Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Co-Sleeping: Yah or Nah?

Working in the medical profession I have been taught that co-sleeping is a big no-no. That if you sleep with your baby it will some how kill them. But I have often wondered how something that comes so natural to do can be be so wrong. With my oldest I didn't co-sleep...that often. In the hospital I had dozed off with Xavier in my arms. When the nurse came in a took him. Then proceeded to tell me that if I did that again I would only be able to have my baby if I was supervised. Well that scared the crap out of me. I never slept while holding him in fear that someone would take my baby away from me. There was the occasionally middle of the night feeding that I would doze off and wake up realizing that I could have dropped him. Ten years have passed and I have become more educated. Its amazing how something as simple as fear can drive an entire culture. We are one of few cultures that don't normally sleep with our young near us. Could this contribute to the problems with our youth? If we immediately show our children that the world is a horrible place, full of disappointment and abandonment, how else are they going to react. Which brings up my situation with my newest little one, Emerson. At 10 1/2 weeks old he has never slept in his own bed. He sleeps next to me, where I can feed him on cue. There is nothing sweeter than feeling a baby's breath on your check while they sleep. Or opening my eyes and having my baby boy look at me with his big gummy smile. People comment on how happy of baby he is and how little he cries. Could it be that I co-sleep? Or is it because he was born in the water at home. Or that he is always close to use in his Moby? Or that he is cloth diapered? Could be one of those or all of those. I am NOT spoiling my baby. I AM showing him that in a world full of hate, that he is loved. I will not be "sorry" when he gets older. My favorite time with him is just before we fall asleep at night, it is just him and I. Here is a good article from Dr. Sears http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/co-sleeping-yes-no-sometimes

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