INTUITIVE PARENTING
The focus of ‘intuitive parenting’ thinking is very different.
The importance of responding to the baby is emphasised. It is
argued that there are both biological and psychological
reasons why babies wake in the night.
Bed-sharing is strongly associated with this philosophy.
Co-sleeping has been the norm
throughout human history and this
remains the case in many societies
today. Research shows a strong
link between bed-sharing and
breastfeeding (breastfed babies are
more likely to sleep with their mothers
and mothers who bed-share are more likely to
breastfeed for longer).
The dilemma for parents who are attracted to the idea of bed-sharing
is that the safest place for babies to sleep in the first six months is in a
cot in the parents’ room. However some argue that the research shows
that the main risks with co-sleeping come from other factors such as
smoking, drinking or taking drugs, or falling asleep on a sofa. If you are
interested in looking at the evidence, the Infant Sleep Information
Source (ISIS) website is a good resource: Unicef’s leaflet ‘Caring for your
baby at night’ has some advice on things to consider if you are interested
in bed-sharing.
Bed-sharing can work really well for some families. I have
heard mothers in my Early Days groups talk about how much
they adore sleeping with their babies. Other mothers say
they could never feel comfortable bed-sharing because of
the potential risks involved. As this illustrates, decisions and
feelings about baby sleep are highly personal.
Firstly, all babies are different, and what works for one may not for
another. It can help to think about how your own sleeping
habits and rituals differ from other people’s.
Secondly, if you are finding a particular approach a real struggle
this could be a sign that your baby is simply not ready for it.
If you try again further down the line, you may find things
much easier (bedtime routines are often a good example of
this). It is also important to remember that there is no evidence
that any of these approaches work for babies in the first 6 weeks.