Safe Cosleeping

Cosleeping is not a new concept, contrary to what most would think. In fact, in the Philippines, it is the norm here, where newborns sleep on the same bed or in the same room as their parents. Yes, sleeping in the same room counts as cosleeping. In western countries, I believe this was introduced only when Dr. Sears started the trend of attatchment parenting, and is only now gaining momentum.

In western countries, babies sleep in the nursery. They have their own rooms which is a luxury most Pinoys can’t afford, hence the cosleeping. Babies are monitored through a device called baby monitor, much like a walkie talkie with the PTT (Press To Talk) always on. When the baby makes a sound, cries, the baby monitor nearby picks this up and then transmits it to the other baby monitor in the parents room.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, Pinoys have been cosleeping with their newborns ever since. But that doesn’t mean that we’ve mastered the art of cosleeping. There is no abscence of reports involving sleeping babies. Some can be as tragic as the mom itself suffocating the baby to death. 

Here are some tips on how to keep cosleeping safe.

1. Use a cosleeper like this one
which is impractical by the way as baby will outgrow it very quickly. A simple crib with a bassinet will do.

2. If you really want baby to sleep on the same bed with you, a cosleeper like this

is the best option. Otherwise, wise bolster pillows that aren’t too big, define his place.

3. Keep big, fluffy pillows away from baby, as this might accidentally fall on baby and suffocate him.

4. If your bed is placed up against the wall, baby’s safest place would be next to it, effectively reducing a chance of a parent suffocating the newborn.

5. Most importantly, cosleeping, especially with baby in the same bed as yours is not for deep-sleepers or drunkards.

I know my parents coslept with me and my siblings, and I did too with my children, even before I heard of this parenting trend. But honestly, I can’t imagine an arrangement any other way.

Cosleeping they say has very beneficial results over time. Proponents believe that a child whose needs are immediately attended to grows up more emotionally mature than those who are left to sleep alone. I don’t know if this is true. Cosleeping in the Philippines has primarily been for economic purposes only and nothing more.