Frightened... Baby wasn't breathing?

[Thirstysomething]

I just woke up with my colicky baby in bed snuggled next to me and after a second or two touched his face and think he wasn't breathing. His face was cool to the touch and I panicked and sort of gently shook him and then he was breathing.
I am not very good at co-sleeping, it frightens me, so I don't know if I was wrong and am just being paranoid, but I am lying here listening to him sleep now and he has a cold so his breathing is really loud, I am sure he wasn't breathing when I woke up. I just dont know what to do and am lying here in the dark worrying, what if it happens again? There is that sleep apnea thing isnt there, where they stop breathing? What if he wasn't breathing for long enough that he has brain damage? Is that possible? How will I know in the next few days, will I know?
What if he suffocated against my chest while we were sleeping? I have now put him in his crib but am so frightened, lying here, can't sleep.
Think I will regret posting, but I don't want to wake DH (and tell him what?). Probably this post is a total muddle, I am typing on my iPhone, please could anyone reassure me though?

Didn't want to leave your post unanswered though I don't know really what to say that would reassure you?
I have also fallen asleep with ds in the bed & woken in a panic to check he was breathing.
As much as anyone says co sleeping is the way forward it scares me.

Hope you're ok now

I didn't do co-sleeping with mine, so maybe I missed scarey moments like this. Neither of mine were colicky, either.

But I can be fairly sure that a baby with a cold will make it through the night.

I understand your fears, I honestly do, but please don't worry about sleep apnea. I know adults with this condition.

Aargh, not saying it well, but your "mother's instinct" woke you when your baby wasn't breathing properly, and it's that same instinct that's keeping you awake. I promise you your child will not have suffered brain damage if s/he stopped breathing for 30 seconds or so.

Everything will be ok in the long term, try to sleep now.

phone NHS helpline. they will put your mind at rest. You will then sleep and you'll be better prepared for the day

Thanks, reading some of the other posts here trying to calm down. Do feel a bit less panicky and trying to tell myself I was mistaken and just being paranoid. Still really frightened though. Going to try and sleep now and will wake DH if I can't. Thanks for making contact at this hour...

It's natural to be scared, and it's natural to feel paranoid. In a different society you'd be able to ask other women there and then; in our society you ask the interweb.

Hope you can find some peace.

Just touched him now and his face is warm. When I woke up before and thought he wasn't breathing his face was so much cooler. God. Right, going to try and sleep, no point in this.

It's February, I'm assuming you're in the Uk. Parts of your dc (eg, his face!) are not going to be covered, and will feel colder.

I am a grown up, and can regulate my own temperature, by throwing off covers if I feel too hot, and by taking them back if I feel chilled. Your dc can't do this yet, you sound like you're doing a brilliant job.

:)

I'm feeding my 4 week old at the moment. He woke a few minutes ago and his cheeks are cold to touch. I co sleep and often his breathing seems to change. Sometimes it's so noisy he's practically snoring and other times it's do quiet I give him a little nudge to make sure he's ok.

Thank u all, he is awake and feeding now, I feel a bit ashamed of my night terrors... Too little sleep recently. I am still not convinced about whether he was/wasn't breathing when I woke up, but since I can't do much about it, I am going to have to relax a bit. X

When you cosleep with your baby, provided you're not drunk/on meds etc, you will sleep more lightly and a change in breathing will wake you. That's why babies should stay in the same room as you when sleeping for the first 6 months.

I had this a couple of times with DS and would prod him gently. He had silent reflux though so more prone to it. also at some points in their sleep cycle, babies breath very lightly - I remember checking on DS loads once he went into his cot and sticking my ear right up to him as his breath was so light!

There's nothing to be ashamed of - I was terrified the first time it happened. I kept co- sleeping though after looking up how to do it safely and am cosleeping with DD again (11 weeks), and plan to until we get past the 2-4 month SIDS peak (she has reflux too), then she'll go into her cot in our room.

I have lost count of the times I have poked a sleeping baby (my own I should add!) to check they are still breathing.

Sometimes they do take very light breathes, quite far apart, it is perfectly normal.

It is normal to worry irrationally, but I do think it is irrational. I mean that in a nice way Have a chat with the HV if you're worried.

Wee babies can breath very irregularly so I wouldn't worry too much. The cold face is prob just because he was asleep and it is cold.

The important thing is that you were there, him hearing you breath helps regulate his own breathing. And isn't it amazing that you are so in tune with your baby that when his breathing pattern changes you wake immediately :-)

Can you get in touch with HV or GP?

Even if you're not sure what went on, it may put your mind at rest if you have him assessed for apnoea.