Co-Sleeping: Should a Baby Sleep in the Same Bed as Their Parents?

In life there isn’t just one ideal way of doing things. Everyone has different personalities, interests, and lifestyles. So, a specific answer doesn’t fit everybody. The same happens with motherhood and topics such as co-sleeping with a baby.

To begin with, the situations of each family are totally different. So, leaving aside the ones that only have the option to share their room with their babies… what’s really the best option, should a baby sleep with their parents?

A Newborn 

When we have a newborn, the best option for everyone is definitely that the baby sleeps with their parents. Not only will it make you feel more relaxed having your baby next to you, but it can help you with the breastfeeding process.

For security reasons, it’s ideal to avoid putting the baby in the same bed. Unless we have special accessories such as a docking station. There are amazing options that allow you to be near your baby but with safety precautions, like small cribs that you can put next to your bed.

A newborn needs you almost 24 hours.  Let’s be honest even when they are asleep you want to be able to see them. But what happens when your baby starts growing and being more conscious about their environment?

Nothing Is Black or White

 The truth is that this is a very hot topic. People in favor of co-sleeping consider that it is important to respect the development of their kids, believing that eventually, their kid will need their independence will decide to move to their own room by themselves. There are studies that link that babies that sleep with their parents develop into adults with better self-esteem, self-control, self-confidence, better connection with their parents, and more stress tolerance. 

On the other hand, more traditional parents opt for putting their babies to sleep in their own rooms at an early age in order to avoid codependency and believing that delaying this process will only make the transition more complicated, among other reasons. There’s also the thought that co-sleeping with a baby could represent a loss of intimacy.

More of an In-Between

My baby slept in our room but in her own tiny crib next to my bed because this gave me peace. I was sure that she was close to me but in her own safe space. 

We kept this routine until I felt that this crib was too small for her. At that moment we begin the transition to her room. This is what we decided to do together and what gave us peace of mind, and it was cohesive with our lifestyle.

For this reason, I invite you to inform yourself and make informed decisions, rather than by repetition or comfort. Let us always think about what is best for our children and trust our maternal instincts that never fail.