Safe co-sleeping: recommendations and everything you need to know

Is it advisable to sleep with your newborn? This is a common question that we are going to answer today in this post by Happymami “Safe co-sleeping, everything you need to know”.

Sleeping with your baby

If your intention is to co-sleep with your baby, you should know the recommendations the Ministry of Health gives in its Guide to breastfeeding for safe co-sleeping.

Guidelines for safe co-sleeping

• Your baby should be healthy and born at term.
• Your baby should be breastfed on demand, both day and night.
• Neither the mum nor the dad who is going to share a bed with the baby should smoke (even if they do not smoke in the baby’s presence).
• None of the adults who are going to share a bed with the baby should have drunk alcohol or taken drugs or medication that can cause deeper sleep than usual.
• Your baby should always be laid down on their back. Never on their tummy or on their side.
• You should not wrap your baby up too much or put too many clothes on them for sleeping.
• The room temperature should not exceed 20 °C.
• Do not cover your baby’s head.
• Your baby should sleep on firm, clean and safe surfaces.
• Avoid extra duvets and cushions that could accidentally cover your baby’s head.
• Make sure your baby cannot fall out of bed or get trapped between the bed and the wall or the headboard.
• Clear the bed of cords, toys, etc.
• Do not let any pet share the bed with your baby.
• Also, make sure your partner knows that the baby is in the bed if you do not go to bed at the same time.
• Also, bear in mind that if another older child sleeps in the bed, the adult should always be the one to lie between the baby and the older child.

These are the recommendations that the Ministry gives us for safe co-sleeping, but it also sets out some situations in which it advises against co-sleeping:

Situations in which co-sleeping with a newborn is not advised

It is not advisable to sleep with your baby in the same bed if any of the following conditions applies:

• One of the adults who is going to share a bed with the baby is too tired and feels it would be difficult for them to wake up if the baby needs them.
• One of the adults has an illness that reduces their response level, such as diabetes, unstable epilepsy or morbid obesity.
• The baby is premature or of low birth weight.
• The baby has a fever

In addition, the Ministry of Health, in its breastfeeding guide, strongly advises against sleeping with a baby on a sofa or a reclining chair.

Conclusion on safe co-sleeping. Everything you need to know

We always remind you that every baby is unique, and whether or not to sleep with your baby will be your decision. But always keep these recommendations very much in mind. What is more, at Happymami you have our team of midwives, who will be delighted to help you if you have any questions.

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