Breastfeeding and Bedsharing Offer Babies Many Protective Benefits

In light of the recent controversial Milwaukee anti-co-sleeping ad campaign that warns of the “dangers” of sleeping with your infant, and depicts infants snuggled up to butcher knives, I want to offer some insight from a breastfeeding perspective. Physicians, grandmothers, pediatric organizations and many other naysayers often try to sway new mothers from committing what is considered to be a cardinal offense in the parenting world: sleeping with your baby. This “dirty little secret” is something that nearly every parent does at some point, but one that nobody wants to talk about.

Mothers have been sleeping with their babies since the beginning of time. It is a survival instinct to want to be close to your child at night, and sleeping together used to be the most common-sense way to protect your baby from the cold, as well as any predators that might bring danger. Now that we have plush cribs, blanket onesies and central heat, these primal reasons seem a little outdated and silly. There is still something to be said for keeping your baby close at night for security reasons, however; recent news stories of babies getting kidnapped from their cribs in the middle of the night are a frightening reality.

The major concern with bedsharing (which I want to clarify is different from room sharing, a practice that falls under the co-sleeping umbrella and simply means sleeping in the same room on a separate surface) is suffocation and the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). There have been stories in the news that blame bedsharing for infant deaths, but what external factors were present in these cases? Often details are not given, and it is never really clear whether the deaths occurred in truly safe bedsharing environments.

Underlying infant medical history, parental smoking, formula feeding, prone position, drug (prescription or street) or alcohol intoxication, as well as using blankets, pillows or a dangerous sleep surface (anything other than a firm adult mattress) and sleeping next to anyone other than mom all increase the risk of infant mortality. 

On the other hand, breastfed babies who sleep next to their mother under safe conditions are actually much less likely to die of SIDS, and there are numerous well-documented studies that show this. In fact, nearly 100 percent of mothers in Asian cultures bedshare, a group which has one of the lowest risks of SIDS across the world. Breastfeeding mothers enjoy a heightened sense of their babies' presence, which means they exhibit different sleeping patterns that are inherently protective. Bedsharing babies get accustomed to being on the same sleep wavelength physiologically as their mothers, and this altered state of arousal prevents them from falling into a deep sleep, which has been implicated as a possible risk factor for SIDS. Heart rhythms, breathing patterns and temperature are stabilized by being close to mom, and easier, frequent breastfeeding--which has numerous long-term health benefits--often occurs at night.

This practice goes far beyond simply being a risk reducer for infant death. Mothers and babies are often happier when they are sleeping together. Bedsharing results in less stress for the mother, less crying for the baby, and is conducive to longer, more successful breastfeeding relationships. Mothers who sleep with their babies form a telltale "protective cocoon" around their infants. Arm curled above their head, knees drawn up--this position in instinctual, and it is impossible to roll over on top of your child this way. It is important to note that while it is safer for breastfed babies to sleep next to their mothers, the same is not the case for formula-fed babies, as these mothers do not exhibit the same sleep behaviors and instinctual patterns that are so protective.

With all of this talk about the risks of bedsharing, let's not forget that babies die in cribs, too--more often, in fact, than in adult beds if you sift through actual government statistics. Millions and millions of cribs have been recalled recently because of infant death and injury, yet nobody says not to put your baby in a crib. Crib bumper pads have been implicated in numerous infant deaths over the years, yet stores still continue to sell them in a variety of cute patterns, and new moms still continue to use them. Where is the controversial ad for that?

I have slept with all three of my breastfed babies safely. Nuzzled in the crook of my arm is their favorite place in the world, and there is nothing that can compare to waking up and seeing your baby gaze up at you, cozy, warm and secure in the safety of your arms. Scare tactics based on inaccurate information are not helpful to anyone. Instead, why not talk about how to put infants to sleep safely, whether they be in an adult bed or a crib?