During pregnancy, breasts are ordinarily prepared for lactation because of the influence of hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin. However, without pregnancy, you can start secreting prolactin simply through nipple stimulation. The basic principle in breastfeeding is supply-and-demand. That means that the more there is suckling on the breast (or stimulation with a breast pump), the more prolactin increases, the more oxytocin is released to signal the brain, and the more breast milk you will produce!

image from Cheyenne Regional Medical Center

Nipple stimulation: You may be able to induce lactation by using a breast pump every 2-3 hours, either before the baby comes or after. Some also use a device such as the Medela Supplemental Nursing System or the Lact-Aid Nurser Training System. These both enable you to feed your baby while he is at your breast. This way, your baby gets enough milk while stimulating your body to produce your own milk. The key to all this is that the more stimulation your breasts receive, either by pump or baby, the more likely milk will be produced.

Hormone Therapy: Sometimes doctors prescribe supplemental estrogen or progesterone to mimic the effects of pregnancy. In some cases, other medications may be prescribed, such as Domperidone, although no drugs have been specifically approved to induce lactation, and potential side effects may be a concern. (Jay L. Hoecker, M.D., Mayo Clinic)  There’s even an approach called the Newman-Goldfarb Protocols, which uses birth control pills to simulate pregnancy in the body, followed by other deliberate steps to trigger lactation. Typically, hormone therapy is discontinued shortly before breast-feeding begins.

Herbs and Nutrition: There are several natural herbs that can help with milk production. According to Dr. Jack Newman, a pediatrician that specializes in breastfeeding issues, herbs can be taken without any harm to mother or baby when used as directed on his website. Increased food and water intake, proper rest, and avoiding sress can also help increase your milk supply, according to experienced mothers.

Breast Changes: Milk production typically begins between one to four weeks after initiating mechanical stimulation. At first, there may be only drops. During this time, you may notice changes in the color of the nipples and areolar tissue. Breasts may become tender and fuller. Some women report increased thirst and changes in their menstrual cycles or libidos.

If you want to induce lactation, you can get help and support from lactation consultants, such as at your local La Leche League. They’ll be able to provide information on the subject, connect you with other women who have induced lactation, and provide equipment (feeding tube devices, electric breast pumps) to help you get started.

Mothers who induce lactation vary widely in the amount of milk they are able to produce and in the amount of time required to produce milk. All agree that inducing lactation is a process that takes patience, commitment, diligence and education. A reasonable goal might be to try to provide some, or maybe most, of your new baby’s nutrition yourself, while fully enjoying the closeness and bonding that breastfeeding brings. This nurturing is by far more important than the actual volume of milk produced.

Sources:

AssociatedContent: How to Induce Lactation – the Well May Not Be Dry!

La Leche League: Can I Breastfeed My Adopted Baby?

Mayo Clinic: Induced lactation: Can I breast-feed my adopted baby?

Baby Zone: Induced Lactation

Dr. George Steinhardt, a urologist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, says the biggest reasons American parents choose to circumcise their boys are still religious and cultural. “I think it’s done primarily for cultural reasons,” he explains.

photo by Proud to Introduce

The Medical Perspective
Medical professionals today debate whether or not the procedure is medically necessary. Dr. Mark Reiss, a retired physician and executive vice president of the nonprofit organization, Doctors Opposing Circumcision, believes that there is no medical reason to circumcise.  “The penis is meant to be covered by the foreskin. The normal state is intact. The U.S. is the only country in the world that performs routine circumcisions.”

Yet, other experts point that there are valid reasons to consider the procedure. Among them are the following:

Infections: Dr. Anthony Chin, a Los Angeles-based obstetrician, points out that circumcision does make it easier to keep the penis clean, and decreases the chances of infection.  “Let’s face it, boys aren’t the cleanest of genders,” he points out!  Today, however, we have antibiotics to treat infections, making them less dangerous than they were in the past. “Before antibiotics, people got really sick, but now in the post antibiotic era, circumcisions are not ‘medically’ necessary anymore.”

Kindney Problems: “We see a lot of babies with kidney problems,” notes Steinhardt. “For those boys, I would recommend that a circumcision be done. It protects against the possibility of an infection.”  In particular, when his patients are diagnosed with fetal hydronephrosis, or dilated kidneys (which is more common in boys than girls) he almost always believes that circumcision is necessary to alleviate the risk of infection and other complications.

Sexually Transmitted Disease: Steinhardt believes that circumcision may have other serious benefits. “There’s valid scientific evidence that HIV is more likely in a man with foreskin than in a man without foreskin.” Steinhardt also says that you rarely see cancer of the penis in a man who has been circumcised.  However, other experts say there is not evidence that circumcision prevents any STD’s or cancers.

Appearance
Chin notes that circumcisions are basically for cosmetic purposes now, saying that sometimes an uncircumcised child decides to have the procedure done later in life.  In the US, women seem to prefer a circumcized penis, and there are plenty of teenagers who get  circumcised for cosmetic reasons.

Ease
A 5-minute procedure as an infant is easier than the same procedure on an adolescent or adult.  Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP, a practicing nurse who teaches at Stanford University, says if you opt to circumcise, do it soon after birth. “The key with circumcision,” she says, “is that if you decide to do it, don’t wait too long. Even when they’re 3, that’s probably too late, since the experience will be too traumatic for them.”

Pain Control
Those who oppose circumcision often call it as a barbaric procedure that leaves infants in terrible pain.  The issue of pain and cruelty is often one of parents’ biggest concerns. Will he feel the incision? Will there be a long, difficult recovery? Will there be complications?

The claim that circumcision causes tremendous pain is simply not true, says Steinhardt. “In general, it’s a pretty harmless procedure. It’s well tolerated, it’s done with great care, and complications are rare and few and far between.”  Plus, with proper pain control, many babies just sleep right through the procedure. “You can have confidence that it can be done safely.” If you are concerned, have a conversation with whoever will be doing the procedure, whether the pediatrician, OB/GYN, or mohel, about what measures can be taken for pain control. A local anesthetic can be used to ensure a painless circumcision.

For more info:

TheCradle: Circumcision: What you need to know

Dr. Sears: Frequently Asked Questions about Circumcision

Paint: Paint the nursery walls with environmentally friendly paint that doesn’t release poisonous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Ingredients such as turpentine, formaldehyde, any animal products should also be avoided. Look for VOC-free paint made from all-natural ingredients such as mineral pigments, beeswax, plant oils, crushed limestone, soy resins and buttermilk.

Also, paint the nursery in far in advance and keep windows open to air out the fumes!

Flooring: Carpeting can trap mold, dust mites, and other allergens. Instead, choose wood flooring made from wood from sustainably managed forests such as bamboo or lyptus. Finish them with a nontoxic or natural sealant.

Linoleum, made of all-natural materials (sawdust, linseed oils, pigments and a jute backing) is soft underfoot, and easy to clean. Consider cork, too. It’s a natural insulator of both heat and sound, and soft enough to cushion those inevitable tumbles.

Rugs: To cozy up the room, select nontoxic carpets and area rugs made from natural, untreated fibers such as wool, organic cotton, hemp and jute. Synthetic carpeting can harbor over 100 toxic and carcinogenic chemicals.

Tranquil Nursery Collection by CoCaLo via Babble

Furnishing: Look for furnishing with a water-based aluminum oxide with no volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions. Avoid furniture made with plywood, particle board, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) because they often contain formaldehyde in their glues. Used furniture that’s already a few years old is also a good choice, as it is likely to have released all the harmful chemical fumes by now. (Recycling furniture is also a more affordable options compared with buying new, solid wood furniture!)

Mattress: Pick a baby mattress made with wool casings or organic cotton filling. Regular mattresses that are treated with fire retardants, stain- and moisture-resistant formulas contain harmful and potentially cancer-causing chemicals. You can also find pillows stuffed with natural stuffing such as kapok, buckwheat hulls, untreated wool, organic cotton or synthetic-free latex.

If you do purchase a regular mattress, air it out for a couple of moths before use. you can also cover it with an organic mattress pad protector.

Bedding: Look for organic all-cotton bedding for the crib. Conventional cotton is one of the most heavily pesticide-sprayed crops, and the chemicals could irritate your baby’s sensitive skin. Permanent-press sheets are treated with formaldehyde, a known carcinogenic.

Window Treatments: Organic cotton curtains are a safe and pretty option. Mini blinds, made of PVC, have been shown to give off gas when heated by the sun.

Toys: Safe toys are especially important because most of your baby’s playthings will end up in her mouth! Choose toys made with wood or natural fibers, and decorated with nontoxic paints.  Steer clear of plastic toys made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride).  This material releases toxins into the environment throughout its lifecycle.

Cloth Diapers: Although they require more of a time investment than disposable diapers, cloth diapers pollute less. Because they are chemical-free they may also be less irritating on your baby’s skin.

Fresh Air: You may decide to invest in an air purifier to clear the room of chemicals, gases, and household allergens.  Open the windows daily to bring in fresh air and circulate out stale air.

Recycle: Ask friends and relatives for their old baby gear, shop at secondhand stores, and check out recycling/sharing websites (such as Zwaggle, where you can find used stuff and give away your own used gear — no money required!)

For more info, visit:

BabyZone: Eco Friendly Nursery Basics

eHow: How to Create an Eco-Friendly Baby Nursery

TheBump: Creating an Eco-Friendly Nursery

TheCradle: The Eco Friendly Nursery

1. Extreme Fatigue

Every pregnant woman feels more tired than usual. But twin moms reported extreem fatigue, often taking 3-hour naps during the day, falling asleep on the job or before dinner!

2. A big fat positive on the pregnancy test

Most of  Raising-Twins.com’s twin moms took a home pregnancy test and were answered with a big fat positive almost immediately. While normally there tends to be a very faint line for positive, especially in early pregnancy, when you are pregnant with twins, the hormone hCG  (human chorionic gonadtropin) is at higher levels and is therefore picked up faster by the test.

3. That twin belly grows fast!

Many women who start showing early on in pregnancy wonder if they are carrying twins. Sometimes they are, as the extra blood volume and extra water weight can result in faster-growing bellies.

4. Severe Morning Sickness

Many twin moms have reported the first trimester resulted in morning sickness. Even moms who have been pregnant without morning sickness before, reported having morning sickness for the first time ever. If you are finding your sense of smell is heightened, you have an overabundance of saliva, or things turn your stomach that you once enjoyed, you can atribute it to hormones once again. For almost all women, morning sickness passes around12-14 weeks.

5. Early Fetal Movement

Those little flutters and kicks can happen earlier with twins, especially if you have been pregnant before and know how to differentiate the little bubbles sensations from normal bodily functions. Most women pregnant with twins report feeling fetal movement earlier than usual – around the 16-18 week mark. However, there are cases though where they feel less fetal movement due to the position of the babies. If their little hands and feet are pointing inward, you are less likely to feel their movements. You may also only feel one baby on a regular basis.

6. Mother’s Intuition

Many, many moms swear they just ‘knew’. They either dreamed it, felt they were seeing signs, or just felt somehow different. While this is obviously not scientific in any way, there is something to be said for a mother’s intuition!

7. Seeing is Believing – Ultrasound Pictures

A trained technician or obstetrician can do an ultrasound or sonogram to show you on the monitor the two fetuses and and two heartbeats. Modern technology allows for quick diagnoses of twins, as well as viability and whether there are one or two sacs.

If you are looking for confirmation of your suspicions, your health care provider is the person to see. Having a twin pregnancy is an incredible journey that requires preparations – mentally, physically, financially and emotionally. But hopefully your twins will also bring you double the joy and double the fun!

For more information on twins, from pregnancy, birth, and throughout childhood, visit Raising-Twins.com.

Feature image from Science Daily

According to the FDA and the American Chemistry Council, bisphenol A is safe for use.  But an independent panel of scientists has criticized the FDA’s stance on BPA safety, insisting that more attention be paid to infant exposure.

The National Toxicology Program issued a report in September 2008, expressing concern about the effects on the brain, prostate gland, and behavior in fetuses, infants, and children. In animal studies, BPA mimics the effects of estrogen.

While there is no hard evidence to prove the ill-effects of BPA on humans, it is always best to err on the side of caution. To reduce your infant’s exposure to BPA, try the following:

• Look for safer baby bottles — either tempered glass bottles or plastic baby bottles made of safer plastics like polyethelene or polypropylene (recycling symbols 2 or 5).
• Some plastic products may have labels saying they are free of bisphenol A. Products that do contain BPA are not required to list the chemical on the label.
• Don’t heat breast milk or infant formula in plastic baby bottles.
• Don’t microwave plastic containers with baby food or milk.
• If you use formula, opt for powdered. Many formula cans are lined with a BPA resin and liquid formula is more readily contaminated than powdered.

Source: WebMD.

For info on BPA-Free baby bottles, click here.  Note that the safety of Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow bottle may be questionable.

Feature image from the daily green.

Closet: Since baby clothes are much smaller than adult clothes, you can lower the closet rod to be just a few feet from the floor, says Rebecca Johnson, owner of Decorating Your Baby Nursery. This will give you more space above the closet rod to install shelving for other items. Or, you can leave the closet rod where it is and install shelves or drawers beneath the rod. A good closet organizer is also worth looking into if you want to make use of every square inch.  Another handy organizer is a shoe rack that hangs inside the closet. You can use it for shoes, but also to easily organize things like socks, hats, bibs, mittens, hairbrushes, barrettes, and headbands. (Image from closet-organization-systems.com)

Changing table: Use the space below it to store items such as diapers, wipes, creams, and changing pads. There might be enough drawer space for baby clothes as well. You can also put some shelves above the changing table to display books, toys, framed pictures, and pretty boxes where you can store additional odds and ends.

Dresser: If you have enough space, a dresser is excellent for storing clothes, sheets, towels, and blankets. If your room is small, find a dresser that doubles as a changing table.  Dressers with removable changing tables on top are like two pieces of furniture in one: you can continue using it even after baby has outgrown the need for a changing table. You can also consider dressers with a hutch on top, which provides additional space to display knick-knacks or other items. A hutch also works instead of buying a separate bookcase.

Crib: This is a great place to pick up some additional storage space. Use wicker baskets, boxes, or plastic storage containers to store items such as crib sheets, blankets, and clothes that baby has yet to grow into. Some cribs come with pull-out drawers underneath.  (Crib pictured from ATD American.com)

Wall shelves and bookcases: These are great for bringing additional storage space to the room, and to display baby’s books, toys, and stuffed animals. One tall bookcase works great if you have limited space in your baby nursery. If you have more area to play with, a couple shorter bookcases are nice, because they make it easier for your baby to reach their things when he gets bigger.

Toy box: You’ll be surprised at how quickly your baby’s toy collection will grow. To avoid clutter, a toy box gives you one place to keep all the toys and their various parts. A toy bench is a nice way to go, which gives your baby a place to sit when he gets older, and the toys go inside. (Toy box pictured availble from clutterfreekids.com)

More helpful hints:

-If you have baskets or boxes for storage, make sure you keep them labled.

-Furniture such as bookshelves and dressers should be anchored to the wall. This prevents a potential hazard when the baby starts crawling and climbing (or if you live in earthquake-prone areas).

-A glider or rocking chair is wonderful if space allows. Having a place to sit in your baby’s room gives you a place to sit while you feed or bond with your baby. (Glider pictured availible at Amazon.com)

- A clothes hamper is helpful if you want to avoid numerous trips to the laundry room everyday. Babies dirty numerous outfits a day!

-A diaper disposal is also handy, although not necessary. Place it near the changing table for easy access.

-A lamp may be a good thing to have, especially if you want some dim lighting for pre-bedtime activities. Never use a floor lamp , which your baby can easily pull over. You should place the lamp high up on a dresser or bookcase, out of baby’s reach. As an added precaution, fluorescent light bulbs stay much cooler to the touch than regular bulbs.

-Put stuffed animals in a hammock and hang it in a corner (maybe over the baby’s crib or bed) so they’re out of the way but within reach. You could also get a big basket to keep dolls and stuffed toys in. (Image from About.com)

-A row of hooks on the wall or door is useful for hanging coats, sweaters, and diaper bags.

-For the super organizer, consider buying or creating hanging dividers for the closet, and drawer organizers for the dresser drawers.

-If you’re on a budget, check out garage sales and thrift shops (like Goodwill) for used furniture. You will pay a fraction of what you would spend by buying new furniture. You can paint or refinish furniture to match the rest of the bedroom.

Boppy Feeding & Infant Support Pillow

What’s more charming for your outdoor or garden-themed nursery than a white picket fence? Liz decorated her daughter Schuyler’s nursery with fluffy clouds, butterflies, ladybug rugs, and a colorful hot air balloon. She used pieces of vertical blinds to create the illusion of a picket fence.  She drew the design on each slat and cut them out with regular scissors. Then, she nailed the horizontal pieces to the wall in just a couple of places and used double-stick cushion tape to fasten the pickets to the horizontal rails.

Over the Top Murals

The nursery is the only room in your house that you can get away with going overboard, says Carson’s mom, Kerry.  A friend painted the spectacular three-wall mural, complete with rolling green plains, cowboys on horseback, and wild stallions. “It envelops you as you walk in the room.”  Make sure to map out exactly where all the furniture goes before you begin painting. You don’t want to accidentally cover up any of the gorgeous images!

Vintage Romance

Who said a baby’s room can’t be elegant? Amelia’s room is painted neutral tan with a soft pink ceiling. Her mom, Jennifer, accessorized with her favorite finds from antique stores, and grandma sewed the toile curtains that surround the white balloon shades.  It’s perfectly pulled together with a pink-and-white polka-dot organza dust ruffle for the crib and a matching chain sleeve for the chandelier.

Timeless Stripes

Julia wanted a nursery that her son could grow into and wouldn’t appear too babyish when he got older. Her desire for timeless decor prompted her to paint Harrison’s nursery in pale blue and cream stripes, with contrasting dark brown furniture. In order to get those stripes just perfect, Julia says you need to plan it all out in advance. First, they measured from the floor to the section of the wall where we wanted to put the chair rail and drew a line in pencil. They painted below the line brown and above the line cream. Then they measured 10 inches apart and drew the lines in pencil using a vertical laser level. After taping up each section with paint tape, they painted every other stripe light blue. She suggests removed the tape before the paint dries too much, to prevent the paint from peeling. She would also carry around a paint swatch, so she could match other items, like bedding, while out shopping.

Reuse and Recycle

Kim and her husband wanted to stray away from the traditional, feminine room, and keep it feeling up-to-date.  They created an elegant, modern nursery for baby Maya, with the chandelier wall decal as the focal point.  The best part of all is that it doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful, Kim says. Many of the items in the room are made up of repurposed furniture or home-made items. An old Philadelphia library desk now hold Maya’s stuffed animals, an old TV stand became the changing table, and they put to use a second-hand bookcase that came from Dad’s family.

Silhouettes and Painted Designs

Lori and family live in a log house, and she wanted to keep the rustic feeling. Her favorite element in Noah’s room is the tree, which she painted freehand, adding little birds on the branches to give it that extra touch.  You don’t have to be artistic to do it too! If the thought of painting freehand intimidates you, find an image from a book or magazine and project it onto the wall.  Sketch a design, or trace an image you find on to a piece of paper, and get a transparency made at a copy shop. Use an overhead projector to display it on the wall you wish to paint, moving it farther or closer to get it the right size. Trace your design using a pencil, then paint inside the lines. You can do this by renting a projector that hooks up to your laptop.

All of the photos and decorating tips in this article are from Parents.com. Click here to see even more Real-Life Nurseries at Parents.com!

Some benefits of Hypnotism during Pregnancy & Childbirth:

• Increases fertility by reducing stress, which is known to be a barrier to getting pregnant
• Overcoming morning sickness
• Quitting smoking (benefiting you and your baby)
• Increase energy levels
• Maintaining a confident body image through pregnancy and after the birth
• Reduces mood swings, anxiety, and tension, and fear
• Helps relieve aches and pains, heartburn, flatulence, backaches, swollen feet and legs, high blood pressure, and other pregnancy-related discomforts
• Enables a more relaxed, pleasant birthing experience
• Reduces the length of labor
• Reduces need for medical interventions and pain medications
• Creates deeper levels of bonding with your baby
• Avoiding the “baby blues” and overcoming post natal depression

How Hypnosis works during Pregnancy & Childbirth:

Ms. Leaton explains that learning hypnosis techniques enables your mind and body to relax, as your brain wave patterns change from the beta waves (normal waking consciousness) to alpha waves (drowsy relaxation) to theta wave patterns (associated with dreaming). Practicing during pregnancy helps relieve pregnancy-associated stress and discomfort, and prepairs you for a birth free of anxiety. The more you practice, the deeper the state of relaxation you will be able to achieve. This will allow you to more greatly numb your perception of pain at the time of the birth.

If you are curious what it feels to be hypnotized, HypBirth elaborates:

“Hypnosis is a natural process and is part of our daily lives though we may be unaware of it. For example, haven’t you driven several miles in your car and suddenly realized you couldn’t remember what you had just passed? There is no threat of danger in these situations, your conscious mind has simply left the driving to your subconscious, allowing yourself some time for a good daydream. This is a form of self-hypnosis…”

“It is worth remembering that before pharmaceuticals became available to assist in pain control, the only technique available was mind control,” says Ms. Leaton, “And you can learn to use your mind to put your natural opiates to work.”

For further reading:

How Does Hypnosis Make For Easy Pregnancy And Childbirth?

Hypnosis for Labor: Mind over Matter

Hypnosis for pregnancy and childbirth

HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Meathod

With a new baby on the way, you often hear talk about decorating a nursery. Have you been busy buying baby paraphernalia (like cribs, mobiles, and crib sheets with matching curtains) and dreaming of your small bundle of joy smiling at the dancing bunnies overhead and she drifts off to sleep? In the USA, when most expectant parents think about nighttime, they imagine placing baby in a crib, dimming the lights, and tiptoeing out of the room, leaving a peacefully slumbering baby behind. Is this the way you picture your baby’s sleeping arrangements?

There is no right or wrong place for baby to sleep. We believe, and Dr. Sears agrees, that wherever all family members sleep the best is the right arrangement for you. But in contrast to the scenario above, over half the world’s population sleeps with their baby, and more and more parents in the U.S. are sharing sleep with their little one.

Dr. Bill Sears’ simple definition of co-sleeping: Mother and baby sleeping within arm’s reach of one another. The closer that mother and baby can sleep together the healthier it is for both of them. Here’s why:

1. Babies sleep better

Sleep-sharing babies usually go to sleep and stay asleep better. Being parented to sleep at the breast of mother or in the arms of father creates a healthy go-to-sleep attitude. One of our goals of nighttime parenting is to teach baby learns that going to sleep is a pleasant state to enter.

Put yourself in your baby’s shoes. A baby passes from deep sleep into light sleep as often as every hour. For a small baby, this is a vulnerable period for nightwaking, and it is difficult for baby to resettle on his own into a deep sleep. You are a familiar presence, whom baby can touch, smell, and hear. Your presence reassures baby that “It’s OK to go back to sleep.” A familiar touch, perhaps a few minutes’ feed, and you comfort baby back into deep sleep without either parent or baby fully awakening.

Explains Dr. Sears:

Many babies need help going back to sleep because of a developmental quirk called object or person permanence. When something or someone is out of sight, it is out of mind. Most babies less than a year old do not have the ability to think of mother as existing somewhere else. When babies awaken alone in a crib, they become frightened and often unable to resettle back into deep sleep. Because of this separation anxiety, they learn that sleep is a fearful state to remain in (not one of our goals of nighttime parenting).

2. Mothers sleep better

Many mothers and infants are able to achieve nighttime harmony: babies and mothers get their sleep cycles in sync with one another.

Martha Sears notes: “I would automatically awaken seconds before my baby would. When the baby started to squirm, I would lay on a comforting hand and she would drift back to sleep. Sometimes I did this automatically and I didn’t even wake up.”

Contrast sleep-sharing with the crib and nursery scene. Baby awakens alone out of touch. He first squirms and whimpers. Finding himself still alone, baby’s cry escalates into a piercing wail that jolts mother awake and sends her staggering reluctantly down the hall. By the time mother reaches the baby, baby is wide awake and upset, mother is wide awake and upset, and the comforting that follows becomes a reluctant duty rather than an automatic, nurturing response. It takes longer to resettle an upset solo sleeper than it does a half-asleep baby who is sleeping within arm’s reach of mother. And mother may be wide-awake by now and too jittery to fall back asleep herself.

Dr. Sears explains: If, however, the baby is sleeping next to mother and they have their sleep cycles in sync, most mothers and babies can quickly resettle without either member of the sleepsharing pair fully awakening. Being awakened suddenly and completely from a state of deep sleep to attend to a hungry or frightened baby is what leads to sleep-deprived parents and fearful babies.

3. Breastfeeding is easier

In order to preserve sanity, most veteran breastfeeding mothers have learned that sharing sleep makes breastfeeding easier. They often wake up just before the babies awaken for a feeding. By being there and anticipating the feeding, mother can breastfeed baby back to a deep sleep before baby (and often mother) fully awakens.

(Note: Breastfeeding mothers find it easier than bottlefeeding mothers to get their sleep cycles in sync with their babies.)

Dr. Sears explains:

Mothers who experience daytime breastfeeding difficulties report that breastfeeding becomes easier when they sleep next to their babies at night and lie down with baby and nap nurse during the day. We believe baby senses that mother is more relaxed, and her milk-producing hormones work better when she is relaxed or sleeping.

4. It’s contemporary parenting

Sleep-sharing is even more relevant in today’s busy lifestyles. As more and more mothers, out of necessity, are separated from their baby during the day, sleeping with their baby at night allows them to reconnect and make up for missed touch time during the day. As a nighttime perk, the relaxing hormones that are produced in response to baby nursing relax a mother and help her wind down from the tension of a busy work day.

5. Babies thrive

Dr. Sears explains: Over the past thirty years of observing sleep-sharing families in our pediatric practice, we have noticed one medical benefit that stands out; these babies thrive . “Thriving” means not only getting bigger, but also growing to your full potential, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Perhaps it’s the extra touch, in addition to the extra feedings, that stimulates development (yes, sleep-sharing infants breastfeed more often than solo sleepers).

6. Parents and infants become more connected

One of your early goals of parenting is becoming connected with your baby. Infants who sleep with their parents (some or all of the time) during those early formative years not only thrive better, but infants and parents are more connected.

7. Reduces the risk of SIDS

New research is showing that infants who sleep safely nestled next to parents are less likely to succumb to the tragedy of SIDS. (Yet, because SIDS is so rare– .5 to 1 case per 1,000 infants– this worry should not be a reason to sleep with your baby. For in depth information on the science of sleepsharing and the experiments showing how sleep benefits a baby’s nighttime physiology, click here.)

image from cornerstork

Sleepsharing is an optional attachment tool. Co-sleeping does not always work and some parents simply do not want to sleep with their baby. You are not bad parents if you don’t sleep with your baby, but you should try it. If it’s working and you enjoy it, continue. If not, try other sleeping arrangements (an alternative is to place a crib or co-sleeper adjacent to your bed).

Dr. Sears explains:

New parents often worry that their child will get so used to sleeping with them that he may never want to leave their bed. Yes, if you’re used to sleeping first-class, you are reluctant to be downgraded. Like weaning from the breast, infants do wean from your bed (usually sometime around two years of age. Click here for tips on transitioning kids to their own bed). Keep in mind that sleep-sharing may be the arrangement that is designed for the safety and security of babies. The time in your arms, at your breast, and in your bed is a very short time in the total life of your child, yet the memories of love and availability last a lifetime.

Visit Dr. Sear’s website for more information on sleep-sharing:
Our Co-sleeping Experiences
Our Experiments
Co-sleeping Research
Stories From Co-Sleeping Parents
7 Benefits of Co-sleeping: Medical and Developmental
Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper Bassinet
Co-Sleeping and SIDS
Co-sleeping Safety
Sleep Safety