Think I accidentally hit baby in sleep :(

[crystalcastles]

My second DS is a week old and we have been cosleeping for a few nights as he doea not like the cot yet. I've read what seems like every cosleep article online to make sure I am doing it as safely as possible.

However earlier tonight I had a nightmare involving my older DS and in my dream was hitting out to protect him. I then woke uo immediately as I realised I actually hit somethijg soft and think I hit my DS2 who was next to me.

He didn't even seem to notice and stayed asleep but I feel absolutely awful tjat I could have hurt him in this way. Has this happened to anyone else?? It has made me think I need to get him in the cot as soon as I can so I don't harm him by something like this happening again.

Hooray for co-sleeping. It's a wonderful, natural and lovely thing. Don't feel guilt. You didn't hurt him as he would have woken so don't give it another thought. I co-slept with my first until he was 2 and we both loved it. Enjoying it again second time round with my 6 month old

@underneaththeash

Thing is that co-sleeping isn’t okay study after study shows an increased risk of SIDS. I don’t understand why anyone would put their child at risk.

You've never been in their position then so you have no room to comment :) also that's not even true information

It sounds unlikely you hit him - you probably just startled yourself. It’s a crazy time for hormone induced dreams!

I did exactly this when my DS was 6 weeks old. Dreamt someone was trying to steal my watch and I was -slapping- batting their hand away but it was actually his face he did wake up. I also panicked and thought it was the end of cosleeping as I was obviously a terrible mother.

I calmed down eventually once I remembered that I hadn't ever done anything like that in all the years I'd been cosleeping (safely) with my children up to that point and carried on sleeping with him for 2 more years uneventfully

@FTEngineerM

I’m sure he would have woken should anything painful have happened to him. Congratulations too, so exciting.

Co-sleeping is also FINE.

Not too long ago me DP and DC were in bed, me and DP chatting I was stroking DCs head as he slept. Then I felt a lump on the back his head… panic, I started squishing it and squeezing it. Turned my phone light on in a panic to see what the hell is on my sons head… his eyeball, he’d turned his head and I was squishing his bloody eyeball.

He didn’t move a muscle, deep sleep, and can confirm no harm done 😂.

This is hilarious

@underneaththeash 1883 babies/children died in car accidents in 2018.. that’s 9 times the amount to at died from SIDS let alone specifying SIDS from cosleeping, that number would be even smaller.

So let’s keep things in perspective when you say parent shaming things like ‘I don’t understand why anyone would put their child at risk’, I’m assuming your child has been in a car in its life?

You're not supposed to sleep next to babies. It's very dangerous.

i lost a cousin to "safe" co sleeping. the mother when asleep moved out of the safe position and baby rolled into her side and suffocated. she didn't notice because.. she was asleep..

@HidingFromTheChildren

You're not supposed to sleep next to babies. It's very dangerous.

It's actually the most natural thing in the world - we're mammals!

@HidingFromTheChildren

You're not supposed to sleep next to babies. It's very dangerous.

Not entirely true; how do you think we survived as a species? Leaving the baby on it’s own in a different cave, feet to foot, in a leafy grow bag?

No, with mum, hence the biological miracle that is the babys body matching the mums heart/breathing rate.

I’ve done this don’t worry . I co slept aswell after I fell asleep feeding and he was under the duvet so which is safer ...wish I’d done it from the start I took all pillows away just me and him in the bed and I wrapped myself in a sheet and pushed the bed right up to the wall. Don’t feel bad it happens and he didn’t wake so he wasn’t hurt .

Also if you ever get cold pop a hoodie on your top half. I wrapped the thin sheet (no duvet ) round my bottom half.

@underneaththeash

My child was more at risk if I didn’t co sleep I fell asleep with him on my chest breastfeeding and a duvet half over him so basically I nearly suffocated him. I woke up hysterically screaming. I was too sleep deprived to stay away for the feeds so co sleeping was safer for us.

[quote User5069]@underneaththeash

My child was more at risk if I didn’t co sleep I fell asleep with him on my chest breastfeeding and a duvet half over him so basically I nearly suffocated him. I woke up hysterically screaming. I was too sleep deprived to stay away for the feeds so co sleeping was safer for us.[/quote]
Same for me. Was much safer to set the bed up incase I fell asleep that constantly battle against it.

I disagree - I've breastfed 3 children and just sat in a chair.
Babies are really not very robust at that age - don't put them at risk at all.

Breastfeeding is different for everyone. My children fed every 45 minutes sometimes and cluster fed, no way could I safely have sat in a chair half the night. Even breastfeeding mothers need to sleep.

@interest12

Get him a cosleeper bassinet. He shouldn’t be in the bed with you.

Not entirely true; how do you think we survived as a species?

By producing 10-15 offsprings per woman, only half of which would survive

I'm not saying co-sleeping should not be done, but it does have risks.

Honestly Co sleeping saved my sanity. My ds wouldn't sleep alone, he fed for hours every night. I started co sleeping because I was falling asleep sat upright in the chair every night which is much more dangerous. I was worried I would crash our car etc. I followed all the guidelines and it was the best thing I did.
I doubt you hit your baby, most people don't actually move around in their sleep even though it feels like it in their dreams. Don't worry OP I'm sure you are doing great.

@HidingFromTheChildren

You're not supposed to sleep next to babies. It's very dangerous.

Why?? Will they cook and eat us while we're sleeping? I'm terrified now. I always think my baby is plotting something.