Bed-sharing, Education, and Reality
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I was prepared. I had a bedside bassinet and a bassinet in the family room for daytime sleeping. Safe sleep set-up, check.
When I started to experience complications from my C-section, my mother was there day and night changing diapers and placing my daughter back in her bassinet after feedings. As I started to feel better, I slowly began taking over her care again. I could swaddle. I had a sleep sack. When my mother went home, I lost my support.
Sometimes the realities of life leave us making choices we never thought we would have to make. Whether intentionally or unintentionally because of exhaustion, many of us have experienced bed-sharing or startling awake in a chair or on a sofa because we were simply too tired. Maybe you felt fear, shame, or failure. It’s moments like this that I think we, as providers, do not prepare parents for enough.
The purpose of safe sleep education is to reduce risk. Until there are honest conversations about what happens at home and where your baby sleeps, safe sleep can become a list of rules that may or may not be followed.
I am grateful to have a pediatric provider that never shames me during honest conversations. I want to encourage you to start honest conversations around safe sleep and what that realistically looks like at home for your family with your provider. Only then will they have the opportunity to meet you where you are and provide guidance that can help reduce risk.
My hope is that parents feel supported, not shamed, and that families and providers can work together with the shared goal of creating a safer sleep plan for their baby.
If you're looking for simple, supportive safe sleep education, I created a free Safe Sleep Made Simple guide designed to help parents feel more confident in their safe sleep routine during the early newborn weeks.
