Did you sleep in the same bed as your newborn?

Yes, Using a separate bedside bassinet, as you have set up, is a safer alternative.

I don’t but I have grown more empathetic to parents who do. I think it’s often the last resort a lot of parents that have Velcro babies go to. I think the alternative for them is being super sleep deprived with a baby that constantly has to be held that that creates its own risk when you’re trying to hold them to stay awake.

Yes some people and cultures do it. But it’s not recommended in the US or by the AAP. I definitely suggest you look up safe sleep practices. To sleep in bed with baby requires a lot (and definitely not just any mattress will do as babies need firm surfaces). Stick with the bassinet—you’ll save yourself from so much anxiety trying to Cosleep properly.

I didn’t. Too nervous, plus he did sooo well in his bassinet. The transfer to a pack’n’play and then eventually to his crib in his own room was sooo easy too. There were definitely times that I was tempted, but I’m glad I didn’t. He sleeps really well and so do we!

Yes, many cultures do. It's not recommended in the US, but there are certainly ways to mitigate risk. Sleeping alone on their back in a bassinet with nothing (no pillows, blankets) will always be safest, but if you have a baby who can't/won't sleep that way, then looking up safe sleep practices is your next best bet.

You're mom. At the end of the day, you have to decide which risks you are/aren't comfortable taking. Those risks will be informed by many things, including your life style, baby's temperament, etc.

Asking a question like this on this sub, you are going to get a variety of passionate responses. Take everything with a grain of salt, look up recommendations from trusted sources, and then decide what you're comfortable with.

Definitely not. They have no neck control and could suffocate easily in an adult bed. No way. 

Yes but not by choice. Our baby simply will not sleep on his own. Even while co-sleeping, he needs me to be literally physically touching him once I set him down or he can sense his “alone-ness” and wake up unless it’s the very last stretch from maybe 4am onwards when he’s really deeply sleeping. During the day, his naps are all contact naps. I’m hoping this will eventually change as sweet as he is when he’s sleeping on or beside me because I’m constantly worried about it. I think it depends on the baby and he’s just a sensitive little guy.

I will get downvoted for this but I dont care. I 100% was not going to bed share. However at about a month and a half I started to because I was so sleep deprived and I felt it was safer than me falling asleep in the rocker which is what was happening - I also exclusively pump so I couldn't continue to hold when I needed to pump. LO always starts the night in their bassinet but at the witching hour, it was the only way I could them back to sleep without holding them. LO hated to be swaddled, I tried all the sleepsacs, sound machines, music, baby Einstein sea dream soother, pacing, fans, swing, rocker, outdoor walks, .... LO would not stay asleep.

The icing on the cake was when LO was only napping 2-3 times a days for maybe 15-30minutes. I started to mentally decline due to lack of sleep and I just couldn't do it anymore.

We didn’t plan to, in fact we were adamantly against it before our son was born, but did by accident a couple of times which scared the ever loving daylights of out of me. So I started reading up on bed sharing more and figured out ways to be as safe as possible.

I still try to keep my son out of our bed if I can but he’s really picky on where he sleeps so when he does sleep with me (and only me, not my husband) I follow ‘safe sleep seven’. He’s 3 months now and probably 50% of the time sleeps with me. He sleeps so much better next to me (even during the day if he’s just touching my leg).

Truthfully, I think it has actually helped both of us. I look forward to him wiggling himself as close as possible to me. And that trust and love he gives me has helped me feel more like the new version of myself again.

I started when baby was 8 weeks, following the safe sleep seven. We still cuddle every night and she’s almost 11 months old.

There are two sides to the topic and you’ll find both can have very strong opinions on the subject.

Yes definitely. I have had too many close calls almost falling asleep during night feedings. I feel much safer doing side lying breastfeeding on my flat mattress. We also have a sidecar crib set up.

We didn't plan to. But you need to survive and it's up to each parent to assess risks and plan for those moments. My daughter got extremely hard to put down from 4-8 weeks and after I jolted awake several times in the rocking chair, I decided we needed to plan ahead. I felt much safer with planned cosleeping than accidentally falling asleep with her on a chair or couch.

We planned out sleep space for the safe sleep seven. She always went down in her bassinet, but if I reached the point where it didn't feel safe anymore, I would bring her to bed. I'd barely sleep AT ALL, but it got us through a few hard nights.

Yes

I dont. I sleep too deeply to risk it.

Never. In fact, he has slept in our bed exactly once in his 17 months of life, and that was last month for a few hours in the morning when he was teething.

People do it, and there are ways to make it safer, but it’s not as safe as a crib or bassinet, and it wasn’t ever worth the risk to us. You could roll over on them. They could also wiggle too close to your body and suffocate. They could be covered by a blanket and suffocate. They could just sink into the soft adult mattress in an unsafe position and asphyxiate because their neck muscles are too weak to protect their airways. And since this is a used mattress, I especially wouldn’t - even used crib mattresses are associated with increased risk of SUDS (though the cause is unknown).

All of that said, do look into the safe sleep seven if you consider cosleeping. Planned cosleeping with precautions is far safer than accidentally falling asleep on a couch or in bed with pillows and blankets. A crib is safer still, but if you’re desperate, you need to mitigate risk as much as possible. And it really shouldn’t be your plan A for infant sleep.

Yes, at times we did. We followed Safe Sleep 7 and so I slept in the C-curl position around baby with baby’s head at breast level. We have a pretty firm mattress. I used a small squishmallow as a head pillow for myself and kept all blankets at or below waist level. The majority of cosleeping deaths are from accidental cosleeping in an unsafe space like a sofa or recliner/glider.

My newborn had some medical issues (nothing that would make cosleeping any less safe) which meant I was driving him 1.5 hours one way to appointments multiple times a week and more than once I caught myself almost nodding off while driving… at that point I decided it was safer to deliberately and safely cosleep at times than to be so incredibly sleep deprived that I crashed my car with my newborn in the backseat.

I’ve always been a very light sleeper and am pretty aware of my movement when I sleep. I have a 5 lb dog who sleeps curled up next to me under the covers every night and has for years. During cosleeping I continued to sleep very lightly, was aware of every little move, and would always wake up in essentially the same position we fell asleep in. Baby would wake to breastfeed every couple of hours, I would pop the boob in his mouth, and I’d fall back asleep while feeding. He’d eventually fall asleep on the boob and most of the time I’d wake up briefly when he unlatched.

Because it was basically impossible for me to get a super deep sleep while cosleeping, it was a short term fix for us. We cold turkey switched baby to his crib in his own room at 8 weeks and we all started sleeping much better at that point. Cosleeping as safely as possible was very helpful for us but it wasn’t something I wanted to do long term. There’s certainly a level of risk with it no matter how safe you make it and I was never fully 100% comfortable with it. It’s definitely not for everyone.

edited for grammar, clarity, and more info

Nope! I was way too fearful of suffocating my son. It is not worth the risk. His bassinet was within arms reach right next to my bed, nice and safe.

Regardless, you’ll be waking up constantly, best to make sure baby is safe in their own space.

Hard no

No. I’m too paranoid. We followed safe sleep guidelines for night time, though did let our LO sleep in his dock-a-tot during the day, but only when we knew we’d be awake,alert, and supervising.

We co-sleep with our toddler but didn’t until he was at least 9 months and it’s out of survival. Lol.

Bed sharing is not considered safe sleep, but yes, a lot of people bed share with their babies. Look up safe sleep seven if you are curious. There is a cosleeping sub on Reddit too, full of people who bed share.

Yes. She slept up by my head in a sleep sack, so she was next to me but in her own safe little zone. I was worried about it beforehand but ultimately it felt very safe.

No, I did not. We did get a bassinet so she could sleep next to us. After the first night home, she was so restless in the bassinet that we learned that she preferred her crib right away.

My aunt is a police lieutenant and a few years ago, she was talking about all of the 911 calls they'd get during the night where people had accidentally rolled onto their baby or the baby turned and suffocate. She said it was a devastating time in her career because the people sounded so helpless and there's only so much you can do. Remembering her talking about that was enough to decide that LO would be safer in the room with us, not our bed.

It’s one of the “it doesn’t happen to you until it does” risks. A mom in my due date group just shared that he cousin lost her almost 1 year old to accidental suffocation bedsharing. I don’t see it worth the risk and my baby sleeps in his bedside bassinet

Entire world other than few "western" country co-sleeps. And no they never have to worry about SIDS because humanity trusts mothers. The idea of not co-sleeping, sleep training etc are all brought in because mothers from the industrialization or post world war era didnt have an option. Those circumstances still hold true for certain parts of these countries because mothers don't get the support and care (from government or society) or even time off to take care of the newborn and self.

Postpartum care is also a given in most cultures which is unfortunately missing from countries like US.

Nope, I know there are ways to cosleep safely but I was too nervous and didn't think I would sleep with him in the bed. He was in the bassinet for three weeks, then the pack and play next to our bed till 4.5 months then his own room. We followed his lead with every transition and have found he needs a good bit of space to sleep well. He won't fall asleep anymore if I'm even in his room, but goes down happily on his own every night after his bedtime routine. Trying to cosleep with this child would have been a losing battle all around lol

Yes. She slept in the middle of our king sized bed. And we slept to the edge, we are both light sleepers. Now she sleeps in a side car crib at 7 months, started when she was 6m because she was rolling around too much and being a bed hog, also for safety.

Absolutely not! Even nursing a newborn in bed during the night could feel scary to me (depending on level of sleep deprivation) - I was terrified I’d fall asleep and baby would be unsafe in the bed.

Absolutely not

we didn’t co sleep until he was 5 months old because we moved in with my in laws due to emergency and had no extra space. i wish i had never done it but he’s happy and healthy. my next one will never be in my bed.

I was adamantly against it and couldn't believe people did it. But once my husband went back to work we had to. My son is a velcro baby hardcore since he came home from the NICU. We were doing shifts before he went to work and someone was always awake holding baby. But he's always refused to sleep in the bassinet. We tried EVERYTHING, different swaddles, no swaddles, heating up the bassinet before, practiced putting him in the bassinet super slowly/softly, pacifiers, white noise, etc but he only sleeps on us so at 7 or 8 weeks I kicked my hubby out of the king bed and slept with my baby to maintain my sanity. I have a firm mattress and used the safe 7 as a guide so no pillows/blankets and am a super light sleeper but I feel like a human again and know I won't fall asleep during the day from exhaustion like I did once which was super unsafe for baby. Had to call my husband to come home so I could nap.

Many cultures do but I couldn’t get my Head around it. It didn’t feel safe to me at all and was worried I would squish her.

No he had his own seperate cot that we put near our bed. They are very small and honestly both me and my husband like to roll we were too afraid of suffocating him. He is now 5 months and loves to sleep in the cot by himself.

I did not as I was terrified that my husband or myself will accidentally kill the baby. What we did do was take turns sleeping so the baby never slept in our room past a month. Who ever was awake stayed in the living room so the other one could get 4-5 hours uninterrupted sleep.

Also, we purchased an owlet and it’s helped with our anxiety for all her sleep needs

My best friend slept with both her children, actually still sleeps with the 7 month old, since day 1.

I bed shared from months 2-6 out of necessity for sleep, but I don’t think I will do that this time around.

But if you are going to bed share, no blankets/pillows, baby not in between you both. I would honestly avoid it though.

I had my second a few months ago. We had the bedside bassinet set up and used it but I found myself falling asleep in unsafe positions without even realizing it for the middle of the night wake ups. That to me was more dangerous than setting ourselves up for safe bed sharing. At that point in the night when I brought baby into bed, I wouldn’t be falling asleep with him on my chest and risk him falling onto the ground or something worse.

Just sharing my experience and definitely not recommending bedsharing.

Mine was in a bassinet :)

Yes. But because it’s acceptable and completely normal in both my husband’s and my culture. At 12 months I transitioned her to the crib, she cried a bit the first couple of days but she’s fine now.

I had a C section and was exclusively breastfeeding. So co-sleeping made life so much easier for us both. And she transitioned out of it just fine. Now at 18 months I do miss the cuddles

Yes...it's common in our culture to have a larger bed with an extended crib attached to mom's bed...great for side lying and feeding! We have small homes so. Separate room isn't amn pption But make sure to follow the safe sleeping practices for cosleeping/bed sharing... It was a game changer for my night sleep...I was going crazy waking up and going to change the baby or soothing him or sitting up to.feed....it also helped me establish day and night separation - he sleeps for naps in his bassinet/hammock and for.nights its in the bed....

ETA the mattress is very firm and not a fluffy one, we don't use pillows too, plus it's hot here so no blankets

All throughout pregnancy and for the first couple of weeks postpartum, I did not want to. My LO is 9 weeks tomorrow and tbh I still don’t want to but I do - we’ve tried all the techniques but baby would just not stay asleep in his bassinet. I’m in a mom group, and after weeks of talking about how tired I was and how stressed I was getting, the lead (counselor? Advisor? Not sure what to call her) suggested the book sweet sleep. She didn’t pressure me to bedshare and acknowledged that the AAP advise against it, but it’s also safer to know how to safely bedshare than to fall asleep on the couch/rocking chair with your little one. I will say, I feel more energized and alert during the day, though im still anxious at night. I say, if your babe knows how to sleep on their own, let them, but please know how to sleep safely with them if you’re struggling. Good luck!

Unfortunately they do. We did only safe sleep from the beginning

No. I’ve never shared a bed with either of my kids aside from briefly when my oldest had a stomach bug but she was 2 at the time. It’s not recommended. I don’t believe it to be safe at all no matter how you do it, and I sleep better when I sleep alone.

Nope, he slept in his own mini crib.

I did not. I had a bassinet in our room but he didn’t not sleep in our bed. Adult mattresses aren’t actually safe for babies/toddlers until they are 2 years old.

No, never. Even in the early days when she wouldn’t sleep in her bassinet my husband and I took shifts holding her overnight.

Me and my wife are both rollers so we never coslept.

I did not. I had a bedside bassinet. It is not worth the risk to suffocate the baby

I have a beautiful cradle next to my bed. When baby wakes through the night, I just reach out my foot to rock the cradle gently and it sometimes rocks my baby back to sleep.

Even though we don’t cosleep in our bed, I still often have nightmares that the baby is in the bed with us, can’t breathe or someone has rolled over on him (husband or dogs) and I wake up thrashing around the sheets to find him, only to realize he’s safe in his cradle. PPA is a weird beast sometimes.

I know my sister cosleeps and has since bringing her baby home from the hospital but it freaks me out too much, especially after having nightmares.

I can't do this. After having my baby I was so tired I could've easily pass out hard and forget she was there. I mean, I even dream that I'm awake sometimes so having the baby in my bed is not safe at all. Nevertheless, it's been almost 6 months since I have her and I have not been able to sleep since I wake up every 3 hours to pump milk for her. 😵‍💫

Because of my feeding schedule I'm able to wake up and check up on her every time. Her Halo bassinet hovered over my bed so I could have her as close as possible but safe from me. Now that she's bigger her crib is in my room. I check on her all the time...my heart sank when she started flipping and I found her face planted at 4am... My heart saaaaank. I follow safe sleep practices for the safety of my baby and my mental health. I already have a baby death in my family but from SIDS.

You'll definitely have people who argue that bed sharing can be done safely, that it's done often in other cultures etc. But personally I've seen far too much proof that it is not safe so we never did it. It made me way too nervous, even at my most sleep-deprived I tried to ensure that I was setting her down in a safe sleep space. Of course I won't lie, there was maybe 2 or 3 times I fell asleep holding her in a chair which is even more unsafe than bedsharing, but luckily nothing happened. People use that as an excuse for why planning to bedshare is safer but I just don't buy into it at all. The proof is there that its not as safe as a regulated sleep space. We used a pack and play with a bassinet insert beside our bed for the first few months, then ended up just moving the crib into our room when she outgrew the bassinet. Now she sleeps in her crib in her own room and she does really well and we all get good sleep.

When my son was a newborn I had him in a bassinet right beside me because I didn't want to roll over him in my sleep I've heard too many horror stories. After a few weeks of him being right beside me I moved him into the hallway right outside my door because every tiny little grunt and groan in his sleep was waking me up and I was losing so much sleep because I woke up to EVERYTHING . so having a few more feet of space from him allowed me to get more sleep and I only woke up if he was actually crying and needed attending to.

I didn't. My baby is using his crib since day 1. I felt better at the beginning knowing he was alone in his crib without any loose blankets & the such. After immunization I had to bring him over to my bed twice but put him back in the crib. To be absolutely honest, the day he wants to come into bed with me and sleep with me I will let him but now he enjoys his crib. Even takes longer naps in the crib than in my arms.

Where I come from it’s common to cosleep since birth and no one in our Pueblo knows anyone who has lost an infant to Sid’s. I chose to use a bedside bassinet until about 5 months. The crib transition didn’t go well so after 2 weeks I ended up just putting my baby in my bed and she’s been there since. She will be a year old in 2 weeks. We all sleep just fine but we decided to move to a floor bed so my daughter knew how to get on and off the bed as soon as she could move enough. If you think about cosleeping at any time look up the safe sleep 7. No matter what you personally decide to do, don’t let people mom shame you because they don’t know your unique situation and do what is the safest for your baby.

Yes, and still at 7.5mo. He takes up more space than my partner and I, and already does the toddler sideways sleeping lol

Look up the La Leche league’s guidelines for safe bed sharing.

Going to be super controversial but I do, I have a firm mattress that’s on the carpet floor and if I move on my side it won’t affect the baby on his side of bed I remove all pillows and blankets, I’ve tried to swaddle side bassinet, rock/nurse him to sleep and he just freaks out right after I put him down. It was so rough in beginning I wasn’t getting any sleep and was getting pushed further into PPD because I was too tired and stressed to produce milk, he refuses formula, and It was awful for the first few weeks I’d cry every night so it’s just easier to share with him because he sleeps through out the night and I have been producing so much to where I can finally pump now too, I know it’s frowned upon but I fully get why people do it as long as they are safe about it and understand consequences it’s much better than the stories I read of women snapping and hurting themselves or baby.

Yep! Going on 4 months now of co-sleeping and I absolutely love it. We tried the bassinet night after night at first and she just wanted to be touched. I desperately needed sleep so I gave in and I loveeee cosleeping! We use a firm mattress and lay her on her back. I sleep around her in a C curl with one arm extended so I can not roll. She wears a light footed onesie so no blanket is needed and I wear long pajamas so I don't need a blanket either. We also do not have any gaps on the sides or back of the bed where she could get trapped and our bed is close to the floor. Follow the safe sleep protocol and do not drink, smoke or take meds and you can do it safely.

Probably highly dependent on the type of sleeper you are! For us my partner is a heavy sleeper but I am not at all (pretty much would never just roll over in my sleep). So we bought a bed rail for my side of the bed and she has slept there peacefully every night! 5 months old now. If you have specific questions or concerns but would like to try it out ask over on r/cosleeping

I only do as a last resort and definitely not if my husband is in the bed. I do it maybe 5% of the time if even

I did not. I don't think any of us would have slept well even if it was perfectly safe. 

Newborns are super loud sleepers and even when we were room sharing we would create a vicious cycle where one person stirs, which wakes another, who then wakes the third, and that makes the first one stir more, etc.

Our daughter slept on her crib 99% of the time. She would occasionally get pulled into bed with Mom so she could get some free snuggles but only during the day.

Never overnight until she was around 7-8 months. Then it was very occasionally because she wouldn't sleep through the night bc of illness. She would always sleep with us when sick.

No, besides that it makes me too nervous we have too many factors that contribute to us being a very unsafe o sleeping scenario: we have a super soft gel mattress, we had a winter baby and needed blankets, both of us are very big movers in our sleep. We did a bedside bassinet and she was right next to my side of the bed.

We chose not to - our daughter has learned a lot by being in her crib alone - movement, response to being on belly, etc. And our marriage is better for it. That is our time to actually talk to each other without the distraction of life.

My kiddo was in the nicu for a number of months before coming home. The amount the doctors and nurses hammered safe sleep into you was insane. These were amazing people who saved babies lives everyday, so no we never ever co-slept.

my baby wouldn’t sleep in his bassinet and for my sanity i put him in the bed with us. i was actually losing my mind. i was terrified but my boyfriend convinced me to do it and reassured me he would be okay. only downside is he’s still in our bed and he’ll be 15 months july 6🥲

No too scary for me

You're not supposed to, but I did with both of my babies. It was the only way we both could get sleep. I'm a light sleeper. I tried a bassinet with both. I've heard of a snoo being a good option.

My kids just loved contact naps.

I wish it was safe. I absolutely refuse to bed share. Sometimes she has an easier time sleeping on the bed beside me so we are going to trial a travel bassinet on the bed, to move it to across the room where there are no blankets etc that could fall in when it’s time for me to sleep. I take safe sleep extremely seriously and I’d never get any sleep with her actually in the bed with me. I’ve heard too many horror stories

My baby sleeps mostly on us while we are awake then in her bassinet as needed. Sometimes she doesn’t have an easy time settling in her bassinet but it is what it is. I’ve also learned her active sleep behaviour vs actual sleep which has helped me get more sleep. I spend 10-12 hours in our room/ bed to get the 8 hours I need. It won’t always be like this

Sometimes. Without my husband, covers, or pillows on a hard surface. But mainly for the new new baby I used the SNOO.

We did our best to not and loosened up as she approached 1, now that she’s older she sleeps in bed with us a lot she’s currently sprawled out across my legs

We try not to. He sleeps in the bedside bassinet as much as possible but if I feel in danger of falling while nursing, I will bring him into my bed to nurse side lying. My thought is: it’s safer to get into the cuddle curl position and remove all pillows and blankets in case I fall asleep while he nurses than it is to fall asleep with him in the rocker or sitting up in bed and risk him falling. It’s not ideal I will admit but that’s how it is for us.

It’s fine as long as you take the proper safety steps, but I think that it’s assumed that most people won’t so it’s not recommended. I personally waited until 6 months to bedshare and I specifically went out and bought a new extra firm mattress. We didn’t even sleep with blankets or a shirt or my hair down I was sooo cautious.

As for rolling over on baby, you’ll probably be too exhausted to actually hit a deep enough sleep to roll over and not notice. The fear keeps you awake.

For the first couple months I think it is, nursing makes you sleepy so just be careful about nursing while laying down! I had to get myself a stiff backed chair for middle of the night nursing so I’d stay away.

My newborn sleeps better when he's attached to me, but we have been strict with the bassinett sleeping. I won't even breastfeed him while in bed anymore. The first few days I would because it was easier after my c-section, but I would start to doze off.. this led to me continuously believing I had suffocated him any time I would sleep - despite him being in the bassinett. I unfortunately get up and go into a different room now to feed him, lol, and I still wake up in a panic thinking I squished him in bed. It's insane

So I didn’t when she was a newborn, and don’t slam me cuz I follow all the rules to do it safely, have coslept with my baby since she was about 3-4 months old. It happened because she was going through a bad sleep regression and growth spurt so I just said fuck it and did it. I was recently thinking about putting her back in her own area, but then she had an episode of BRUE and now I’m terrified to. So not since newborn no. I was to worried about her having positional asphyxiation

Yes, we’ve co slept since day 1. Your fear is valid, that can/does happen. Co sleeping has many pros/cons, some people will argue it can never be considered safe, others will swear by the safe sleep 7 (Google it!). Ultimately co sleeping is a personal choice but if it’s something that you think you want to do then please research it until you’ve exhausted all sources - then research some more! Co sleepy on IG is a helpful starting point for tips. I will say one thing however, if you do want to co sleep you would absolutely need a new, FIRM mattress. I’d also advise mesh bed rails (well fitted) and a safe bedding option. A co sleeper crib is a great way to have them close with less hassle!

I recommend looking up your country’s safe sleep recommendations and following those. I followed them with both of my young children.

Nope. We have a snoo and he sleeps in there. We both move around way too much in our sleep to feel comfortable. Co sleeping works if you follow the safe seven and sleep still. There’s no way ours would have slept in a normal bassinet and we would have had to do shifts for sleep if we didn’t have the snoo.

Not everyone can afford a snoo (or a used one like we got) but most babies don’t sleep well in a cold bassinet alone but it is the safest place for them.

I occasionally cosleep, but only with me and baby. (See safe sleep 7). Hubby has to leave the bed those nights/mornings. I much prefer baby in his crib when possible for peace of mind and cuz he always attacking my boobies when he can reach em.

I did. I had a bassinet set up beside my bed and everything but my daughter refused it for the first 2 months and we bed shared at that time. After a couple months she slept in it fine though and we didn’t bed share anymore. It’s dangerous, though.

With my first, I started bringing my baby into my bed from his bassinet in the early morning hours at around 3 months old, following the safe sleep 7. That continued till around 7 months, and I tried to get him to sleep in his crib without much conviction. We started cosleeping then and never stopped, he’s 4.5. My current baby is 6 months old and I have coslept with her about 7 times in the last month due to teething and other issues. Trying to keep her in her own space but she’s getting into my bed more and more. I love sleeping with babies.

Yes. After giving birth, I became a light sleeper. I always wake up whenever my baby grunts or cries. It is much easier for me to feed her between sleep. I can also hug and soother her immediately before she starts crying.

I didn’t when he was a newborn as the bed side bassinet was great, but when he was older than 9+ months we had a few late mornings/naps where he would sleep next to me. Personally, I was so anxious the entire time that I couldn’t even sleep. Plus, as he got older he would toss and turn so much and neither of us slept well.

I didnt until my son was almost a year old. It gave me too much anxiety so I would always have him sleep in his bassinet next to my side of the bed. I can see though why a lot of moms who breastfed exclusively would find it easier to cosleep.

Yes when my son was a newborn I would bring him into bed with me and nurse him while laying on my side, sometimes I would fall asleep so I started following safe sleep seven to ensure we were both safe. The “c curl” is the safest way to position your body to protect your baby while you’re sleeping.

Our baby sleeps in a bassinet next to our bed. We’re in the US where it isn’t recommended to sleep in the same bed but same room is recommended

I did but it was only me and her! If you do I suggest betting railings and removing pillows/blankets. Or just keep the bassinet right next to you

Yes, my newborn hated the bassinet and she would cry or wake up after 30minutes of being put down. One night I placed her in my bed next to me, not to sleep but because I needed a break. She ended up falling asleep, I stayed up all night while she slept because I was terrified of rolling on her if I fell asleep. I stayed up again the next night and let her sleep next to me. I realized that was not something I could continue so I research safe co sleeping and found safe sleep 7. I followed that until she turned 4 months. She was too big for her bassinet so I transferred to the crib next to our bed. She’s had no issues with the crib and it’s been about 2 weeks. She sleeps through the night now.

No it’s not safe. Some people would love it to be safe but it isn’t. Safe sleep makes baby sleep worse so some people can’t be bothered. “Safe sleep seven” give me a break!  If it was safe it wouldn’t need the word safe in there. Road safety, gun safety, these things are dangerous. And yes, I know people who have lost babies to bad sleep decisions. 

In some places, bed sharing is the norm. In America, it is strongly recommended that parents do not share a bed with their baby. Some say there are ways to make it safer, but the reality the safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own crib (or bassinet or play yard). Babies should be alone in their own bed, on their back, and with nothing in the bed with them except maybe a pacifier. Many parents choose to put their babies in sleep sacks or other kinds of wearable blankets to keep them warm but not have the risks that blankets have.

I know it is very tempting to have the baby sleep in bed with you. When you’re exhausted and just need to sleep and baby sleeps so much better with you, it sounds so good to just let them sleep with you. However, for the baby’s safety, you should always put baby in their own safe sleep space. As much as being exhausted sucks, it is much better than having something terrible happen to your baby.

Lots of moms proudly say they do. I think it’s terrifying knowing the risks, and the point is that the risks grow higher the more you do it.

I shared with my first daughter when she was born. She's 3 and only just sleeping in her bed all night but not every night. I wouldn't change it but bloody hell being kicked in the side and lay all over, isn't fun.

Absolutely not. The benefits will never ever be worth the risk of losing a baby. Bedside bassinet is the way to go.

I'm the odd one out.

I bed shared (just me and baby, husband stayed in a different room/bed) from 1.5 months to 3 months (when she started rolling and made me feel uneasy for overnight sleeps), and still do occasionally for naps.

I bought the stiffest mattress known to man (my husband calls it the concrete slab lol) and didn't sleep with any blankets or pillows on the bed, just a sheet and my housecoat. The reason why I seen that it was something I could do was I'm an incredibly lightsleeper and became lighter after birth, I also have always slept with my cats all up in my grill so I'm very "intune" with my sleep surroundings. I also wasn't sleeping when she was in the bassinet (I had severe ppa and literally stayed awake for 3.5 days).

What started the bed sharing was my husband went to camp for work immediately after his leave, and I fell INCREDIBLY ill and was bedridden so I really had no choice.

It's not for everyone, and for the love of God, please do your research.

No. I'm sorry but bed sharing is just not safe. My 9 month old has sleep in their bassinet and crib the whole time, just fine 💜 We room share which is wonderful and recommended. ABC's of sleep. Alone, on their Back, in a safe Crib

For first 2 days of my delivery day, Me and my baby slept on another bed. But from 3rd day of his birth, we slept on the same bed.

My aunt told me when we sleep together, our affection towards baby increases more. The possible reason behind this statement might be that we are awake even in our sleeps when baby near us.

When I kept my baby on a separate bassinet, my MIL used to come to me to wake me up for his feed time.

So, I think, for initial 3-5 years, it would be better if you could sleep with your baby. You should also consider narrating him some moral stories and bed time affirmations. Given that now your bed is spacious enough, why not?

There is no risk free way to share a bed with your baby. Adult beds are too soft for infants under 2. We had a really bad sleeper but I was very strict with safe sleep and he slept in his bassinet in our room until he was 2 months then we set up his cot in our room until he was 8 months, when we moved him to his own room.

I never thought I would bed share but I do even now at 16 months. My daughter was born in March and the first month bassinet was great since we could double swaddle cause of the cold. After two months she started not sleeping unless she was with me so I would sleep with her in the bed tucked in with me. The first three months are a whirlwind with sleep deprivation being hard AF. Give yourself some grace knowing you might have to bed share; also know that there are some dangers to a bedside bassinet too. Look up safe bed sharing practices and know your own self. Like I wake at the slightest thing if my daughter is in bed with me, my partner on the other hand is dead to the world once his eyes close for the night. If you feel you wouldn’t be able to take care of baby in bed with you then there are going to be some hard nights but bassinet/crib would be the best choice for safety. Good luck and I’m hoping for a speedy and safe labor for you and baby

We coslept a bit but not in the newborn stage and i always put him down in his cot first, co-sleeping was always been a last resort for us.

It’s not recommended in the Uk either. A midwife told me if we do co-sleep to have my arm under there head or around them as there only so far you can roll forward on your shoulder joint.

No

If you don’t plan to, still look up Safe Sleep 7 principles!!! Things happen, you’re exhausted, one minute you’re awake scrolling phone cuddling with baby and the next you jump awake and realize you’ve been asleep with baby. It is not for everyone. The biggest things I would say are 1) not having a super soft mattress, and 2) being honest with yourself. If you’re a deep sleeper, or someone who moves around a lot in sleep without waking up, it is probably not for you. If you have anxiety over it and it doesn’t make you feel at peace, then it is probably not for you.

Yes and I will be doing it again with my second baby. This has been the practice in my culture (Asian).

You’re not recommended to, but having a big bed is still really great cos you can use it to play on sometimes and for many other baby related things.

I have with my all of my 3 children, currently do with my 3 month old. I breastfeed side laying and I get more rest this way. My baby sleeps wearing an owlet sock and I practice safe sleeping practices. I feel very comfortable with my baby beside me and I’m always conscious about him being there, I know because my body hurts when I wake up from not moving lol. Even with the pain I wouldn’t want my baby to sleep separate from me.

We used the bedside bassinet and started truly cosleeping from 2 months ish

Yes plenty of times, but we both sleep much better when she is in her bassinet (3 months now and quickly outgrowing it! Idk what we’re gonna do 🤕)

I was educated about safe bedsharing, like keeping her away from blankets and pillows, no swaddling arms, etc. I was told by my midwives that bedsharing is dangerous in this country in large part because people are not educated on how to do it safely and are told to never ever do it, and then people end up falling asleep accidentally in compromising situations.

So even if you don’t ever plan on doing it, it’s worth looking into safe bedsharing practices.

It’s definitely safest if you are breastfeeding (said my midwives) because 1) your hormones will sync you up w babies wake times and 2) baby will be oriented to your breast and not move around in bed

I didn't, but I know people who do. We got a baby bay with a barrier that could be lowered on the side it shared with my side of the big bed. LO was close enough to hold my finger to fall asleep. It worked great.

A handful of times we did, due to nobody getting any sleep on the bad nights. We followed the lullaby trusts safe 7. But she mostly stayed in her own crib in our room.

She does the first stretch in her cot then She’s back in our bed due to development leaps atm. You gotta do what you gotta do to rest imo. Just make sure you’re well educated in bed sharing if that’s the decision you make

Have an 1 year old and have only done it twice due to travelling and them suffering from jetleg. It scared the hell out of me and I couldn’t sleep a wink.

Have had them in their own cotbed since the beginning and one of us would sleep in the nursery instead (so one parent will always have at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep).

Not as a newborn but when she got to be about 6 months old I caved and co-slept just me and her. The hubby slept on the couch.

Follow safe sleep guidelines, which say no cosleeping. They come up with the guidelines based on research/for good reason. Alone, on back, in their own crib.

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! It's great that you're setting up a bedside bassinet—it's a safe choice to keep your baby close while minimizing risks of accidental rolling during sleep. Some parents do choose to co-sleep safely, following guidelines like firm mattress, no pillows or heavy blankets near the baby, and ensuring no one smokes or is impaired. However, many opt for the bedside bassinet for peace of mind. Trust your instincts and enjoy these precious early days!

Hey, mom of 2 toddlers here and did sleep on the same bed at the new born phase. Was never an issue for me or the hubby and frankly the whole detach yourself for the kid at such an early age is just not something we follow :)

With my first child i started to cosleep around 3 months of age. She just wouldnt settle in her crib anymore and it was easier to breastfeed her to sleep and during the night. We all got to sleep this way! You develop an alertness to the baby and a sleeping position where your arm is over the babys head. In the beginning i was afraid of rolling on the baby, so the process was actually gradual (took her to our bed for a feeding in the morning and then we both slept on).

Since good nights sleep was important to me, i started to cosleep with my second child right after birth. A newborn doesnt really move, so you put her on the side (it is how its recommended in my county) and they stay that way.

No, I did the bassinet next to the bed for overnight and we took shifts for day time contact naps when he’s fussy. I currently have a 6 week old, and my LO is no easy baby. The first 3 weeks were horrid cuz he wouldn’t sleep unless held. But we just kept trying, and I learned how to get him to sleep + how to better transfer him so he sleeps in longer stretches now. I considered bed sharing but really just never felt confident with it. If I ever nap with baby, I make sure my husband or mom is supervising.

Yes, my baby slept on my chest. I’d prop myself up with pillows.

It actually prevents SIDS to cosleep. Skin on skin regulates a newborns breathing and heartbeat. Your body heat provides the correct heat as well. Co sleeping also promotes breastfeeding and adequate supply.

Due to the bond and breastfeeding, I’m in sync with my baby. We often wake up at the same time. When your the primary caregiver your amygdala section in your brain is always on. So, you don’t fall into a deep sleep.

Be aware the U.S. is based on consumerism. Companies pay for “studies” so that they can make you afraid and buy their products. Cribs, sleep sacks, ect.

Lastly, don’t let anyone or anything get between you and your baby bonding.berkeley

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