We had already talked about the magnificent initiative of a European maternity hospital to incorporate co-sleeping cribs in the rooms, with the consequent benefits that this type of crib entails.
Now, the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona has announced the installation of cribs in the maternity ward that facilitate co-sleeping in the first days of life, so that the newborn always rests close to mother.
All are advantages
The Gynecology and Obstetrics Service and the Neonatal Unit of the Hospital de Sant Pau have acquired new models of crib that fit with the mother’s bed and facilitate breastfeeding, physical contact and maternal rest with the baby in a safe way.
As the center explains, it is a type of crib “well known and widely used by mothers and families” , but its incorporation into the hospital environment is a pioneer in Catalan maternity wards and in most Spanish hospitals.
This option allows you to benefit from the advantages of having your baby co-sleeping with your mother from the first moment. And there are many:
1. Reassure the newborn
It has been proven that the so-called kangaroo method helps premature babies a lot: they gain more weight, have more stable heart rhythms, are in better health and can leave before the hospital.
Well, sleeping close to your baby, even if it was born on time, favors in the same way that contact, that affection and those caresses. That translates, of course, into crying less as well.
2. Regulate the baby’s temperature
When a mother is attached to her little one, her temperature changes according to her child’s temperature. If the baby is cold, the temperature of the mother’s chest increases two degrees to warm her. If the baby is warm, the mother’s breast drops one degree.
This phenomenon is called thermal synchrony and it shows once again that skin-to-skin is a natural option.
3. Sleep better
Many parents find that when they put their baby to bed with them, they sleep better and wake up much less. He is close to them and there is no cause for concern: he feels them, knows that they are by his side and feels protected, so he can sleep better.
And rest better means that during the day you have more energy and, therefore, you develop better.
What’s more: when you sleep next to your baby, his breathing improves, since he tries to imitate yours. For this reason, apneas (times when the baby breathes) are reduced and the risk of suffering from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is reduced.
4. Supports your health
When a baby is close to his mother and father, not only is his temperature more regular, his hormonal levels are also more stable, his heart rate and breathing stabilize (they say that when they hear the deep breathing of the parents, they also breathe better) and the immune system and enzyme production function better (they regulate many of the body’s processes).
It even seems that children who spend more time attached to their parents, have better health, get fewer diseases and gain more weight.
5. Facilitates breastfeeding
Especially at the beginning, when the baby asks to be at the breast longer and more frequently, until it is established.
But also later at home, because by always having him close, breastfeeding and caring for the baby, especially at night, becomes easier.
Babies who sleep with their parents breastfeed for longer and take more night feeds, as the mother is always close, and this is beneficial for the baby.
6. Close, but in a safe environment
Co-sleeping is not dangerous in itself, although it is very important to keep in mind a series of safety warnings indicated by the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, to prevent a possible risk of suffocation:
“The safest way to sleep for infants under six months is in their crib, on their back, near their parents’ bed. There is scientific evidence that this practice reduces the risk of SIDS by more than 50%.”
The American Pediatric Association also recommends that babies sleep with their parents during the first year to prevent sudden infant death, although pediatricians point out that the baby should be in a separate crib attached to his parents, but not in the Same bed preferably until one year old and always before three months.
7. Mom also rests more and better
If the baby sleeps better, so does mom, very important also after the effort of labor. It is not the same to have to hold the child in the independent crib of the hospital to breastfeed than to have him at the side.
It has been shown that the shorter the awakening, the easier it is to go back to sleep, and this happens with babies (the longer it takes to attend to him, the more he cries and the longer it takes to calm down) and also with parents.
For all these reasons and more, co-sleeping cribs, attached to mom’s bed, are welcome in Spanish maternity wards.
Via | Europa Press
Photo | Twitter Hospital Sant Pau
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