Co-sleeping in hospital - experiences?

[rodformyownback]

I've put this in the sleep topic rather than childbirth in the hope of catching more fellow co-sleepers.

We've always coslept with DS1 (at 2.10 he has his own room now and comes in to us if / when he wakes up) and I have every intention of doing so with DS2. I'm now 38.5 weeks pregnant, planning a VBAC but obviously there's a risk it could go to another section.

In addition, after DS1's birth I had a strep B infection. The hospital I'm going to has a policy of giving intravenous antibiotics during labour to anyone who has had a previous infection. I was hoping to avoid this but obviously didn't want to put DS2 at risk so I paid for a private test that was negative (this is 94% accurate whereas NHS one is only 50%ish). Saw obstetrician last week who agreed that they would not have to deliver antibiotics but she said the paediatricians would still want to monitor DS2 for 12 hours after the birth. Seems a bit OTT to me given that 1st time mums are not tested at all and their babies not routinely monitored, and about 1 in 3 of us carry strep B at any one time! I do understand it's a serious infection but I honestly think the best way to keep babies free of infection is to get out of the hospital asap!

Anyway, C section or otherwise I may have to stay overnight in hospital.

I'm worried that the staff on the postnatal ward will try make me put the baby down and I'm not relishing the idea of spending the first night of DS2's life having to justify myself and being lectured on the risks of cosleeping (I'd prefer to save my energy for the same conversation with the health visitor!)

With DS1 I was in my own room post-section and left to it - as I couldn't move my legs I had no option but to cosleep! That was a different hospital though.

Does anyone have experience of this or tips of how to handle the staff on postnatal ward if challenged about my strange sleeping habits? Would it be worth putting something in my birth plan? Help please!

I was encouraged to co-sleep at hospital with DS2. The midwife even helped me arrange ourselves safely. TBH, second time around no-one is particularly interested in telling you anything, and assume that you know what you are doing.

Add me to list of people who got in trouble, I was told off by a midwife but she did go and get me a clear plastic cot that clipped to the side of the bed, this was nearly 7 years ago so maybe things have changed. I 35 weeks pregnant and in a different country this time so I have no idea if the same will happen.

I co slept with ds after a section and nobody said a word.
However, Ds had had many many admissions in his first 11 months for ongoing problems and I have a battle each time with doctors and nurses over co sleeping.
It is simply not tolerated on the ward he ends up on even though it is the only way he will sleep (still bf)
There are even posters all over the ward saying if you take your baby into bed with you you will be asked to put them back in the cot.
I am ready with lots of studies proving co sleeping can be done safely etc for our next admission.
At the moment I end up sitting up all night in a chair with him so at least one of us gets some sleep.
Good luck!

Hmm, I gave birth in NYC and Paris, but would think it shouldn't be different in the UK.

I kept my dcs with me all the time, except for when I had to use the loo etc. No one said anything. If they did, I would just tell them to mind their own business- they can't forbid you to sleep with your baby. No need to bother explaining all the pros to the midwife- you do what you want to do.

I was in hospital after DD for 6 nights, and co-slept the whole time - midwives even brought a soft/netted cot-side for the bed in case she would roll through the bars of the regular bedside. IIRC I was encouraged to do it because DD was struggling with BF and would be closer to the breast if she needed feeding, and midwives said it would make her sleep for longer periods, which it did :D

I did it and noone seemed to notice or care! I did think they might have words with me but they didn't and they came in to check on me through the night (I hadn't realised) so were fully aware.

Just do it and say nothing

hope it works out for you

DS got put in bed with me, as I had a CS and still couldn't really move by the evening. I was in hospital 5 nights (they like you to stay longer in Belgium) and DS slept with me for all of them. Even though I had no intention of co-sleeping once I got home, it was nice to be so close to him for the first few nights.

I co-slept with DC3 in hospital. I made a nice pile of the safe co-sleeping leaflets on the bed table so as the new midwives came on duty they could add to them. I placed the pile in front of the 'no sleeping with your babies' sign...felt it looked appropriate.

After the first two nights, I would wake up and find DD2 had been put back in the incubator next to the bed (which she needed to be in, but wouldn't sleep in without screaming)

It was such a relief all around to go home to our nice king size bed.

I co-slept with dd in hospital because she just wouldn*t settle in the cot. the midwives commented on it, saying that it is safer if baby sleeps in the cot provided but helped me by giving me extra cushions and pushing the bed against the wall.

I co-slept with DS (VBAC, forceps) - the midwives seemed ok with it but still insisted that they wrote in the notes I was aware of the risks and ignoring their advice!

Yes, they put that in my notes as well!

Yes, I had several comments in my notes too, protecting their own backs and I don't blame them.

Thanks everybody for your input! Sorry not been on for a while. Due date next monday so hopefully not long to go!

I've decided to go with the "under the radar" approach - just keep ds in the bed and hope they don't bother me. If they do, then maybe have a leaflet at the ready.

Will prob do the same with the CFM - get to the hospital as late as possible and just refuse if I feel to move around!

Thanks again

hope it all goes well! when I was in after having DS the midwife suggested i keep him in with me after about the fourth time of buzzing her to ask her to get him from the cot for me... (i had had a spinal and was catheterised so couldn't get him myself).

When I had dd1 in 2001 she had swallowed merconium and kept bringing it up and choking (can't believe now that the midwives weren't concerned!) so the mw suggested tucking her into bed with me. Admittedly I didn't get much sleep as i was so worried about dropping her! However I soon got used to it and dd's 1-3 were soon regular visitors to our bed, dd4 ended up completely cosleeping mainly as she was the only one of mine that would bf!

When ds was two days old I had to take him back to hospital because of pneumonia. At that point there was a question mark over him whether he might have a life-limiting condition. In hospital he was on IV AB's and oxygen. I was very vulnerable, my two dd's were at home missing me, I had only just given birth. One of those nights in hospital I had ds in bed with me when the night nurse came in, took ds out of my bed and said "do you want to kill him"

i was not allowed to co sleep with ds in hospital,i was told very firmly it's not allowed. which was highly frustrating becuase i had a difficult birth and was unwell and had severe oedema which made just getting in and out of bed very difficult, and the mws were not overly helpful in getting ds out of hte cot every time he woke and passing him to me.

he did not feed much in the first couple of days and i wonder if they had just let me co sleep maybe he would have fed more.

otoh i do know in the early days even at home i was cautious about co sleeping overall because i was so so shattered i did not trust myself to be aware of ds in our bed. but now, every night we co sleep, its the only way i'll get any sleep myself!

emkena how awful what a heartless thing to say