Co-sleeping with a baby, is it safe?

In the early days, I had tried to put my son in the cot that my hubby had bought. But baby Asyraf don't like it. He will became very fussy, crying incessantly when I put him down, woke up every half to 1 hour, etc....until I became a walking zombie. On the second week, my mum said, "Had u tried sleeping with him beside you?".

Duh.

So since then, little Asyraf sleeps with me. I had even become a super light sleeper. I can wake up even before my baby starts crying. Bf is also better, at least my back is not aching anymore. Little Asyraf also sleeps better with fewer waking up period and definitely less crying out.

However, I had found that Ayah is a menace in bed. I had woke up in the middle of the night and push off a big pillow lying precariously over my son, or even the duvet which had nearly engulfed the baby. I even had at one time woke up and found out that a pillow that I had used to cover my face is on the baby (Thank God nothing happened).

So, yes co-sleeping can be dangerous, but it can also be beneficial and safer for your baby. My advice is to take a lot of precautions. And if you do not feel that it is safe for your little one, then do not do it.

As for me, I make sure that :
a) I am not super tired (Apparently being tired is a trademark of all moms, thus the haggard and panda looks in all new moms).
b) I do not take any medicine that would make me super sleepy.
c) My blanket is light enough for the baby to push.
d) Baby blanket is only at chest level. (During the early months, both baby and me share the same blanket. It is light and easily push away by my son)
e) Firm mattress.
f) Baby sleeps just beside me or better still, under my armpit.
g) If I really need something to cover my face, then I use a very small, light pillow.
h) If I really need to hug something, then the pillow's highest point would be below my stomach.

Sometimes my son woke up at 5 am in the morning and asks me to play with him. Well, I definitely would not hear him cooing that request if he is sleeping in another room. So, yes, baby Asyraf will still sleep with me for another few months. Well, at least until he is ready for his big boy bed....or until ibu can bear sleeping separately with her little pumpkin pie. ;)

More to read on co-sleeping :
http://pregnant.thebump.com/new-mom-new-dad/newborn-basics/qa/cosleeping-with-baby.aspx
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/the-risks-of-sleeping-with-your-baby/
http://www.babycenter.com/400_when-should-i-stop-co-sleeping-with-my-newborn-baby_1490329_363.bc
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/cosleeping.html
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/familybed/a/cosleeping.htm 
¶ 4:00 PM
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