Why bedshare?
Babies are recommended to sleep in the same room as an adult for a minimum of six months, ideally a year, to reduce risk of Sudden Infant Death.
The presence of a breathing adult stimulates babies to breathe and promotes responsive night time parenting.
Bedsharing gives baby unlimited access to the breast which is so important for establishing and maintaining breastfeeding. Frequent waking to feed is a GOOD thing - it prevents longer sleep cycles associated with SIDS.
Dr James McKenna talks about "breastsleeping" whereby the mother and infant are perfectly in tune throughout the night and mothers have been shown to get higher quality sleep in those intervals between feedings.
It's perfectly normal and practised around the world.
Safety guidance is that the parents are sober, mum sleeps next to baby on a flat surface, no pillows or duvets and mum is breastfeeding.
Do you sleep with your babies?
