Cosleeping

So I haven't been using this blog since the wedding... obviously... but thought of a use for it the other day. I get asked a lot of questions about parenting, and I mean a LOT.... mostly about cloth diapers and breast feeding. At least once a week I'm writing a novel on the topic for someone through facebook...

::bing!:: bright idea! Why don't I just keep all of my links and stuff on here? Why didn't I think of this before?! I have put a few things about cloth diapering on the blog we keep for Penelope, but that's about it.

I thought I would get the ball rolling by posting this awesome story from Fox6 about co-sleeping:



This is all in response to some anti-co-sleeping ads that Milwaukee came out with a few months ago:





Though I think these ads are too graphic and VERY one sided... I do think they are justified. There have been at least 20 co-sleeping deaths in Milwaukee this year alone, and though these ads are harsh, I believe it is necessary in order to push people to think about it more. These ads have stirred up a lot of controversy that has even reached my new home, here in California. Perhaps that was the idea. Go big or go home, right? I heavily appreciate that these ads have started a great conversation about co-sleeping and it is pushing people to become more educated about it. Look at how far all of the ads for SIDS have come and how many infants lives have been saved from it.

In the clip above, I like most that they convey both sides of the story. There are safe ways to co-sleep and there are definitely dangerous ways to co-sleep.

I have found some wonderful articles on the subject....

• Mothering magazine has published a TON of articles about co-sleeping: www.Mothering.com
• Dr. James McKenna's Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about safe co-sleeping: www.cosleeping.nd.edu
• The Natural Child Project: www.naturalchild.org

Personally, my family does not co-sleep. I'm all for it, it just didn't work for us. Penny wasn't the best sleeper when we shared a room, so I tried her in her own room when she was 3 months old... she's been sleeping through the night ever since. We just all sleep better in our own rooms!

...bottom line - make an educated decision on whether or not co-sleeping is appropriate for your family. If you chose to or not, the most important thing is to be sure your child is in a safe sleep environment.

Here is a link from the University of Notre Dame about safe co-sleeping guidlines: http://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/