# co-sleeping on mother's chest?



## Mounikhia (Oct 25, 2006)

Since the first night after she was born, our ten day old daughter has spent a significant part of every night sleeping on my chest. I often fall asleep as well at these times. (The rest of the time she sleeps in a basket near our bed.)

I can't find anything in the books about this so what I'm wondering is: is it safe? have any of you done this?


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## Shelsi (Apr 4, 2005)

I have no idea about the safety but I can almost guarantee that you won't be able to do it for too much longer...at least for long periods of time. My ds slept that way for the first 4 weeks....dh and I would trade him back and forth. Usually after just a few hours of him on my chest I would wake to feel like I'd been sleeping with an elephant sitting on me, not a tiny 8 lb baby!







Dh was the same way, it really hurt after a bit!

I'm sure the biggest safety issue is the baby falling off of you. We always just made sure the person who had the baby slept in the middle of the bed so if baby did fall somehow then he wouldn't go far.


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## tuscany123 (Feb 15, 2004)

I have no idea about the safety either, but I had to respond. Your post brought back memories of DDs early weeks, I learned to sleep sitting up in bed leaning against the headboard







: so I could keep her propped on my chest. Or she lay down in my arms after I nursed her. After a while I bought a U'shaped pillow to prop up against, and then propped regular pillows under my arms so that I could better support her (DH helped me get that all set up). I would sleep all night like that sometimes. Amazing - it all seems so long ago - DD is 3 now. She never "fell" off, my arms were cradled around her the whole time. Enjoy your little one Momma!


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## Dael (Jan 1, 2007)

Not on my chest, in DH's chest, DD still falls alseep in DH's chest


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## WhaleinGaloshes (Oct 9, 2006)

I started sleeping with my baby on my chest when she was around 4 or 5 weeks, and I honestly wish I had been less nervous about it and started sooner, it would have saved me grief in the early days. I didn't do it full time, either, for me it was for some naps and in the early morning hours to help her stay sleeping a little longer.

I think you really have to let your instincts be your guide on this one. If you are circumspect about it and still feel comfortable and know that you would wake up if she shifted dangerously, I think you can safely assume that you're right.

I actually napped with her on my flat on my chest (typically 3 to 4 hours at a clip) until she was 10 months and around 20 pounds, so my experience differs from Shelsi's







That cuddling is a fond memory for me and a feeling I'll never forget. Enjoy your baby


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## Mamato2and2 (Apr 7, 2006)

My almost 3 month old sleeps like this often. It's not every night but at least a few nights a week we both fall asleep with him like this. For us it doesn't seem like it is dangerous. I can feel any little movement he makes so I don't really worry about him falling off. I say do it if you both are enjoying it because they grow so fast and I would never be able to sleep like that with my 7 or 13 year olds!! Enjoy it while you can!! It's soooo sweet.


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## MiriamF (Feb 8, 2006)

WHenmydaughter was born I could never put her down without her waking up. SO yes, we spent many nights in the beginning with me lying flat on my back and her sleeping soundly on my chest. I put a pillow on my sides to support my arms so that she wouldn't roll off me, but I never really worried. The bed is soft, and on the ground. We both slept very well that way, I wish we could still do it!

I wouldn't worry about it.


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## jaidymama (Jun 18, 2005)

First, yeah, there may not be specifics about the safety of what you're doing... however there are risks you take with lots of things right? I mean, yes, there could be a risk of you forgetting that you're holding your baby (while sleeping) and roll over her or the like or she could roll off into some squishy pillows and not be able to get herself up.

That aside, if you're being completely honest with yourself do you think it's safe to do? Either way, it's ultimately up to you how and where your child sleeps.

If you know that you're a light sleeper who responds quickly when you hear your baby fuss or move, then that's different who could sleep through a freight train driving through their bedroom.

ANyways, I think sometimes it's easy to assess the safety on something based on what other people have done. But ultimately that doesn't make it more or less safe for you guys.

Ultimately if you were to ask the authors of either the "back to sleep" campaign or the co-sleeping supporters, each would stick to their strict recommendations... in this instance if you are using lots of pillows and blankets to support you etc. that would be seen as unsafe to some... and comfortable to others.

Please know that I am not judging your choices, just putting out some information for your consideration.


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## 555Baby (Mar 30, 2005)

I always felt it was safe to do with dd as long as, like the pps suggested, I gave some thought to what would happen to her if one of us shifted & she rolled off. So, being in the center of a bed with no major suffocation hazards in it seems safe to me--or a mattress on the floor, even better.

The main thing I would say is that you really should NOT do this on a couch! One of the things that gives co-sleeping a bad name safety-wise is couch co-sleeping. There have been quite a number of infant deaths caused by this--it's just too easy on a sofa for the baby to end up in an unsafe position. I know it's easy in those early weeks to just sack out wherever you are because you're so tired, but choosing a safe place to sleep is important.


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## Becken (May 28, 2006)

Oh yeah, totally did this. It was the only way we got any sleep at first! Now she's too heavy (and long!) for me to be comfortable with her length-wise on my chest. So lately I've had her in a kind of half-reclined position across me (and nursing on the opposite breast). If she does go to her co-sleeper (lately, no luck!), she's on her tummy.









The "back to sleep" people would have a fit about all of this, I'm sure!







:


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## Valian (Oct 16, 2005)

We did this too, actually the nurses in the hospital taught us how (we were doing skin to skin/Kangaroo care for our preemie).

We just made sure Ds was centered on our chests, with blankets over his back for warmth, and that my (or Dh's) body was reclined enough Ds wouldn't slide down. Then we propped pillows under our arms so that when we fell asleep we'd maintain our position. Worked great, have many fond memories, we loved it!


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## OGirlieMama (Aug 6, 2006)

Just make sure you are not at the edge of the bed, and put pillows under your arms to prop them up a touch. Somehow one of my girls managed to slither off my chest while I was sleeping when she was still a tiny preterm preemie just home from the NICU!


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## paint-the-moon (Jul 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *easy_goer* 
I actually napped with her on my flat on my chest (typically 3 to 4 hours at a clip) until she was 10 months and around 20 pounds, so my experience differs from Shelsi's







That cuddling is a fond memory for me and a feeling I'll never forget. Enjoy your baby

















:

Except I'm still napping with my almost 13 month old like that for naps!







But I do love remembering those days and nights of constantly having my baby attached to me!!









The first 3 MONTHS my baby girl slept on my chest for every minute of sleep she took in. I never moved in my sleep ... and I mean NEVER. So, I felt really safe doing it. I slept in a semi-reclining position every night and would position a U shaped pillow under my arms so that they were propped up to encircle her safely at night. And she never moved while sleeping either (Gosh, don't I wish that were the case now! She is a thrasher at night now!). We eventually transitioned to her sleeping beside me at around 3.5 months ... she'd still fall asleep nursing, sleep on my chest for a little while, then I'd slowly roll her onto her back beside me.

You can see from this picture that she's a tad bit too big to be sleeping on me all night now!


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## earthmamma (Dec 27, 2005)

Oh yes, we did this in the beginning! Indi never fell off and I don't think I even moved. She still likes to lay on me sometimes at night especially when she doesn't feel too well with teething and whatnot. I would say enjoy it, its a very sweet, intimate, bonding experience and you dc will be too big for it in no time!


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## the2amigos (Apr 27, 2005)

DS slept on my chest for about 6-7 weeks, then he was just getting too heavy for me and side-lying worked for us then. I too slept propped up with pillows under my arms. We never moved!


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## amhancock (Dec 11, 2006)

I had my first baby in June. From day one she slept in my arms in the hospital. When we got home, she refused to sleep in the cosleeper next to me, she would ONLY sleep well positioned on my chest, usually on her back or side. I worried for weeks on end that she would fall off or otherwise. However, what I found was that I was KEENLY AWARE of her at all times, even in sleep. In fact, DH videotaped us sleeping (a bit weird, I admit) and it shows her rustling and I instantly feel her and wake a bit to check on her and then we both fall back asleep. When she was tiny, I'd use a boppy as a "U" around her to keep her protected.

This won't go on forever, believe me. Your baby will just get too big to be comfy on you. By the 2nd month, she had transitioned to her cosleeper and then decided sleeping next to me in the bed was even better. It's a time I will cherish forever, even though there were nights I know I didn't sleep well, but that doesn't matter now. I'd do it again in a heartbeat with another baby!


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## papa de angel (Sep 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dael* 
Not on my chest, in DH's chest, DD still falls alseep in DH's chest

Oh, that brought back such sweet memories. DD and I bonded in that way when she was barely 36 hours old, her head on my shoulder and feet not quite reaching my belly button. They reach my knees now!

She, now 20 months, regularly falls asleep on/over/across her mummy, sometimes with her feet in my mouth. lol.


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## TypingMJ (Nov 10, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *easy_goer* 
I think you really have to let your instincts be your guide on this one. If you are circumspect about it and still feel comfortable and know that you would wake up if she shifted dangerously, I think you can safely assume that you're right.









:

My son slept on my chest for at least a few hours almost every night during his first 2 months. It was heavenly







: and I miss it. Now he prefers to sleep in his cosleeper, and I miss those sweet early weeks. Enjoy it while you can do it!


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## jaidymama (Jun 18, 2005)

Valian--are there any specific references for what/how you were taught to do the cosleeping in terms of Kangaroo care? Did they talk about how long you could do that? Like age/weight?

I agree with others about staying off the couch.


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## Valian (Oct 16, 2005)

We were told Kangaroo care is especially important until the baby reaches their EDD and its great to continue even longer.

Skin to skin contact will continue to help regulate babies breathing and body temp for a long time (I'm not sure those benefits ever really end) but I'm not sure about the blood sugar regulation help.

Couches are a no-no as you said, but both Dh and I were encouraged to do it so it doesn't just have to be Mom. A semi-reclined position so the baby doesn't slide, layers of blankets for baby and the adult, and pillows under the arms for support during sleep were the biggest parts.

If I had known about wraps* at the time I would have used one of those to help hold the naked baby in place for an extra sense of security while I slept.

*I mean like Moby wraps or the DIY kind described at www.wearyourbaby.com


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