that it's not in the right forum."

[HappyHippy]

We're co-sleepers, have been for almost 3 years now. We've been co-sleeping since our son was born. We do it the correct way and to us this is a lot safer than having baby sleep in his own crib in his own room. I use to be a heavy sleeper, but once my son was born I wasn't anymore. I get great sleep but I'm always aware that my son is in bed with us, I've never come close to rolling over on him, we all have our place on bed and we never cross it (without dividers). Even when exhausted I've never fallen into a deep sleep, and still stayed on my side of the bed. Hunter does like to snuggle and come onto my side and when he does I know he's there. We're expecting #2 any day now and we'll be continuing to co-sleep. However, since we still have a toddler in bed with us we'll be using an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper until baby is a lot older. Co-sleeping is safe when done properly. It's a choice, and I would never discourage a family in co-sleeping, I would encourage education. Unless you were sleeping with them, you don't know the real reason the baby may have died. Parents could have actually been drinking but said they weren't so they wouldn't get into trouble or something.

We co-sleep with our enormous 2.5 year old. I do in fact roll over on him on occasion. Then he yells at me, and physically objects, and I roll off. That is the main reason that *I* will not sleep with an infant next to me in bed. Because I don't think that I would wake up if the baby didn't yell and push against me. When DH brought DD to bed with us when she was a newborn, I made him hold her on the opposite side of the bed than I was sleeping on.

[beck12]

Originally Posted by brui77

Kimberly, I'm confused as to why when it comes to BF v. FF, you are quite adamant that this is a mother's choice and that no one should give FF moms a hard time for making the choice that they did. But when it comes to co-sleeping, you're convinced that that is the wrong choice and that no one should do it. I'm just going to throw this out there, because I'm not even sure whether or not it's true, but I'm betting that someone else can tell me -- there is probably some research to suggest that formula feeding is a whole lot more dangerous for babies than co-sleeping is. (In fact one of the links in the article Beth posted in another thread said that 911 babies die every year from formula feeding). Why is it okay to you for parents to make the 'wrong' choice in the one instance but not in the other?

There is also this article from Pediatrics that suggests that 720 infants die each year from not being BF. Breastfeeding and the Risk of Postneonatal Death in the United States -- Chen and Rogan 113 (5): e435 -- Pediatrics

[Indymommy7]

Originally Posted by ~christina a~

i only have one thing to add to this debate... Why the hey is it in bf/ff? This is a co-sleeping topic, couldn't it just be in the main board? I'm so confused

opps!

[SweetSimpleThings]

Originally Posted by Jess is Write

Haha! When I read the OP I actually thought, "This is going to drive Christina nuts that it's not in the right forum."

Oh no, my anal retentiveness on topic organization is actually a known characteristic... lol.... I admit, I like my topics properly divided, lol...

Originally Posted by brui77

Kimberly, I'm confused as to why when it comes to BF v. FF, you are quite adamant that this is a mother's choice and that no one should give FF moms a hard time for making the choice that they did. But when it comes to co-sleeping, you're convinced that that is the wrong choice and that no one should do it. I'm just going to throw this out there, because I'm not even sure whether or not it's true, but I'm betting that someone else can tell me -- there is probably some research to suggest that formula feeding is a whole lot more dangerous for babies than co-sleeping is. (In fact one of the links in the article Beth posted in another thread said that 911 babies die every year from formula feeding). Why is it okay to you for parents to make the 'wrong' choice in the one instance but not in the other?

I also stated that if a parent chooses to do that then thats their business. I'll advise them not to, if asked only, otherwise yes it makes me cringe, but I'm not over barring about it or rude. I respect their choice, even though I personally disagree and feels its not safe.

Its like with FF I'm not about to tell someone that FF is the best thing in the world and of course they should just skip BF and do it, but I am also supportive of their right to choose. I'll advise them to BF, or at least try, but I'm not in your face about it or pushy (not saying anyone here is btw)

My opinion is just that my opinion. Doesn't mean I'm right and their wrong, but that its my POV. I am not going around intentionally bashing co-sleeping moms, and really unless I am asked I don't say anything to anyone, unless its in a debate.

[WineKeepsMeSane]

Here the medical advice is to not co-sleep. They have a poster in every hospital bed in the maternity level telling you if they find you co-sleeping they will take away your baby. My country and local health region promote not co-sleeping.

Wow, the medical community there is sooo much different than my city, from everything I've heard you describe. I coslept with Mackenzie in the hospital and no one said a thing.

As for the OP, that ad is definitely over the top. There are safe situations in which to cosleep. Our house did not happen to be one of them (DH is a heavy sleeper, 65lb dog who sneaks on our bed in the middle of the night, etc...) but it is not inherently unsafe.

Originally Posted by amegra

Wow, the medical community there is sooo much different than my city, from everything I've heard you describe. I coslept with Mackenzie in the hospital and no one said a thing.

As for the OP, that ad is definitely over the top. There are safe situations in which to cosleep. Our house did not happen to be one of them (DH is a heavy sleeper, 65lb dog who sneaks on our bed in the middle of the night, etc...) but it is not inherently unsafe.

aha.. my dog does that too. She only weighs about 55 pounds though, and generally keeps to the bottom of the bed.. but not always. Multiple times a night you can here "oh my gosh Avalon, get OFF" from our bedroom. We didn't have her when the other kids were infants, but it's definitely another reason for us to not co-sleep, lol.

[beck12]

Originally Posted by amegra

Wow, the medical community there is sooo much different than my city, from everything I've heard you describe. I coslept with Mackenzie in the hospital and no one said a thing.

As for the OP, that ad is definitely over the top. There are safe situations in which to cosleep. Our house did not happen to be one of them (DH is a heavy sleeper, 65lb dog who sneaks on our bed in the middle of the night, etc...) but it is not inherently unsafe.

Here there is a sign & pamphlet in the room stating you are not allowed to sleep with the baby in your bed & basically how you should never do it at home either, etc, etc. I have never heard of a hospital where that was "allowed".

[frgsonmysox]

Its not allowed at my hospital either, and in fact you have to watch an anti-co sleeping movie before you are discharged. But I still co slept in the hospital and no one said anything.

[SweetSimpleThings]

I don't think there's any policy like that here in the hospital, but I did notice in my hospital registration package there was a pamphlet about safe sleeping.

It STRONGLY encourages room-sharing for a year at a minimum, but discourages bed-sharing. They suggest side-cars, or cribs, up next to the bed...

I don't recall my hospital saying anything about it either way. There was nothing about sleep in the take home package.

[HappyHippy]

My hospital encouraged co-sleeping, which included bed-sharing and they allowed and even offered help in the hospital. The beds were big enough for mom and baby. I've never heard of a hospital not allowing that, weird to me.

[WineKeepsMeSane]

Originally Posted by beck12

Here there is a sign & pamphlet in the room stating you are not allowed to sleep with the baby in your bed & basically how you should never do it at home either, etc, etc. I have never heard of a hospital where that was "allowed".

Maybe that hospital is just extra crunchy BF'ing is pretty much expected (but formula is available if you want it), the nursery isn't used unless medically necessary (babies are kept in room), cloth diapers didn't raise any eyebrows, and they're proud of their super low episiotomy rate

Or it could be that they knew Mackenzie was a little piggy and cluster feeding within 12 hours of being born, and her sleeping cradled in my arm at my side was the only way I'd get any sleep......

[MamaMandy]

I think it's horrible to depict the death of an infant, and the grief of the mother, no matter WHAT point they're trying to make. I would be very disturbed to see that, and to a parent who has lost an infant or child that could be a traumatic thing to see and hear. Definitely over the top fear mongering and misleading as well. There were many better, more educational options for getting a strong message across. Simply hearing: "Did you know your baby can die from couch sleeping and unsafe co-sleeping?" is a pretty dang strong reach out & SMACK to a parent.

Why not use the opportunity to actually educate vs. scare into uninformed decisions? Who paid for the ad, Graco cribs?

[Banned--Grace-]

I shut the naysayers up by pointing out how in most areas of the world, the family bed is so normal that putting a baby to sleep alone is considered abuse, and the incidence of SIDS in those countries is lower than here. If necessary, I also let the naysayers know that I've got friends who've lost babies who were sleeping alone, but not a single friend of mine has lost a baby while co-sleeping.

What about rolling onto them? We are aware of the edge of the bed and where our partners are. We are aware of where our babies are. (This is barring taking medications and whatnot, and having sleep disorders.)

Anyone who wants to claim that co-sleeping is deadly needs to start talking about formula, which results in more deaths. And many times more children die in car accidents every year, even properly-restrained children. If co-sleeping is so horrible because babies have died, then children should be banned from cars, where they are much more likely to die.

[CalFan]

Originally Posted by -Grace-;19780640[B

Anyone who wants to claim that co-sleeping is deadly needs to start talking about formula, which results in more deaths.[/b] And many times more children die in car accidents every year, even properly-restrained children. If co-sleeping is so horrible because babies have died, then children should be banned from cars, where they are much more likely to die.

Can you back up this statement with facts please? I've never heard this. I've never heard of any infant deaths in the West that are linked to formula. Perhaps if formula was not prepared properly (e.g. diluting and causing malnutrition)...? There are the tainted formula cases in China - but even still, more deaths than cosleeping??

I know there are cases of formula causing death where there's no clean water source, and things of that sort. I don't know about in the states though.. never really looked into it.