I have always heard nightmares of suffocating your child while co-sleeping. When I started working for the health department, I toured the Va State Medical Examiner's Office during a training in Richmond. They stated the #1 cause of death in infants was caused by co-sleeping. That scared the poo out of me! I would nap with Pyper, but never falling into a restful sleep scared of rolling over and suffocating her. She slept in her crib as an infant from day one. She didn't even like sleeping in the cradle my dad made for her. I am ashamed to say we let her "cry it out" as that's what everyone told us to do when she woke us in the middle of the night. I still harbour guilt over that. Things have changed this time around. I don't know why, but the idea of having Raegan "cry it out" makes my skin crawl. I can't imagine not responding to her every time she needs comfort, food, or just to hear our voice to reassure her. I am still a bit frightened of co-sleeping, so my friend Brandy (a true mentor to me), blogged about how they incorporated a sidecarred crib into their bedroom for both her children. Doing as I always do, I Googled it. Anyone that knows me, knows I am the Google Queen! This (below) is a version of a crib that is sidecarred to our bed. 
It's the perfect compromise of co-sleeping and safety wrapped into one. Having said that, I don't doubt that co-sleeping can be done safely, I just can't fully rest with my infant next to me, afraid of smothering her like I did my love bird in high school...that's a different story for another post...ANYWAYS! I put an extra crib mattress in the crib, lowered the railing as far as it would go (some people even remove it all together) and bumped it up against our bed. It's perfect for the middle of the night comforts and not having to get out of bed completely and not being able to get back to sleep. Pyper likes to crawl up in Raegan's crib and play while we read stories or just have fun.
Sisterly lovin'
If I weren't so lazy, I, too, would remove the side railing and bungee the crib to our mattress. Perhaps when Raegan gets older and really starts moving around. Right now, she's still swaddled at night, like a little Glow Worm.
Kicking their legs up in the air. Pyper displays perfect gymnast pointy toes...
It's the perfect compromise of co-sleeping and safety wrapped into one. Having said that, I don't doubt that co-sleeping can be done safely, I just can't fully rest with my infant next to me, afraid of smothering her like I did my love bird in high school...that's a different story for another post...ANYWAYS! I put an extra crib mattress in the crib, lowered the railing as far as it would go (some people even remove it all together) and bumped it up against our bed. It's perfect for the middle of the night comforts and not having to get out of bed completely and not being able to get back to sleep. Pyper likes to crawl up in Raegan's crib and play while we read stories or just have fun.
Sisterly lovin'
If I weren't so lazy, I, too, would remove the side railing and bungee the crib to our mattress. Perhaps when Raegan gets older and really starts moving around. Right now, she's still swaddled at night, like a little Glow Worm.
Kicking their legs up in the air. Pyper displays perfect gymnast pointy toes...
So next time you hear a debate about co-sleeping, perhaps you can suggest this wonderful and safe compromise! We love it!
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