Safe Co-sleeping: This Is How Your Baby Sleeps Safely In A Family Bed
Today’s article is about safe co-sleeping. Find out more below about the security in the family bed for a cozy and safe togetherness.
Many parents choose to co-sleep. However, it is important to know what the experts recommend in this regard. In this way you can sleep together in a family bed safely and without health risks.
There is constant debate as to whether or not it is healthy to co-sleep. On the one hand, it is true that it improves emotional bonding. It also makes breastfeeding easier.
On the other hand, many people suspect that it may be related to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Therefore, experts have chosen to sit down to discuss the topic, whether it is recommended or not.
Safe co-sleeping
The Still Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (SAP) and the Working Group on SIDS SAF give us a set of guidelines that must be considered. These procedures will help you practice safe co-sleeping with your little one.
Note that the baby should sleep in an extra bed or between the wall and the mother for the first few weeks. Because fathers need more time to get used to the presence of their baby.
It could happen that new fathers overwhelm the baby in the family bed with a sudden movement.
However, after a while, fathers tend to become more sensitive to the newcomer in bed. Then the baby can sleep between both parents.
In the following you will find further guidelines and procedures for a safe coexistence in the family bed.
Your baby will sleep safely in the family bed
- The surface on which the baby sleeps must be firm.
- There must be no pillows, blankets or cuddly toys near the baby. This way you will avoid the baby from choking.
- Always lay your baby on their back and never on their tummy or side.
- Never place the baby on a pillow or water bed.
- Make sure the mattress is attached to the wall. There should be no place for the baby to fall into or suffocate. These rules also apply to an extra bed.
- The baby should never sleep in an armchair or on a sofa. Because this furniture is soft and offers spaces in which the little ones could fall and be locked in.
- Do not sleep with your baby in your arms as it could fall off.
- Don’t put anything on baby’s head as it may obstruct his breathing.
- Make sure the room temperature is not too hot. Also, make sure that your baby is not too warm in their clothes.
- Smoking during and after pregnancy increases the risk of sudden infant death. In this case we are not just talking about the mother. If both parents smoke, they shouldn’t sleep in bed with the baby.
- Likewise, the use of drugs, alcohol or sleeping pills is absolutely to be avoided. They decrease your ability to react.
- Experts advise against co-sleeping for overweight people. They create a larger depression in the mattress that is dangerous for the baby.
- Experts recommend not sharing the bed with siblings under one year old. They are not used to the baby’s movements or his presence in general.
Possibilities to sleep in the family bed
When we talk about co-sleeping, the first thing that comes to mind is a large bed that everyone sleeps in. While it is true that this is often the case, there are other alternatives.
Additional beds are available in stores. One side of the bed is removed to attach it to one side of the parents’ bed. That way, they create a little more space and the baby is close to you. But in his own cot.
There are even people who point out that co-sleeping with a cradle next to the bed is also a great option. As the baby grows, it can have an extra mattress next to its parents.
The key to the successful family bed is reaching consensus as a family. Do what you are comfortable with and make sure your baby is safe.
The first few months can be difficult, especially for the mother. If you decide on the family bed with your baby, you should keep the tips above in mind. In this way, you can co-sleep safely as a family.
