Where Should Baby Sleep?

Wherever you want baby to sleep. Well, that was easy. Next topic please!
OK, so maybe it's not quite that simple.

We co-sleep, yes, we're those kind of people, and we love it! We didn't plan on co-sleeping, it's one of those things that before we had our baby we thought we'd never do (and to be honest, I kind of thought those crunchy, co-sleeping parents were a little nuts), but then she was born. We had her bassinet set up beside the bed all ready for her. I had tested it out and knew that I could easily get her in the middle of the night or reach my hand in to comfort her. I put her in in our first night home from the hospital and got ready to go to sleep, and it just felt wrong. I had this overwhelming feeling that she needed to be right beside me (some of this can probably be blamed on those lovely hormones). So then my partner simply said "bring her into bed with us then" (isn't he just lovely??!!). Through my tears and sobs I looked at him and said "I can do that?!" It was like a light went off. It's what we needed, so why not do it? Sleeping with my baby felt so right and natural, like that's how it was meant to be. We still co-sleep, and I am so happy that we do. We do have her bed pushed right up against ours in a side-car way so she has her own space to stretch out and I have mine but she's still right beside me and we can cuddle all night (although I will confess, she really only sleeps in her bed for the first half of the night, the other half she's with me).

Co-sleeping not for you? No problem, no need to do something that  you're not comfortable with. If you or your partner is a restless sleeper then co-sleeping probably isn't the right choice for you. Most professionals agree that having baby sleep in your room for at least the first 6 months is best for baby, for a whole list of reasons such as lowering the risk of SIDS and to make it easier for night time feedings - the quicker you can respond to baby the less likely they or you are to actually wake up. And I will strongly advocate for this. Having baby in your room for the first (at least) 6 months is so very important for attachment and health.

What you do after those 6 months is up to you. Perhaps you want baby to sleep in their own room or maybe you'd rather keep them close a little while longer and slowly move them out. Make the choice based on what will work best for your family. If it takes a longer transition time from your room to baby's own room than your friends, don't worry about it. Everyone is different and every family is different. People will tell you EXACTLY how to get baby sleeping in their own room, including using the dreaded cry it out method. Take this advice with a grain of salt. Perhaps this method worked for their family but that doesn't necessarily mean that it will work for yours.

Normally, I try to be open minded and not biased, but I must make a comment about the "cry it out" method (remember, this is mostly my opinion, and it's up to you what you do with it). I am not a fan of this method at all, not in the slightest. When babies cry it is because they need something, not because they are trying to manipulate you, they are simply incapable of that in infancy. The needs of babies are simple: to be loved, cared for and nurtured. If they cry it is because a need is not being met. Imagine the world through the eyes of an infant: loud, big, scary..but at least you have your momma! Well, that is until it gets dark outside (and scarier), then you're on your own. What this method is really teaching children is that they cannot trust in anyone to help them and that the care and the love that you give them in unpredictable and unreliable. What a terrible message to teach our children. I personally prefer to teach my child that she can trust me and that I will be there for her when she needs me. If she needs a hug to fall asleep, then she can have a hug.

Remember that parenting doesn't stop just because you're sleeping. You are a parent 24 hours a day, and baby needs to feel comfortable and safe during the night just as they do during the day. Find a way that creates this atmosphere while sleeping and go with it.
Happy sleeping!!