Several posts have been about new information coming out via telly or radio
interviews about co-sleeping and reducing stress on babies and young
children with more touching, including co-sleeping.

Having been to two conferences in a row where I was privileged to enjoy
hearing Dr. James McKenna, I am going to repeat what he was saying at both.

Co-sleeping can be variously defined.  At bottom line, it refers to
*access* of mother and baby to one another.  In some families this may mean
sleeping in the same bed (and NO, babies don't get smothered and
squashed--the mothers most sensitive to movements from baby were the
mothers who routinely co-slept in the same bed) or it could mean close
enough to be brought into the bed (as in a side-car arrangement or on a
pallet on the floor next to the bed, etc.

Additionally, there ARE times when this practice is dangerous.  Examples
include (but are not limited to--I don't have my notes in front of me):
1) one or both adults have been drinking, esp. to point of drunkenness (or
taking sleeping potions)
2) chaotic households with no routines to much of anything

The other point he made is that to assess infant sleep patterns without
taking into consideration breastfeeding (and vice versa) completely misses
the point of how babies are designed.  The two go together.  Those of you
who are teaching breastfeeding classes or childbirth prep classes need to
mention this.  (I am sure many of you do, already)

Finally, when "sleep disorders" or "feeding disorders" are mentioned, ask
yourself WHO is disordered by the behavior in question.  If it is an adult,
are they putting their own preferences in front of the way babies are
wired? Remember that babies were designed to be able to survive in a
dangerous environment (as it existed 10,000+ years ago).  Being quiet at
night was important; didn't draw the attention of predators.  What better
way to keep a baby quiet than to have them sleeping on or close to the
adult who can also feed them?

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"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
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Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask]
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