Infants Belong in Cribs

[chipbennett]

Please, never sleep with an infant in the bed with you. It is just not worth it. My great niece, baby Alana, not yet 2 months old, was killed last night when her father rolled over on her in his sleep, suffocating her.

Police investigate overnight death of newborn baby - Cincinnati News, FOX19-WXIX TV

 

[eldirector]

Wow. So sad. My heart goes out to you, and to her family.

Cribs and bassinets. Lots of ways to keep them close, and still safe.

 

[cromus]

You hear the warnings quit often. They even ran some really hard hitting commercials for a while. You should never fall asleep with your baby in your arms or beside you in bed. It's too easy for bad things to happen.

Super simple, right? Not really. The baby is up all night crying and you're doing your best to get them to sleep. You're both tired, but you're doing your best to get the little one to fall asleep. Before you know it, you're asleep.

I don't have kids, but I can see how this can happen when exhaustion sets in. Hope this thread helps make people aware just how dangerous it can be. Let the little ones sleep in their crib.

 

[Dead Duck]

 

[HoughMade]

...Super simple, right? Not really. The baby is up all night crying and you're doing your best to get them to sleep. You're both tired, but you're doing your best to get the little one to fall asleep. Before you know it, you're asleep.

I don't have kids, but I can see how this can happen when exhaustion sets in. Hope this thread helps make people aware just how dangerous it can be. Let the little ones sleep in their crib.

I have 4 kids all of whom made it out of infancy. It's really quite simple.

 

[cromus]

I have 4 kids all of whom made it out of infancy. It's really quite simple.

That's reassuring! We're still working on the first one.

 

[HoughMade]

That's reassuring! We're still working on the first one.

Not always easy, but rewarding. Our oldest just turned 18.

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

a little girl in my neighborhood, same age as my daughter, was born a twin.
at (I think 8 or 9 months old) her mother rolled over on the other one during sleep and she died as a result.
nearly every time I see the girl I think of her deceased twin sister...so sad.

sorry for your loss, Chip, prayers for you and your family.

 

[Birds Away]

This is the nightmare of every parent. I can't begin to imagine the pain.

 

[Cameramonkey]

So sad. Sorry for your loss.

And yes, its not so simple. Most of these incidents involve outside factors such as alcohol, etc.

Surprisingly all over the world there are cultures that practice bed sharing, also called the family bed. Yet those cultures do not have the same number of tragedies like this.

 

[ws6guy]

That's terrible, thoughts and prayers to all.

My sister inlaw let her kids sleep in the bed. I thought it was an awful idea but she did it anyway, hell 2 of the kids where in the bed at the same time until the age 5.

Anyway I would never let my 2 kids sleep in the bed, even my first born. He didn't sleep through the night until 3 years old and getting him to sleep was at least a 2-3 hour process every night. It all started the 1st night we brought him home, he would scream his head off if we even got close to his bed. Strange thing is that he took great naps during the day in the same bed. I will admit though there were several nights were I slept in the recliner with him, I'd prop pillows under my arms to keep him steady. Not the best thing but it got to the point that we had to sleep one way or another and he was not going to be in my bed.

 

[steveh_131]

Surprisingly all over the world there are cultures that practice bed sharing, also called the family bed. Yet those cultures do not have the same number of tragedies like this.

Yes, Japan in particular. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with co-sleeping if the parents are healthy and living a healthy lifestyle. It has been practiced around the world since forever. Nearly half of the infants in America co-sleep for at least part of every night, and tragedies such as this are quite rare - but heart-breaking.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Yes, Japan in particular. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with co-sleeping if the parents are healthy and living a healthy lifestyle. It has been practiced around the world since forever. Nearly half of the infants in America co-sleep for at least part of every night, and tragedies such as this are quite rare - but heart-breaking.

I think it also has to do with what type of a sleeper you are and if you're accustomed to sleeping with things that can be crushed... IE, small dogs etc. Our 2 small dogs (7 lbs & 15 lbs, coincidentally the same size as an infant) have slept with us since they were puppies and yes, while they are more capable of getting out of the way if you do roll/move, it gets you accustomed to sleeping with something that you know can't be rolled on. Once your sub-conscience becomes aware of this fact it changes the way you sleep...

Our daughter didn't routinely sleep with us but there were nights where that was the only thing that would get her to sleep. We have a king size bed so my wife and I would both create a large space in the middle, put pillows on both sides of her (so we wouldn't roll into her and she wouldn't roll into us) and we would sleep. Never had a single incident...

 

[HoughMade]

I'm all for families determining what works for them. Just be aware of the risks. Like most things in life, if you just go doing things without thinking them through and without a plan, bad stuff happens.

I will say what worked for us- kids were always in a crib close to the bed. All were sleeping through the night (sometimes a short night, but at least 11p to 5a or so) at 2 months. Our tact was to let them cry. When they were far enough between feedings, when we put them down clean and fed and they cried. They cried. In the middle of the night if they woke up and it wasn't feeding time, they didn't get fed. If they were dirty, changed and back to bed. If they cried, they cried. Like I said- 2 months with all 4, and with all 4 being very different personalities from birth.

That worked for us. Do what works for you as long as its safe.

 

[steveh_131]

I'm all for families determining what works for them. Just be aware of the risks. Like most things in life, if you just go doing things without thinking them through and without a plan, bad stuff happens.

Definitely. Read, learn and think. We opted not to co-sleep for various reasons including my wife's chronic issues with fatigue and heavy sleeping. Every family is different.

 

[Leo]

Wow. So sad. My heart goes out to you, and to her family.

Cribs and bassinets. Lots of ways to keep them close, and still safe.

Same thoughts here. What a tragedy.