Baby woke up shrieking!!!

[Mama2ChicknLil]

DS is two months old, and last night he fell asleep nursing on top of me, and I fell asleep too. This is a position we have slept in, oh a hundred THOUSAND times since he was born! Anyhow, he woke up about two hours later flat out shrieking and crying...scared the hell out of me. Turns out he had fallen asleep with his left hand under my arm and I'm guessing it fell asleep which likely prompted his dramatic waking

The top of his hand is red now and I bet it will turn into a bruise, and I am devastated! I have never before even considered that bedsharing could be dangerous and now I'm scared, especially because I don't imagine my son would take kindly to being removed to sleep alone. Does this happen to everyone at some time or am I a bad bedsharing mama who ought to rethink this option??


:-(
Edited by Mama2ChicknLil - 11/7/11 at 7:17am

[twinpossible]

You are NOT a bad momma! Babies get hurt in sleep no matter where they reside. My friend's baby just took a huge hit to the head last week sleeping alone in her own crib, bumpers and all. The sleep position was not really the best choice but we get so desperate for sleep in any way that it does not surprise me you guys caught some zzzs in that way. If you are really nervous about it then I would take a few changes in the family bed before removing him since you said he may not do well alone. You can make sure to always put him down before falling asleep (hard to do!). You can buy one of those in the bed co-sleeper nests. We used one for the first few weeks but I removed it because it took up too much room but it might make you feel better for a while. If you want even more change you can get an Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. We have twins and a queen sized bed so one of my girls sleeps in the co-sleeper on daddy's side of the bed. It works for us...for now! All babies get a bruise now and then, that does not make you a bad momma it just makes you normal. Allow yourself a little room for error, baby will be fine :)

[Mama2ChicknLil]

Thanks for the response...I know the position sucks, I think I just got a little too comfortable since it has worked so well since he was born!! I have major over supply and so he trends to be gassy, and will NOT SLEEP on his back at all for any period of time. Even from birth he would maneuver his body onto his side and often roll straight onto his belly. My feeling was if he needs to be on his belly he ought to be on top of me for all of the skin to skin benefits...to maher it safer, if that makes sense? So there is a very heavy body pillow along my left side (edge of the bed) to keep him or me from rolling anywhere...point is, I thought I was being relatively safe

It makes me feel better to know this happens sometimes...I expect I will be hypervigilant about where all of his body parts are now. What's a little less sleep at this point right?

[ArcoIris27]

Aww. It does happen and it doesn't make you a bad mom. Hugs to you both.