Co-sleeping and a duvet!

[hiss42]

Me and DS (10 weeks) don't really co-sleep anymore, unless i'm being lazy and breastfeed him in bed and he falls asleep and I don't want to wake him.

The past few nights as it's been so cold I've had him in everynight and I've been tucking our duvet in and letting him sleep under it with me. Didn't realise it was unsafe until I was reading some co-sleeping guidelines today. I tuck it in at the edge and make sure it doesn't come above his waist.

Am I being unsafe? Why shouldn't you use duvets other than a suffocation risk, which I'm protecting against?

There is absolutely no clear evidence that says duvets are any more unsafe than anything else. Just do as you would with any other bedding; make sure it doesn't cover his head, and don't overdress him or let him get too hot. Then just enjoy

Out of interest, what guidelines were you reading?

I think it's because of the small possibility that your LO could wriggle down to the bottom of the bed under the duvet and not be able to breathe.

When co-sleeping with DD, she slept in her gro-bag at the side of the bed and I tucked the duvet in around me.

I've never quite understood the no duvet for co sleeping rule. It makes no sense whatsoever. My reasons for saying this are:

a) Some years and years ago there was some research which said that duvets (maybe it was specifically down ones) were better for eczema sufferers than blankets because they allow better air circulation and less overheating. I used this research to convince my parents I needed a duvet when they weren't commonplace.

b) In Japan where cosleeping is traditional and there is no word for cot death, they always have duvets.

If there is some evidence based research which says they are more dangerous than blankets I'd be interested.

I coslept with my DS with a duvet when he was a baby. I did try putting a baby blanket over him on the side of the bed but soon got bored with that.