[email protected]

>>Mary ellen Oh! i was always told never to let a baby sleep on a water
bed. It appears that babies can suffocate.

Yes, that is what "they" say. Has anyone ever seen hard data on this?
Have more babies really died on a waterbed than on some other bed? It
seems that there is usually some other factor involved. The death of a
child is a tragedy, no matter how it occurs, but what parents really need
is information on how to safely co-sleep. We aren't being told to stop
using cribs, even though babies die in cribs. A lot of effort is put
into keeping children safer in cars - research on better restraint
systems and educating parents on using them and helping low-income
families obtain them - and it is paying off. Maybe the difference is
that there is no $$ profit in co-sleeping.

I was nervous about co-sleeping, slept lightly while baby was young, and
often checked to make sure she was still breathing. Also, she slept
beside me with my arm around her. Dh was on my other side. In spite of
this, I felt far more rested with this child because I did not have to
get out of bed for night feedings. Some parents sleep better if child is
not in their bed, and that's fine too. There are other choices. One
problem is that many of us can't afford to buy ourselves a new bed when
baby comes. I had a friend whose bedroom had wall to wall futons on the
floor and that's where the whole family slept.

Mary Ellen
Gain weight... Stay Active... Get Smarter...
New Year's Resolutions are EASY for Babies!
<Hi and Lois>

Valerie Stewart

Yes, that is what "they" say. Has anyone ever seen hard data on this?
Have more babies really died on a waterbed than on some other bed?

**I don't have "hard data" but it has been in the news where babies who
can't lift their heads well have suffocated on water beds. A woman in this
area (a nurse) lost her baby this way. She had never rolled over before and
unfortunately, the first time was the last time. You know how waterbeds are:
very collapsible. It's not hard to imagine that this would be a problem.

--Valerie in Tacoma

[email protected]

--- i dont know of any one personally who has a baby die this way -
but i do remember reading about it when my dd was a baby - and i
agree it is easy to see that this could happen to a baby who for some
reason did end up on their stomach, who were not able to lift there
heads
marianne


In [email protected], " Valerie Stewart" <vlos@o...>
wrote:
>
> Yes, that is what "they" say. Has anyone ever seen hard data on
this?
> Have more babies really died on a waterbed than on some other bed?
>
> **I don't have "hard data" but it has been in the news where babies
who
> can't lift their heads well have suffocated on water beds. A woman
in this
> area (a nurse) lost her baby this way. She had never rolled over
before and
> unfortunately, the first time was the last time. You know how
waterbeds are:
> very collapsible. It's not hard to imagine that this would be a
problem.
>
> --Valerie in Tacoma

Tracy Oldfield

I could go on for hours on co-sleeping! LOL I've just
spent ages writing an essay on the research which was
presented to the 1999 LLL(GB) Leader Day, then realised
that I've already been 'published'
http://www.goddessmoon.org/safeinfantsleep.htm

Hope this helps somewhat.

Tracy


>>Mary ellen Oh! i was always told never to let a baby
sleep on a water
bed. It appears that babies can suffocate.

Yes, that is what "they" say. Has anyone ever seen
hard data on this? 
Have more babies really died on a waterbed than on some
other bed? It
seems that there is usually some other factor
involved. The death of a
child is a tragedy, no matter how it occurs, but what
parents really need
is information on how to safely co-sleep. We aren't
being told to stop
using cribs, even though babies die in cribs. A lot of
effort is put
into keeping children safer in cars - research on
better restraint
systems and educating parents on using them and helping
low-income
families obtain them - and it is paying off. Maybe the
difference is
that there is no $$ profit in co-sleeping.

I was nervous about co-sleeping, slept lightly while
baby was young, and
often checked to make sure she was still breathing.
Also, she slept
beside me with my arm around her. Dh was on my other
side. In spite of
this, I felt far more rested with this child because I
did not have to
get out of bed for night feedings. Some parents sleep
better if child is
not in their bed, and that's fine too. There are other
choices. One
problem is that many of us can't afford to buy
ourselves a new bed when
baby comes. I had a friend whose bedroom had wall to
wall futons on the
floor and that's where the whole family slept.

Mary Ellen
Gain weight... Stay Active... Get Smarter...
New Year's Resolutions are EASY for Babies!
<Hi and Lois>

April Spitzer

Oh! I had never even heard of co-sleeping, the family bed, or attachment
parenting when my babies were nursing. The only thing people ever told me
was "DO NOT sleep with your baby, that may suffocate them or increase the
risk of SIDS" but I slept with my babies anyway, simply because I kept
drifting off while they were nursing, and I felt guilty about it the entire
time. I kept thinking "I'm such a horrible mother, I need to stay awake!"

Now I'm glad that I did sleep with them, I can't help but think that we
developed more of a bond because of it.

I wish more information could be available to new parents at the hospitals
instead of the standard mainstream stuff.

I can't tell you how many people told me that I need to just start putting
them in their cribs and let them cry it out until they sleep through the
night. UGH

April


>From: megates@...
>Reply-To: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: Family Bed
>Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 10:34:14 -0800
>
> >>Mary ellen Oh! i was always told never to let a baby sleep on a water
>bed. It appears that babies can suffocate.
>
>Yes, that is what "they" say. Has anyone ever seen hard data on this?
>Have more babies really died on a waterbed than on some other bed? It
>seems that there is usually some other factor involved. The death of a
>child is a tragedy, no matter how it occurs, but what parents really need
>is information on how to safely co-sleep. We aren't being told to stop
>using cribs, even though babies die in cribs. A lot of effort is put
>into keeping children safer in cars - research on better restraint
>systems and educating parents on using them and helping low-income
>families obtain them - and it is paying off. Maybe the difference is
>that there is no $$ profit in co-sleeping.
>
>I was nervous about co-sleeping, slept lightly while baby was young, and
>often checked to make sure she was still breathing. Also, she slept
>beside me with my arm around her. Dh was on my other side. In spite of
>this, I felt far more rested with this child because I did not have to
>get out of bed for night feedings. Some parents sleep better if child is
>not in their bed, and that's fine too. There are other choices. One
>problem is that many of us can't afford to buy ourselves a new bed when
>baby comes. I had a friend whose bedroom had wall to wall futons on the
>floor and that's where the whole family slept.
>
>Mary Ellen
>Gain weight... Stay Active... Get Smarter...
>New Year's Resolutions are EASY for Babies!
><Hi and Lois>

_________________________________________________________________
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Sue

> April wrote:
>
> I wish more information could be available to new parents at the hospitals
> instead of the standard mainstream stuff.

When I had my last baby [5 years ago next month] the hospital encouraged
Mothers to sleep with their babies, the nurses made a point of showing us
how to put the side up on the beds. The maternity hospital was so quiet
compared to how it had been in the past, lots of contented Moms and babies
sleeping together.
It makes life so easy.

>
> I can't tell you how many people told me that I need to just start putting
> them in their cribs and let them cry it out until they sleep through the
> night. UGH

One day that will hopefully be completely gone from our society, what a
barbaric treatment of helpless infants. I could never do it in spite of how
many well meaning people told me to.

Sue