I am a VERY proud breastfeeding
> mother (my baby is 14 months and still nurses) and I strongly encourage
> everyone I contact to breastfeed their baby.  However, I also strongly
> encourage those mothers NOT to fall asleep while nursing in bed because of
> the dangers involved (overlay, falling off the bed, overheat, entrapment
> between headboard and mattress).  I must also say that I NEVER slept with
> my baby in bed and my baby NEVER slept on a bed.  Parents and babies
> should be close, but adult beds were not made with infant safety in mind.

Perhaps not, but I firmly believe that mother's bodies were designed with
infant safety in mind. Look at Helen Ball's research on how breastfeeding
mothers sleep with their babies and how that keeps the baby safe. All of my
four children always slept with me as infants and as young children, my
grandson (now two) has never slept anywhere except in his parent's bed and I
believe that this is clearly the safest place for a baby to be - close to a
breastfeeding mother whose natural instincts are to be aware of the baby's
presence and any signs of distress he might show.

Let me point out that the cribs which were available when my children were
infants have since been recalled and labelled as "dangerous" to babies -
although at the time we were all told they were the safest place for babies
to sleep. Who knows what we might discover about the currently available
cribs in a year or two from now?

On the other hand, sleeping next to a breastfeeding mother has stood the
test of time. We are certainly intelligent enough to be able to modify our
beds or sleeping environments in order to make them safe for ourselves and
our babies. Put the mattress on the floor if you are worried about falls and
entrapment.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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