Bottle feeding and co-sleeping

[raininginbaltimore]

I am bottle feeding 6 day old dd. We bf for first 4-5 days. We co-slept most of this. Age is very settled like this as obviously she is new and likes to be close to me.

I am sure I have read that it isn't considered safe to co-sleep when bottle feeding. I did last night as she just wouldn't settle on her crib.

I follow all safety guidelines- no quilt, pillows, dressed appropriately. I still lie on my side next to her, in the same position as when bf.

I am still aware of her, last night I woke up to feed her well before she cried, just when she started chewing fists.

Is it really unsafe? Dora anyone know what the research on this is?

I am no expert, but my understanding is not that it is really unsafe to cosleep and bottlefeed (assuming you meet all the other criteria of no duvet, no smoking etc etc) but that there is a greater risk of an accident and it's up to you to assess the risk of you being less aware of her/falling in to a deep sleep etc.

I'm happy to be corrected though and don't take this as gospel.

Co-sleeping isn't reccommended if you formula feed - there is a bigger risk.

I think it's because they sleep more deeply, breastfeeding mums sleep more lightly due to hormonal differences and also the baby being more likely to sleep for longer, and a theory that the responsiveness mothers report when co sleeping is due to hormonal contact between a breastfeeding pair. If you've been breastfeeding up until yesterday, you may still have these same hormonal responses.

HOWEVER

The research is not complete, and cot death is now so rare that it never will be. The only things that we know for certain are that FF babies tend to sleep more deeply, and FF mothers do also. And that FF babies overall are more at risk of cot death wherever they sleep, and so when you multiply this with the co-sleeping risk, it is higher, but the two risk factors might be totally independent on each other and not affect each other at all.

Apologies if this comes across cold, I was trying to be as factual as possible.

Additionally if you wanted/needed any help in getting your DD back onto the breast the ladies here are extremely knowledgeable and may be able to help, apologies if this isn't your wish or if I've xposted with lots of people saying the same thing!

Crap. It is so lovely. Another reason to be sad I have to ff :(

Thanks. I can't bf, due to medication I need to take. I have talked about it before. (it is lithium, which o have checked with lacmed and bf helpline and they both say not recommended)

I have been doing lots of carrying her on sling and skin to skin, but loved co-sleeping.

Surely it depends on the mum and how deeply you sleep. My first 3 were all totally bfed and co slept. With no 4 and no 5 i stopped bfeeding bt 4mths but still co-slept. I still sleep just as lightly as i did with the elder 3 and the often skept in the crook of my arm as my bfed ones did.

I followed all the safe co-sleeping guidlines for all 5.

If you are worried how about a side cot that attaches to/ is level with your bed? So baby is close and comforted by your smell and breathing etc but in a cot?

Hmm, well, all things considered, I think that I would do it anyway. That's my PERSONAL thought, and I don't have a tiny newborn to be all protective over, but my gut instinct that I would because I just can't imagine doing anything else. But you know, that's probably not the best reason (!) but I think I'd rationalise it by saying well, loads of people put their babies in another room from day one and that's supposed to be a lot more risky, but only you know what you would feel safe doing.

I feel safe. We napped together today on bed and it was lovely. I don't feel unsafe but I am quite guided by research!

And I was having one of those neurotic moments that you get with newborns.

We bottle feed and co-sleep, no problems so far. I agree that it depends on how deep a sleeper you are. And its not reccomended to co-sleep if you are drunk or on drugs. Expert advice changes all the time.

I sleep in the same position as when breastfeeding. So my arm above her.

I did it again last night as she just won't settle in her crib.

i think you know yourself and how you sleep, the co-sleeping cot is always an option if you are worried, i am assuming your meds dont make you sleepy or likely to be a more heavy sleeper?

you are following all the guildlines on safe sleeping with regards to duvets etc, you know you and your baby best xxxx