The co-sleeeping ad CNN has been talking about ? Have you seen those pictures, Gosh !! So disturbing. Its not so much the Butchers Knife next to the baby that upset me as much as the judgmental tone in concept. So does it mean, all parents choosing to co-sleep are knowingly putting their babies in danger ? What does that make them? Not very nice parents right? How unfair is that, to parents who make a choice which to them, feels most natural. I am no authority to comment on the science of it, but I do know, that ignoring an age old practice that has worked for generations across the rest of the world and projecting it as a dangerous one because of an average of 10 baby deaths a year, here in the US, isn't right. It could have been many different reasons that caused those unfortunate deaths. Beds too soft for baby's safety, insecure sleeping positions the babies were left in, parents under influence, etc. To summarize them under a single umbrella called 'Co-sleeping' seems like a gross misrepresentation to me.
As a strong advocate of co-sleeping, (read my short story - Friends, in Arms) I'd like to share the factors that me feel very comfortable with my choice:
1. Assess yourself if you are a light sleeper or not. That, for me was my most comforting factor. I am a light sleeper. The slightest unusual sound or light can make me wide awake. It doesn't contribute to a sound sleep with a baby on your arm, but its the best monitoring mechanism, I would say.
2. An extra firm bed - This would make the baby less liable to roll over and suffocate. It was the most comfortable one for me and getting out of bed was easy too.
3. Make the baby sleep on back, facing up. Place a thin pillow under their heads to rest neck and shoulders and two small bolsters on either side so they feel warm and secure. Round boulders roll over the bed every time they are moved which grabs attention instead of a flat pillow that stays put.
4. My babies always slept on my arm - This worked for me, as I'm a side-sleeper. In this position, you can't really roll over the baby because if you rolled over, you'd be sleeping with one arm on the bed, the baby on your arm and you over the baby - doesn't seem like a position you could stay asleep in. IF this seems like a comfortable sleeping position to you, then by all means, you should NOT consider co-sleeping.
If you want to read more about the scientific explanation, do look up Dr. Sears' advice on co-sleeping. Reading Sears always makes me feel reassured.
Here's someone else who got offended by the Ad http://www.momfinds.com/2011/who-else-is-offended-by-milwaukees-co-sleeping-ad/
Happy Co-Sleeping!
As a strong advocate of co-sleeping, (read my short story - Friends, in Arms) I'd like to share the factors that me feel very comfortable with my choice:
1. Assess yourself if you are a light sleeper or not. That, for me was my most comforting factor. I am a light sleeper. The slightest unusual sound or light can make me wide awake. It doesn't contribute to a sound sleep with a baby on your arm, but its the best monitoring mechanism, I would say.
2. An extra firm bed - This would make the baby less liable to roll over and suffocate. It was the most comfortable one for me and getting out of bed was easy too.
3. Make the baby sleep on back, facing up. Place a thin pillow under their heads to rest neck and shoulders and two small bolsters on either side so they feel warm and secure. Round boulders roll over the bed every time they are moved which grabs attention instead of a flat pillow that stays put.
4. My babies always slept on my arm - This worked for me, as I'm a side-sleeper. In this position, you can't really roll over the baby because if you rolled over, you'd be sleeping with one arm on the bed, the baby on your arm and you over the baby - doesn't seem like a position you could stay asleep in. IF this seems like a comfortable sleeping position to you, then by all means, you should NOT consider co-sleeping.
If you want to read more about the scientific explanation, do look up Dr. Sears' advice on co-sleeping. Reading Sears always makes me feel reassured.
Here's someone else who got offended by the Ad http://www.momfinds.com/2011/who-else-is-offended-by-milwaukees-co-sleeping-ad/
Happy Co-Sleeping!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Suggestions are welcome. Advice is appreciated. Rudeness and Sarcasm is tolerated. Spam gets deleted.