Co-sleeping saved my baby's life last night

[Galatea]

I woke up b/c my 6 week old son was flailing against my back, but he wasn't making any noise. I picked up up and his back was arched and his head back and he was choking on his own vomit. He never made any noise, except once he finally started breathing, he would take one sharp breath and then choke again. Finally I got all the vomit out of his mouth and he began to breathe normally and then he cried and cried. If he had been in a crib, even in the same room, I would not have heard him and he would have died. But b/c he was sleeping right next to me, I felt him move in a weird way and woke up.

[aidansmom05]

Lilli,

I am so glad that you arw a cosleeping mama. Thank god your little one was okay. Is he okay now?

[boston]

What a relief he's okay.

[alegna]

:hug

-Angela

[mamabutterfly]

Oh, mama. that sounds so scary! I'm so glad he's okay.

:Hug

[my2girlsmama]

OMG mama that must have been so scary! Thank GOD he is ok!! :heartbeat :heartbeat

Nothing beats co sleeping. Nothing.

[rozzie'sma]

I am so glad he is ok. Co-sleeping is just so good.

[Red Sonja]

Oh wow, I'm glad your little guy is OK! I'm so glad you were able to be there for him when he needed you the most. This just goes to show that babies are meant to sleep with their mamas!

:hug to you and your DS!

[Isis]

Wow! How scary! Good thing that babe was right next to you, mama!

[celestialdreamer]

So glad to hear he is ok and that he was cosleeping! I bet that was so scary! :Hug

[rosie29]

:heartbeat :throb Lucky boy to have a mama who is right there when he needs her. :throb :heartbeat

[nora--not a llama]

I am just so glad that he is okay Momma. :heartbeat

[JamesMama]

:hug I'm so glad your ds is okay! We had that exact same thing happen not long ago. Thank goodness for cosleeping.

[natashaccat]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I'm so glad you were there for your baby.

You should write to Dr Sears and James McKenna (the two big co-sleep research advocates) about your experience. It's too bad really that the research measures sleep safety only in counts of bad outcomes. Lifesaving incidents like your go unnoticed and uncounted.

[mighty-mama]

you gave me chills. thank god for your instincts.............

[Boobiemama]

You must have been so scared! Its such a comfot to have our babies near, isnt it?

[Jilian]

Wow mama that must have been really scary, I'm so glad your little one is ok. :hug That is just one of the MANY reasons that co-sleeping is a good idea.

[zoomom]

So glad your little one is ok, how scary!

[LoveChild421]

ds has choked like that twice and both times he barely made any noise, I just woke up for some reason and looked over and he was vomitting and choking. I can't imagine what would have happened if he had been down the hall in a crib. This is why co-sleeping actually reduces SIDS.

:hug I'm so glad your little one is ok- these experiences really make me feel confident in following my instincts and co-sleeping.

[crunchyconmomma]

ummm... i'm a little choked up. that did bring tears to my eyes and i am SOOOO happy for you! how scary. must stop or i will cry more....

[aidansmom05]

Yes, you should write dr. sears that was a great idea

[crayon]

Wow, I am so happy he is safe! They used to call SIDS crib death but the crib makers got all up in arms about it because of sales, so they changed it to SIDS... If only the public was more educated.

Sending you and your family lots of love~

[*Jessica*]

That must have been so scary! Hugs to you mama, and hugs to your little one.

[Englishmummy]

:heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat

[ladybugchild77]

:hug :hug :hug to you and your little one! I am so glad everything is OK!!!

[Girl Named Sandoz]

You gave me goosebumps. SOOO glad your baby is okay. :heartbeat

The same happened to us when my ds was a bit older. Co-sleeping really can be a lifesaver.

[hannahnc]

:heartbeat Thank goodness he's ok!!! That is just terrifying!

[mamatosaskia]

ds has choked like that twice and both times he barely made any noise, I just woke up for some reason and looked over and he was vomitting and choking. I can't imagine what would have happened if he had been down the hall in a crib. This is why co-sleeping actually reduces SIDS.

:hug I'm so glad your little one is ok- these experiences really make me feel confident in following my instincts and co-sleeping.


This happened to us last night, with our dd who is 16 months. She was coughing so hard that she had to throw up, but was asleep and woke me up with the sound of her choking. This has happened twice now. Dh said it is a good thing we are co-sleeping.

[sciencemama]

:heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat
thank goodness!

I had read a number of stories like this (on a "mainstream" board) and they really did influence me to embrace co-sleeping.

[Trinitty]

That sounds so frightening!

I'm so glad that your little baby is okay! Your story has just cemented my plans to co-sleep with my babies, when we have them.

Take care,

Trin.

[beansavi]

:heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat Good for you, Mama, and good for your precious baby! :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat

[onandon]

Glad to hear you're both okay! We had a very similar scare the night the new AAP guidelines came out. Our dd is older, 16 months, and threw up dry solid food (sorry TMI) and choked silently but moved around enough for me to wake up and turn her over and knock her back and pull it out of her mouth. It makes me wonder when I'll feel safe having her out of our bed. I think she's with us for a while!

[spirit4ever]

I sleep w/ both my ds's,its the only way I sleep well! :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat glad he's got you!

[alexsam]

There is no feeling like having your baby with you in the night, touching him, hearing him (or her, of course!) and KNOWING they are safe and you can help if they need it. It's funny how after you have a baby, you don't ever sleep the same- it's always with a "baby sense". My husband laughs because when DS is between us and DH rolls over, I'm immediately awake to check the blankets on the baby and make sure all is well before falling back asleep. He says I sleep with one eye open- on the baby! Must be...

There is a reason it feels right sleeping with the little ones.

Glad to hear your baby is ok!

[counterGOPI]

wow!! im so glad miles is ok! what a scare!! thank you for sharing that with us. :hugs

[chiro_kristin]

I'm so glad he's OK. :hug I worry about that exact same thing happening, and it is one of the thousands of reasons I'm so glad we co-sleep.

[KerriAZ]

How very scary! I tell ya, co-sleeping is a WONDERFUL thing! I never would give up the experience! Not only is it wonderufl bonding, but as you experienced, it can also be life saving! I am SO thankful that you co-sleep so that your little one is safe!! Hugs to you both!!

Kerri

[Amaryllis]

You know, the peds and everyone have all their scare tactics to try to keep the babies OUT of our beds, when this is a darn sure good one to keep them IN our beds! I'm so glad all of your babies are safe. I think Mothering Mag should keep this in the news. It just makes me not want to be quiet anymore when all those moms get on my case for the way I raise my daughter, "because it isn't safe". Ugh. I have just been not really speaking out because I'm so tired of arguing with people who seem to have no intention of seeing any other point of view.
I'm so sad for all the babies who die in their cribs. It is heartbreaking.

[mariank]

:hug

Thank goodness your babe is OK! What a scary story.... my DH was a proponent of co-sleeping because of the possibility of this exact thing happening. I'm so glad you shared and that your babe was next to you!!!!

Marian

[MommyDOK]

Oh, my, I can't believe you had to go through that. Thank you so much for sharing your story. Glad everything is ok.

[IncaMama]

omg. how terrifying! thank god you were right by his side...he's blessed to have you as his mama.....

[mamachandi]

mothers instincts are a beautiful thing..

[daekini]

Last night my dd was sick so I slept on the floor with her in the living room, while Miles was in the bedroom with dh. I felt so weird being away from him! I didn't cosleep with dd :( but now I can't imagine how I didn't know to do that from the beginning with her. Miles has a lot of congestion and it's very comforting to hear his every breath.

I'm so glad that your baby is okay and that you were there for that sweet little one.

[boricuaqueen327]

wow. i got chills reading this. i am such a big advocate for cosleeping... dd had reflux and i would often wake up to check on her becuase i was scared of this very thing happening. indeed, motherly instincts are beautiful things. i'm glad your baby is ok. :hug

[starlein26]

omg...i can't think of a better story to promote the wonderful benefits of co-sleeping!!! so sorry that you had to experience that, it must have been scary, but just to think about what could have been must be so relieving!

[baileyandmikey]

I am so glad he is ok. Co-sleeping is just so good.

ditto. glad you noticed :)

[MomtoXane]

If your baby is spitting up alot in bed, you might try a foam wedge to keep his head elevated. I started co-sleeping when my baby was on a heart monitor. He never had any apnea when he was sleeping with me, only when alone in the bassinet!
~Renee

[KnitterMama]

wow, thank goodness you cosleep! :Hug

[Childishgoth]

Hi didnt have time to read everyones post but i wanted to let you know i know how your feeling I posted the same post here a few months ago
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=232983

I wonder how often this happens..just scary

[littlemama06]

I am so happy you were there for your baby. I will sleep with my baby for sure and am going to copy what you wrote to show other people.Your baby was so lucky you were there.

[gypsy4360]

I am so happy to hear that your lil' one is ok. I am a co-sleeper with my 19 month old son. I am now 6 months pregnant with twins. I would like to co-sleep with them as well, but not sure how to manage. My older son is not ready to be moved to his own room. Any advice?

:aqua: :fbbf :fambed21 :xnocirc: :nocirc2

[nadinem]

I don't post much and am going to go out on a limb here. But...

What about this sleeping on the back thing? It used to be that sleeping on the tummy was the norm. Now it's the back. On the tummy a baby may get vomit on the sheets, but isn't as likely to have it plug their mouth and prevent breathing.

Yes, I've heard about SIDS, but I've also heard that matress fireproofing treatments are a causal contributor and that covering a child's matress with plastic reduces SIDS 50%. Ok, how about the cosleeping situation of a bed that is well aired, doesn't have crib bumpers to trap the bad gasses, and has moms breath to listen and respond to. (and I never used new baby clothes to avoid fire retardants)

Aren't these enough to move our babies back to their tummies?

[mom to 3 boys]

ummm... i'm a little choked up. that did bring tears to my eyes and i am SOOOO happy for you! how scary. must stop or i will cry more....


OMG me too. Thank goodness he was with you.. seriously..

[romansmum]

i am sooo glad you were right where your babe needed you!

[2crazykids]

I don't post much and am going to go out on a limb here. But...

What about this sleeping on the back thing? It used to be that sleeping on the tummy was the norm. Now it's the back. On the tummy a baby may get vomit on the sheets, but isn't as likely to have it plug their mouth and prevent breathing.

Yes, I've heard about SIDS, but I've also heard that matress fireproofing treatments are a causal contributor and that covering a child's matress with plastic reduces SIDS 50%. Ok, how about the cosleeping situation of a bed that is well aired, doesn't have crib bumpers to trap the bad gasses, and has moms breath to listen and respond to. (and I never used new baby clothes to avoid fire retardants)

Aren't these enough to move our babies back to their tummies?


my kids both co-slept/sleep with us from birth on...I tried really hard to get them to sleep on their backs from the very beginning....but they never would. The only time they ever got any real sleep was on their tummies... :bag:

I, too, slept with one eye open all the time...but they had to be on their tummies. I even tried to get them to sleep in the fancy positioners. I even tried the wedge under their mattress...no go! They do love our tempera-pedic mattress however.

[Mamajamz]

OH wow. Thank God he is okay and that you sensed his distress! Oh I don't even want to think about all those poor little ones alone in their cribs in such a case. When my dd was little, and she was very little because she was a premie. We used a little triangle shaped wedge so that she slept partially on her side rather than flat on her back. Also, I noticed with my babies that when they were really little like that I had to be sure to burp them well or the bubble would get trapped and then choking spells like that. I would often just roll them up onto my chest and pat their backs gently until they burped. We often fell asleep like that. Oh the bliss. :)
Your post makes me want to go get my toddler from my DH (he and daddy co-sleep now so we can all sleep more) and bring him back in the bed with me. I miss his little body snuggled next to me safe and warm....just as soon as he and I are sleeping a little better so I'm not such a grouchy momma. :(

[daisykatz99]

:coffee I also got chills from reading this. I have been wrestling with getting my 1 yr old ds to start sleeping in his own crib, but dh and I miss him too much. I realize we love it too much to give it up yet, and we need to be close to him at night, because he's still very young. We brought him back to bed with us, and I am about to go cuddle up to my guys and hold them tight! I am so glad your son is okay. Way to go Mama for saving that baby and being there!

Kathryn, wife to dh Rich :wink, :goorg: :fambed21 :bfig: :toddler: :xnocirc: :novax: :coffee :coffee mama to Christian 02/24/04

[MammaKoz]

Thank goodness you were right there and he is okay!

We went through a similar situation with DD when she was about a month old. I woke up and looked at her and she wasn't breathing. I don't know if she was choking or what happened (or even for how long she stopped), but I rubbed her back and kind of jostled her awake and she was fine and it never happened again. I don't think I slept much at all for a long time after that. It terrified me to think of what could have happened had she been in a crib in a different room.

[jettibo]

(((((HUGS))))) I had a similar experience, but not that dramatic. DD would frequently start breathing funny or cough a little so I'd roll her over until she got the spit up out of her mouth.

Co-sleeping rocks!

[shannon0218]

You know, I asked my ped about this. He's very into co-sleeping. Dd has reflux and he told us we HAD to co-sleep and was so glad that we already were. He says no baby under the age of 4 mos should be more than 2' away from mom at night.
We've had a couple of these scares where I know had she been in a crib she'd have died so I asked him about it. I know so many people with similar stories but obviously not that huge a proportion of babes dies in their cribs. His answer. After choking and not being able to breath, the baby will often have a seizure (again silent) which will clear the vomit and then he will start to breath normally again and mom and dad are none the wiser. I almost threw up when he told me his opinion on why more crib-sleeping babies don't die in the night.

[Brinda]

How scary!! My ds did that in the NICU at 2 weeks old when they placed him on his back. He had awful reflux and they KNEW it. It made me so angry.

[lilyka]

I have goose bumps and I am crying. how perfectly awful to contemplate. It must have been terrifying.

my last child would stop breathing on a regular basis. I never thought much of it until she was older and realized if she had been in a crib we probably wouldn't have noticed in time. but since she would do the little flailing thing I would just reposition her (turned out she had a birth defect that would allow her throat to colapse and the more she tried to breath the worse it got ), shake her wake her and put her back to sleep. but yeah, praise God she was sleeping with us. and praise God yours was sleeping with you last night!

[sparkprincess]

Take that AAP! :irked:

I'm so glad your little one is safe and sound.

Yay for co-sleeping!

[sarahsmothering]

thank god you co-sleep. i'm telling you - - it PREVENTS accidents from happening.

from one co-sleeping mama to another... I'm so glad your little one is okay and safe. xo

[karinasusy]

Awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing your story, which I will print and keep in my archives for future when people tell me that co-sleeping is bad.