Grrrr...This Morning Preaching About Not Co-Sleeping!

[CalicoHollyFlint]

Co-sleeping is so wonderful and it makes my blood boil when such programmes scare people into not doing it.

Surely the bfing rate in this country would increase if more people co-slept?

[moljam]

i only saw bit but thingy schofeild did say theyd look at both sides of arguement and i thought i heard them saying ways to do it safetly???i wasnt really listening though.

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[toomanyshoes]

IMO it would be irresponsible not to tell people about the risks of co-sleeping. If the safest place for a baby to sleep has been proven to be in their own cot in your room then people need to be told that. You then have the choice of whether to follow the recommendations or not. Imagine if no publicity was given to the risks of co-sleeping and then you lost a child to SIDS when they were sleeping with you? Co-sleeping may work brilliantly for you but that doesn't mean it is the safest option.
I have a new baby and ocassionally have him in bed with me by the way, this is not about me disagreeing with co-sleeping, just pointing out that it isn't the safest option. I'm glad I have all the information on the risks so I can make my own decisions

[Tatties]

Co-sleeping "isn't the safest option" only if you smoke, have been drinking heavily, are on drugs, are very ill or if you are not following the guidelines of appropriate bedding.

Otherwise, in terms of SIDS, it is actually safer.

[CalicoHollyFlint]

Well, they started with a poor lady whose baby had died whilst co-sleeping, which in itself is enough to scare most people out of doing it.

Then they went on to explain the risks of co-sleeping and how to do it safely, but the underlying message was still not to do it.

At no point during the article did anyone point out any of the many advantages of co-sleeping.

Co-sleeping is very safe if it is done properly.

[RTKangaMummy]

I was watching too

And they had a woman on there that had a baby die while co sleeping

The lady from SIDS said that the safest place for a baby was in a cot ALONE NEXT to the bed

Phillip and Fern have indeed covered both sides of the arguement in the past and gave a balanced view of both sides

The lady from SIDS said that

ONE BABY A DAY DIES IN UK

The other risk factors are the temp of the room should be less than 18C, not have a duvet or pillow for baby, not smoking or drinking alcohol if you want to co sleep,

Deffo not to sleep on settee as baby gets too hot

IMHO I think they gave a balanced fair feature of the situation

[lailasmum]

read recently that in Japan most families co-sleep and SIDS is virtually unheard of, its safe if you do it very sensibly. We co slept and in reality the sleeping situation for my dd was little different in terms of safety to being in a crib/moses basket/etc, just used blankets and avoided pillows/duvets anywhere near her but with benefit that she was right next to me if anything did happen. Guess programs like this morning don't like to condone anything that is considered controversial.

[wannaBe]

so should they just not issue guidelines because it might put someone off doing it?

Imo if it puts someone off who might have co slept and whose baby might have died as a result then it's a good thing.

People need to be informed.

If they put the message out that co sleeping is great then people would do it whose babies would be put at risk by doing so.

Just because it's right for some doesn't mean the risks should be ignored.

[toomanyshoes]

Tatties, you missed out the other risk factor which is 'if you are very tired' I don't know anybody with a new baby who isn't very tired!

[RTKangaMummy]

www.fsid.org.uk/reduce-risk.html

Sleep safe, sleep sound, share a room with me
A key message to keep your baby safe and healthy is that the safest place for your baby to sleep - night and day - is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months.

It's especially dangerous for your baby to sleep in your bed

if you (or your partner):
are a smoker (even if you never smoke in bed or at home)
have been drinking alcohol
take medication or drugs that make you drowsy
feel very tired

or if your baby
was premature (born before 37 weeks)
was low birth weight (less than 2.5kg or 5 1/2 lb)
is less than three months old.
Don't forget, accidents can happen too:

you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate your baby
your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed
your baby could roll out of your bed and be injured
It's very dangerous to sleep together with a baby on a sofa, armchair or settee and it is also risky to sleep a baby alone in an adult bed.

If you have any questions about this advice, or are worried about how to make it work for you, call our Helpline on 020 7233 2090 or email [email protected]

[wannaBe]

and would be interested to see whether inphant deaths are down also, or whether babies that die while co-sleeping are registered with a different cause of death ie suffocation etc.

[RTKangaMummy]

TOOMANYSHOES

I agree about "too tired" I don't know any new parents that aren't tired

[CalicoHollyFlint]

I don't think it was particularly balanced. They had no-one that was pro co-sleeping and they didn't mention any of the benefits.

I'm not saying the risks should be ignored, but neither should the benefits.

Co-sleeping it NOT dangerous if done with thought and following the guidelines.

[RTKangaMummy]

They did cos Fern said about Breastfeeding and falling asleep

[posieflump]

Tatties - do you have any eveidence to back up 'Otherwise, in terms of SIDS, it is actually safer. '

Not in this country it isn't and that is why the Department of Health have the guidelines it does. Because in this country we do drink too much , don't foolow the appropriate guidelines unlike Japan. So it is not safer in this country.

[moljam]

yes but they have done other shows highlighting benefits of cosleeping-and im sure that when they did that people were outraged saying they only showed one side of story.

[lailasmum]

Thats rather general-if you choose to follow guidelines be sensible like they are in countries where it is the norm then you are just as sensible as anyone there and therefore similar case applies, its just when people don't follow guidelines and drink/smoke, take drugs and don't take precautions about bedding risk that their babies are obviously at risk and it doesn't take a genius to work that out.

[wannaBe]

I am slightly and that people are less inclined to advise parents to wean before 26 weeks than to co sleep.

The risks of weaning early might be alergies, the risk of co sleeping could be death. How can people advise others to take that risk with their child?

[Tatties]

Yes you are right, being very tired is another of the risk factors. The thing is we are all tired when we go to bed. I don't think being tired in itself is a problem. I take that to mean dangerously tired, like if you are on medication, if you are drunk or ill for example. But that is just my interpretation of it. I think that co-sleepers are perhaps at less risk of extreme exhaustion as they are not having to get up several times a night?

[toomanyshoes]

Lailasmum, it is really important to take into account the culture and living conditions of the country in question. In the UK we live in centrally heated houses, with duvets and lots of pillows, and drinking is a big part of most peoples social life. You can't compare like for like with other countries that have very different living conditions

[moljam]

i was flicking through channels!i gave up discussing how i sleep and how my children sleep as someone all has opinion.

[posieflump]

lol Fio, I didn't see it but did they have their regular agony aunt on going 'there there' and talking in that soft soothing voice that irritates the bejeezus out of me

[lailasmum]

I guess This morning have probably promoting the babies in separate cribs/moses baskets thing because most families don't want to have to alter their sleep routines to make co-sleeping safe. A lot of Parents want to drink, smoke, possibly take drugs, have fluffy duvets and pillows and don't want to change at all and so in general may be that is the best thing to say, however it doesn't apply to everyone. It can make those of us who co-sleep sensibly seem irresponsible.