Sleeping with your baby

Some doctors tell you not to do it and some people pretend they don't, but sleeping with baby is the only way I could imagine surviving infancy. I would never get any sleep if my baby were not in my bed when it was time to nurse her during the night. Plus the quality bonding time you get by having your baby in bed is priceless.

However, sleeping with your baby can be scary; what if she gets smothered by covers or rolled on. I have found the best way to deal with these concerns is to sleep with baby on the outside and mommy in the middle. This is not how most people commonly think it should be because your initial thought is that the baby needs to be in the middle to keep her from falling out of bed. Falling from bed is actually a lot less dangerous for baby than having her in the middle of two adults that are sharing blankets. 

Falling out of bed is also a worry that can be easily addressed. We have a co-sleeper which, although she doesn't sleep in it, can catch my girl if she were to roll. Another, much cheaper solution would be to push your bed into the corner so that baby sleeps next to the wall. The only problem with this is that mom loses her nightstand, which can be a big deal if she is breast feeding because she won't have a place for her water. The solution to this dilemma would be to get a universal bed rail, they are relatively cheap and can be positioned in a way that lets mom keep her nightstand.

Baby Carriers

I have tried 3 different carriers at an attempt to satisfy both my needs and my baby. I started with Hotsling which was a shower gift that I had register for. I was really excited about that one, they look super cute and I thought it seemed like a simply solution for a young baby that would most likely want to be in a cradle hold most of the time. It turned out I had a big baby; the first time I used my sling she was two weeks old, by then 10 lbs and 23 inches long. She was very uncomfortable in the sling. She was not able to comfortably lay back and was instead crammed into a ball.

I then borrowed a Bjorn Baby Carrier from my sister. When my daughter was in a good mood she seemed to be comfortable and happy in the Bjorn, although if her mood were to switch I found myself struggling to get her out quickly. The worst part about the Bjorn is how uncomfortable it made me. There is no lumbar support so my baby is pulling down on my shoulders which limits how long you can wear the Bjorn and can cause your shoulders to be in a lot of pain. Also the straps go over your breast which makes breast feeding impossible and can be painful if your breast are engorged. 

Finally I tried the Ergo Baby Carrier. This carrier solved all my problems; it is comfortable for me to wear and for my baby to ride in. I can breast feed with it on and with the infant insert my daughter can be cradled and still have room for her legs to stretch out. Plus this carrier is rated for children up to 90 lbs so you get much more use for your money. 

Any one who does a fair amount of internet research knows that the Ergo Carrier is the best, I just really don't understand why so many people love their Bjorn. The Bjorn is painful to wear, awkward when getting baby in and out and not at all versatile. The two are comparably priced so my advice is to go for the Ergo.

Update: My Baby is now 8 weeks old and seems to be warming up to the hotsling.