The Benefit of Baby Co-Sleeping

When I was pregnant with my first born, I wasn’t quite sure how the sleeping arrangements were going to be. I wondered if baby and I would sleep in the living room for a while or if he would co-sleep with us. After all the pondering, my husband and I decided that we would try and co-sleep. Yes, we were super nervous and of course, me being the sometimes worrier I started thinking of all the horror stories that I have read about. However, I knew it was definitely something I wanted and needed to try. I knew that it was great if you were nursing so since I was exclusively nursing my son I felt like that was a good benefit for me. The fact that all I had to do was turn over and voila baby had all the access to milk was a plus for me. 

The first night we co-slept I woke up several times making sure our baby boy was ok, and of course he was sound asleep. One thing about my son was he didn’t like to be swaddled or sleep with a Boppy so my husband and I would take turns holding him while sleeping. Although it wasn’t the easiest, the more we did it, every night moving forward was easier and easier. Another benefit to co-sleeping is the bond. I thought that it was really important that my baby boy felt close to us and safe. Now that we have our baby girl we knew that co-sleeping was the best option for us. However, this time we use the dock- a- tot and she sleeps in that in between hubby and I. 

Another great benefit to co-sleeping is it allows you to get more sleep. My babies have both started sleeping through the night at 3 months and Leia only wakes up once to nurse in the morning and then goes right back to sleep. 

Here are some more great benefits of Co-sleeping via kellymom.com

• Breastfeeding at night helps to maintain your milk supply.
• Sleeping in the same room as your baby reduces the risk of SIDS by as much as 50% [AAP].
• No nighttime separation anxiety.
• Fewer bedtime hassles.

Here are some things that we did to help our baby feel safe 

• Made sure baby is on his/her back 
• I would definitely suggest a Co-Sleeper aid (such as a dock-a-tot) 
• Don’t let your baby sleep on top of pillows

Have you co-slept with your babies? Share your experiences below!