Raising children is not an easy task. Being a hands-on, full time mother means that you will have to tackle the humongous problem called sleep deprivation. Taking up a full time job, while being a mother, is one of the most challenging occupations. Working all day long and pampering the baby all night can take serious toll on your body and mind. One easy way to solve this problem is learning to co-sleep with the baby.
Thousands of couples have chosen to co-sleep with their newborns to tackle sleep deprivation. At night, the moms and dads have to wake up several times, hearing the wailing noise coming from the crib. They have to be alert, so that they can feed the baby and change its diaper if necessary. Co-sleeping makes it easier to perform these tasks without leaving the bed.
Why do parents co-sleep with small kids?
There is a theory that children who sleep near their parents feel safe and get closer to their parents. Kids need to feel safe for a sound sleep. The warmth of the mother’s body assures safety and let them sleep peacefully for longer. Another vital reason is that breastfeeding the baby when he or she sleeps in the middle of the parents makes it easier to breastfeed.
The mom does not have to rise several times to feed the baby. The bond between the mother and baby helps the mom sleep in sync with the child and wake up only when the baby is hungry or needs some cleaning.
Tips for safe co-sleeping:
Though co-sleeping has some serious advantages, it can also be injurious for your child’s health. The results of a survey conducted by CPSC between the years 1990 and 1997 shows that around 515 babies died due to co-sleeping accidents. In many cases, the death occurred because one of caregivers, parents or siblings rolled on the baby unwittingly or injured the infant in sleep. To make co-sleeping safe you must not allow toddlers younger than 4 years on bed with the baby.
The baby should share the bed of the parents at night only after it is four months old. Parents should never cover the head of the baby or it may choke. Put the baby to sleep on its back and not on its sides. Also, be careful and make sure that the baby does not sleep on its belly.
Sharing responsibilities and the balancing act:
A new mom must share her responsibilities towards the baby and the other children with her spouse. As she has to be present to take care of the baby most of the times, the spouse can pick up the other kids from school or take them on a small trip. If the baby can drink from a bottle then the mom need not be the one who always feeds it. The dad and other family members can help in doing it. New moms should never say no to help for taking care of their babies.
If a friend, sister or in-law offers to baby-sit so that you can get some rest, don’t feel uneasy. Install a monitoring system in the nursery so that you can keep an eye on your baby while finishing the household chores or from the bedroom. Mothers have strong instincts for their babies. They know exactly when the kid needs milk or a change of diaper. Stressing too much can make you irritable and aggravate sleeping disorder. If possible, save some bucks for keeping a night nurse for the baby so that you can get some rest.
Summary:
Co-sleeping is a good way of taking care of the baby and sleeping at the same time. However, moms should be careful about the safety of their newborn.