Why is this a guideline?

[poochielove]

Why is it suggested that a baby sleeps in your room with you until they are 6 months? I slept downstairs with Teddy in his moses basket for about the first 3 weeks and then moved him up to his own bedroom. This was more practical for a number of reasons (we dont have much space at all). He has one of those baby monitors with a mat and breathing alarm. Him being in his own room seems to work very well for us. I do read that a baby should be in with us and feel very guilty that i am doing it this way...is it connected to SIDS in any way?

 

[xmcnickyx]

Yeh, I've seen it in the SIDS guidlines. I've always thought it was because the risk of SIDs is highest in the first 6 months so you're more likely to notice if your baby stops breathing if they're with you in your room.

 

[poochielove]

Yeh, I've seen it in the SIDS guidlines. I've always thought it was because the risk of SIDs is highest in the first 6 months so you're more likely to notice if your baby stops breathing if they're with you in your room.

Well i guess it should be fine then as i have a breathing alarm which would alert me straight away

 

[beanie]

One of the theories is that some babies will forget to breath if they are in too deep a sleep. Therefore by sharing your room they will be disturbed more, and get a cue from you for breathing. This is also why the recommended sleep position is on their back as babies tend to sleep deeper on their fronts. The peak danger period for SIDS is till the age of 6 months so this is why the 6 month guideline is there.

From a completely lazy point of view it is also a shorter distance when baby wakes up.

 

[Misslarue]

I read once that statiscally, out of the number of babies who die from SIDS, more were sleeping alone in their room. Also 90% of SIDS cases occur within the first 6 months. Thats why its recommended that your baby sleep in the same room as you for the first 6 months. There is a theory that babies regulate their breathing by listening to yours.

 

[xmcnickyx]

There is a theory that babies regulate their breathing by listening to yours.

No wonder Molly already snores then listening to the noises that come out of her dad during the night!

 

[bazaar]

Roo slept in his own room from 10 weeks...he was fine.

there is always new rules/guidelines to follow - when I was born mums were told to put babies to sleep on thier tummies due to SID...

If you think your little one is happier in a room on their own then trust your instincts.

 

[poochielove]

Roo slept in his own room from 10 weeks...he was fine.

there is always new rules/guidelines to follow - when I was born mums were told to put babies to sleep on thier tummies due to SID...

If you think your little one is happier in a room on their own then trust your instincts.

Yeh, the guildelines seem to be ever changing so i am going to try not to worry. The monitor has a ticking sound that ticks each time they breathe so maybe this would have the same effect to regulate the breathing?

 

[lea m]

There is a theory that babies regulate their breathing by listening to yours.

No wonder Molly already snores then listening to the noises that come out of her dad during the night!

Heehee same as Lola-Mae!!

TBH I think the reason they are constantly changing the guidelines is because they discover new things! They are constantly observing and checking stats so I always tend to agree with them! Though you have to also trust your own instincts and as you know your baby best, then only you can decide what is best!

 

[pilkers]

Roo slept in his own room from 10 weeks...he was fine.

there is always new rules/guidelines to follow - when I was born mums were told to put babies to sleep on thier tummies due to SID...

If you think your little one is happier in a room on their own then trust your instincts.

Yeh, the guildelines seem to be ever changing so i am going to try not to worry. The monitor has a ticking sound that ticks each time they breathe so maybe this would have the same effect to regulate the breathing?

I think you have the same monitor as me. Evie went into her own room from about 8/9 weeks old. There were a number of factors that made us make this decision.

In my opinion the tick on the alarm does help them regulate their breathing...and also if they "forget" to breathe when in a deep sleep the alarm omits a warning beep which usually stirs them enough to make them breathe again. And then if that doesn't work and there has been no movement for another 5 seconds then the alarm will sound.

Having this monitor gave me more confidence to put her into her own room. It worked out better for us but it's not to everyones taste

 

[emmie]

i was told that babies also sense you are near so dont "forget" to breath.

 

[beanie]

Roo slept in his own room from 10 weeks...he was fine.

there is always new rules/guidelines to follow - when I was born mums were told to put babies to sleep on thier tummies due to SID...

If you think your little one is happier in a room on their own then trust your instincts.

Yeh, the guildelines seem to be ever changing so i am going to try not to worry. The monitor has a ticking sound that ticks each time they breathe so maybe this would have the same effect to regulate the breathing?

it is thought to be the CO2 breathed out by the mother that cues the baby, I have no idea about the sounds though???

 

[poochielove]

Roo slept in his own room from 10 weeks...he was fine.

there is always new rules/guidelines to follow - when I was born mums were told to put babies to sleep on thier tummies due to SID...

If you think your little one is happier in a room on their own then trust your instincts.

Yeh, the guildelines seem to be ever changing so i am going to try not to worry. The monitor has a ticking sound that ticks each time they breathe so maybe this would have the same effect to regulate the breathing?

it is thought to be the CO2 breathed out by the mother that cues the baby, I have no idea about the sounds though???

Oh right. I am just looking online to see if i can find any studies.

 

[Hazel]

Connie went in her own room from 6 weeks. This was because we were disturbing each other, if I moved she woke up and if she moved I woke up. Also with all of us in a cramped small bedroom and her being so snotty there wasn't enough air circulation and she was getting so bunged up at night. DH slept in her room with her for the first 2 weeks then he came back to our room. I have a video monitor though so can easily see if she's breathing and moving. I love the video monitor now she's rolling as woke up the other night for the loo, looked on the screen and she was horizontal in the cot on her tummy, I can keep an eye without disturbing her . Before she was born if you had asked me I would have said there was no way I would have put her in her own room that young but circumstances change and you know what is best for you and baby.

 

[poochielove]

Connie went in her own room from 6 weeks. This was because we were disturbing each other, if I moved she woke up and if she moved I woke up. Also with all of us in a cramped small bedroom and her being so snotty there wasn't enough air circulation and she was getting so bunged up at night. DH slept in her room with her for the first 2 weeks then he came back to our room. I have a video monitor though so can easily see if she's breathing and moving. I love the video monitor now she's rolling as woke up the other night for the loo, looked on the screen and she was horizontal in the cot on her tummy, I can keep an eye without disturbing her . Before she was born if you had asked me I would have said there was no way I would have put her in her own room that young but circumstances change and you know what is best for you and baby.

Thats why i slept downstairs with him cos there was just not enough room in our bedroom, esp since hes already massive in his moses basket and i really dont think he will go past 2/3 months old in it and there is just noway the cot would fit in our room. I was thinking of getting a video monitor aswell.
But when they roll on thier tummy and sleep doesnt they increase the risk aswell?

 

[Hazel]

She's only just started rolling on her tummy so is quite but older than yours. It was a big decision for me to put her in her own room and one I certainly didn't take lightly. I was a nervous wreck for the first few weeks when she was on her own and spent most of the night watching the screen .

You could drive yourself mad thinking about the what ifs .

 

[poochielove]

She's only just started rolling on her tummy so is quite but older than yours. It was a big decision for me to put her in her own room and one I certainly didn't take lightly. I was a nervous wreck for the first few weeks when she was on her own and spent most of the night watching the screen .

You could drive yourself mad thinking about the what ifs .

Yeh, i think i could worry about everything...i mean its not like i would be able to stop him rolling on his tummy or sleeping on it if he chose, when a bit older i just have for some reason become a bit obsessed with worrying about it now maybe i shouldnt get a video monitor because it will just give me something to obsess over.

 

[Hazel]

You will relax a bit more eventually. I remember when Connie was a week old we took her to a&e at 2.30am because she was "breathing funny" . Nothing wrong with her, just a bit snotty.

I was a nervous wreck until Connie was about 3 months, it was horrible I kept thinking I was going to go into her room and she wouldn't be breathing. I really wasn't allowing myself to enjoy the first months as I was worrying so much.

 

[bobby1]

Don't feel guilty at all hun, you should really just do whats best for you. By the sounds of it you are taking every precaution to make sure you can keep an eye on little Teddy!

 

[Xena]

I keep mine in with me for excessive amounts of time

Lydia was in our room with us (in her own cot) until she was 22 months

Alex co-slept until he was 16 months. He's only very recently started going into a cot in his own room.

I would feel really funny about putting a baby in a different room before they were 6 months old, but I'm a bit of a sticker for guidelines from time to time. Like not introducing solids until as close to 6 months as possible. That kind of thing.