Getting the word out: Florida warns parents that 'unsafe sleepi...

Never, ever sleep in bed with your young infant. Here are some other baby raising tips that Floridians can't seem to grasp.

Do not have a pit bull if you have a baby.

Do not "take a short nap" and leave your infant or toddler unsupervised, particularly if you have a pool (which MUST be gated).

Do not leave your child with your new boyfriend, especially if he's recently out of jail (no matter how "innocent" he claims to be). He WILL beat your child while you are gone.

Do not give your toddler drugs or alcohol.

Put your kid in a car seat at all times (in the back seat, not the front). When you leave your car, take your child with you!

Follow these simple steps and you will eliminate 90% of the harm that could befall your young'n.

I co-sleep with my son. He was 3 days old when we started and is 18 months old now. Until recently we kept pillows off the bed and a light blanket on the bed. We have never had a problem and have always had a good nights sleep. Cosleeping is not for everyone though.

Here it comes... They are gonna start passing laws to tell people they cannot sleep with their babies. This kind of thing is pretty rare, even is it is 40 times the risk the risk is small compared to the reward. Next they will tell us we cannot hug our babies..

I agree.... what's with this grown adults sleeping with their kids. Yes.. if they are sick you may want to sleep in the same room, or if they have a nightmare they run in to get comfort - but then put them back in their own bed. Teach them as a baby that it is ok to sleep with an adult, and then when are they supposed to learn that this is not ok when some pedophile starts targeting them? Cut the apron strings already...

Chris wrote:

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You are going to raise a wimpy mother's boy.

Rush wrote:

Never, ever sleep in bed with your young infant. Here are some other baby raising tips that Floridians can't seem to grasp.
Do not have a pit bull if you have a baby.
Do not "take a short nap" and leave your infant or toddler unsupervised, particularly if you have a pool (which MUST be gated).
Do not leave your child with your new boyfriend, especially if he's recently out of jail (no matter how "innocent" he claims to be). He WILL beat your child while you are gone.
Do not give your toddler drugs or alcohol.
Put your kid in a car seat at all times (in the back seat, not the front). When you leave your car, take your child with you!
Follow these simple steps and you will eliminate 90% of the harm that could befall your young'n.

Live a little. You just shot down 90% of the fun in having a Florida baby. Jeez!

Accept defeat wrote:

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Live a little. You just shot down 90% of the fun in having a Florida baby. Jeez!

These are the conditions we all grew up in, we made it just fine.

It is a hostile world out there and the child must learn to cope with it. Parents are there to protect their child from the mean cruel world, it isn't the worlds job to change for the child.

I co-slept with each of my children until they were two and they're both alive and well (and not wimpy). Under normal, healthy circumstances (ie no alcohol/drugs/health issues such as obesity) I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Also, remove heavy blankets and pillows. The only time my daughter ever got stuck in bedding was when she was napping in her crib and she got her head stuck in a crib bumper...luckily I could hear her fussing and was able to get her out in time.

Amazing. I breast-fed both my children for about 9 months. They both slept in the bed with us for about 30% of their sleeping time up until they were weaned. I used to fall asleep for two to three hours between feedings on the couch, on my back propped up with pillows with my baby on my chest. I was chastised by grandparents and friends alike for this...but the bonding I have with my children made it all worth while. I did this for months. BUT....I am a very light sleeper. Some new parents are heavy sleepers, or perhaps take something to help them sleep, or they are just exhausted. Each parent must know their own sleep habits before they bring an infant into the bed to sleep with them.

The first child was from the era of 'support the baby behind the back and in front of the tummy with a rolled up infant blanket and let them sleep on their sides (you have to turn them for proper head shaping) so that if they aspirate in their sleep they won't choke. My second child was from the era of 'put them on their back to sleep'. I chose against that and did what I was taught with the first child. Both babies were burped thoroughly (very important) with giant truck driver burps before I would ever let them fall asleep. When they were able to rear their little heads, I started to put them to sleep on their tummies. I also swaddled my babies properly when they slept on their sides so they were securely wrapped and their arms didn't flair if they were momentarily startled while sleeping. Proper swaddling in very important. I will always believe that putting an infant to sleep on their back is risky.

Chris wrote:

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You are going to raise a wimpy mother's boy.

Closeness and security at a young age (birth to at least the first year) does not in any way invite wimpy-ness in a boy child. Just the opposite. Who better to provide security to a growing being than mom and dad? Perhaps more children would stay closer to home and parents if they had the love and security they need at home. My older brother was a "momma's boy" by some family and friends account. Well, they were eating crow as he grew to manhood. Now he's loving grounded, stable, level-headed and noble man and father (like my own dad) and in his line of work his testosterone based maleness is evident. He is in a position to protect life and limb and does his job well. But, his personality was developed within an environment of love, fair and equal discipline and lots of time spent with mom, dad and siblings. The quality, or lack of quality, in an infant's environment goes a long way to developing a healthy young man to grow to manhood. A loving family environment goes a long way to build the foundation of a noble man. It does not create a "wimp" unless that is what is taught.

Co-sleeping can be made safe.

Visit www.co-sleepingsurvey.com if you want to count your experience and prove it!

Doug wrote:

I agree.... what's with this grown adults sleeping with their kids. Yes.. if they are sick you may want to sleep in the same room, or if they have a nightmare they run in to get comfort - but then put them back in their own bed. Teach them as a baby that it is ok to sleep with an adult, and then when are they supposed to learn that this is not ok when some pedophile starts targeting them? Cut the apron strings already...
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If a child is given love, security and good guidance from their parents and taught that their bodies are their own, then the only risks faced with pedophiles are if the parents are not watching who their children are with. The neighbor who insists on watching your kids to help out along with their deviant associates, the pedophile who grabs one at the store, the uncle or aunt who abuses are allowed to harm the child due to a parents lack of awareness and common sense. Children have sleepovers at too young an age these days. Children are left to their own devices at too young an age these days. Heck, you can't even trust the state to do proper background checks on teachers or daycare workers. But, I really don't think that having your infant bond by sharing the bed is going to increase the risk of their coming in contact with a pedophile. Those instances come about because there are sick individuals that will engage children in either a trusting relationship or by forcing the issue at their own hands due to the opportunity arising and has nothing to do with letting an infant sleep in the bed close to mom and dad.

Strange...how does one really really know what is best? As one generation moves onto another, the rules change...but is it always for the better? It's not as though the older generation knew nothing. Sleeping in bed with adults or on a couch as above explained does sound like good advise because of the issues disgussed. However, when my son (now in 30s) was a baby, he also stopped breathing (in my arms) but I gave him resuscitation and his color came back at the emergency room. They checked for enlarged heart and other problems and he was ok. What they found was he had a mucous block (not enough mucous had been sucked out at birth) and thus, I was told to lie him on his belly to sleep because if a baby had mucous, they would have a fighting chance to spit it out if they were sleeping on their stomachs. Now they say that's not right?

I will admit that co-sleeping is not for everyone. But I co-sleep and think my 1 year old daughter is better for it. She is more connected and sleeps through the night fine. We have never had a problem with rolling over on her! A mother should always be aware of where her baby is at night. SIDS I think is actually reduced by co sleeping because you are there if the baby stops breating instead of across the house in your own bed not aware that you child needs you. If you don't co-sleep fine. But there is nothing wrong with it and it should not be put down.

Would you prefer that we also not hug and kiss our babies?

Give me a break. Babies need closeness and affection. Otherwise, we could all just have little robots.

I just think it's sad that parents (mothers especially) ignore simple biology for the sake of what "experts" say. You can label it a fad, trend, or whatever, but a mother sleeping with her baby is NATURAL. Are there any other mammals out there who separate themselves from their young at night?

The quote "your baby belongs in a crib, not a casket" is such manipulative garbage. The risk of getting into a fatal car accident is probably greater than dying during SAFE co-sleeping, but no one is telling us to not drive our babies around, are they?

cosleeper wrote:

I co-sleep with my son. He was 3 days old when we started and is 18 months old now. Until recently we kept pillows off the bed and a light blanket on the bed. We have never had a problem and have always had a good nights sleep. Cosleeping is not for everyone though.

At 18 months, isn't it time for him to be in his own bed in his own room?

Doug wrote:

I agree.... what's with this grown adults sleeping with their kids. Yes.. if they are sick you may want to sleep in the same room, or if they have a nightmare they run in to get comfort - but then put them back in their own bed. Teach them as a baby that it is ok to sleep with an adult, and then when are they supposed to learn that this is not ok when some pedophile starts targeting them? Cut the apron strings already...
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And your just a idiot.

Remy wrote:

I co-slept with each of my children until they were two and they're both alive and well (and not wimpy). Under normal, healthy circumstances (ie no alcohol/drugs/health issues such as obesity) I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Also, remove heavy blankets and pillows. The only time my daughter ever got stuck in bedding was when she was napping in her crib and she got her head stuck in a crib bumper...luckily I could hear her fussing and was able to get her out in time.

I hate to break the news to you, but it is highly likely that you have raised homosexuals.

Truth wrote:

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I hate to break the news to you, but it is highly likely that you have raised homosexuals.

I hate to break the news to you, but nothing a parent or any other person does can "make" a person a homosexual.

Homosexuality is no more learned behavior than is heterosexuality, nor is it any more of a choice than heterosexuality.

Our sexual preferences are already a part of who we are from birth- whether a parent does or does not sleep with their child has NOTHING to do with it!