A couple of days ago I was leisurely leafing through the newspaper while having breakfast (for the first time since... well, I can't even remember!) when I came across this article in The Guardian. Basically, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) here in the UK has drafted guidelines against co-sleeping in the first year of a baby's life (an increase from their 2006 guidelines), claiming that bed sharing increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Before going any further, you should know that Ruben has maybe used his Arms Reach Co-sleeper twice since he was born. D and I actually bought a king size bed when we moved into our current place with the thought that we hoped to fill it with children. So yes, we co-sleep with our son. Early on, I also learned to feed Ruben in the side lying position and I haven't looked back ever since. (Again, I am grateful to Kate Evans and her other wonderful book for showing me the way: "The Food of Love: Your Formula for Successful Breastfeeding.") Sleeping with Ruben and knowing how to breastfeed while side lying has meant a lot more resting, cuddling, and general well being for our whole family. It's also meant that D and I have gotten creative with our "sexy time," which has been fun (more on that in this article by the Analytical Armadillo, which I have quoted in the past.)
OK, with that in mind, you won't be surprised to hear that I was outraged by NICE's guideline to avoid co-sleeping in the first year - I just wanted to scream out the windows that they were wrong! Luckily there are more centered and better informed people around me who have taken the time to respond to the new guidelines with equal passion, minus the crazy screaming out of the windows. One of the most compelling arguments has been that mothers all around the world will end up bed sharing at some point, and the most important thing is that this is done intelligently, knowing what the potential risk factors are to the baby (surprisingly, falling off the bed is not the major one!)
For all those of you who are interested in the topic, or are worried by the suggested new guidelines, here is a selection of my favorite articles, posts, studies and leaflets on co-sleeping ...
Blog Posts and Articles:
The Hackney Doula: "Lessons in Co-Sleeping."
A personal account mixed with lots of good links and research on co-sleeping.
The Newubury Doula: "10 Things I Wish NICE Would Say."
10 core pieces of information on co-sleeping in an easy to read format.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith: "Bedsharing and SIDS - Why We Have It All Wrong."
In which she calls the Carpenter et al study a "scaremongering piece of 'science'." This is the study which has heavily influenced the NICE draft according to the Hackney Doula.
Milli Hill: "Co-sleeping: Are New Mums Being Given the Right Advice?"
A great piece on the problems with the underlying assumptions behind co-sleeping.
Online resources:
NCT: "NCT response to NICE draft recommendations to tackle Sudden Infant Death Syndrome."
ISISonline - for evidence based information on infant sleep.
UNICEF - "Caring for Your Baby Leaflet" and the study on breastfeeding and co-sleeping.
Dr. Sears - "Safe Co-sleeping Habits."
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| I found this beautiful image online but couldn't find the artist's name - please let me know if you have more information. |
Before going any further, you should know that Ruben has maybe used his Arms Reach Co-sleeper twice since he was born. D and I actually bought a king size bed when we moved into our current place with the thought that we hoped to fill it with children. So yes, we co-sleep with our son. Early on, I also learned to feed Ruben in the side lying position and I haven't looked back ever since. (Again, I am grateful to Kate Evans and her other wonderful book for showing me the way: "The Food of Love: Your Formula for Successful Breastfeeding.") Sleeping with Ruben and knowing how to breastfeed while side lying has meant a lot more resting, cuddling, and general well being for our whole family. It's also meant that D and I have gotten creative with our "sexy time," which has been fun (more on that in this article by the Analytical Armadillo, which I have quoted in the past.)
OK, with that in mind, you won't be surprised to hear that I was outraged by NICE's guideline to avoid co-sleeping in the first year - I just wanted to scream out the windows that they were wrong! Luckily there are more centered and better informed people around me who have taken the time to respond to the new guidelines with equal passion, minus the crazy screaming out of the windows. One of the most compelling arguments has been that mothers all around the world will end up bed sharing at some point, and the most important thing is that this is done intelligently, knowing what the potential risk factors are to the baby (surprisingly, falling off the bed is not the major one!)
For all those of you who are interested in the topic, or are worried by the suggested new guidelines, here is a selection of my favorite articles, posts, studies and leaflets on co-sleeping ...
Blog Posts and Articles:
The Hackney Doula: "Lessons in Co-Sleeping."
A personal account mixed with lots of good links and research on co-sleeping.
The Newubury Doula: "10 Things I Wish NICE Would Say."
10 core pieces of information on co-sleeping in an easy to read format.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith: "Bedsharing and SIDS - Why We Have It All Wrong."
In which she calls the Carpenter et al study a "scaremongering piece of 'science'." This is the study which has heavily influenced the NICE draft according to the Hackney Doula.
Milli Hill: "Co-sleeping: Are New Mums Being Given the Right Advice?"
A great piece on the problems with the underlying assumptions behind co-sleeping.
Online resources:
NCT: "NCT response to NICE draft recommendations to tackle Sudden Infant Death Syndrome."
ISISonline - for evidence based information on infant sleep.
UNICEF - "Caring for Your Baby Leaflet" and the study on breastfeeding and co-sleeping.
Dr. Sears - "Safe Co-sleeping Habits."
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