Co Sleeping does not equal babies in bed with butcher knives. If it did, I would have already been dead twice over. Really? Do you equate a parent cuddling and soothing their co sleeping cherub with deadly? Apparently, Milwaukee’s Health Department does.If you are like most of America, you have seen the now infamous Milwaukee Health Department’s Ads about the Dangers of Co-Sleeping Ads. I take offense to these anti-co sleeping ads for several reasons; but mostly because they’re ridiculous. More offensive to me was that this morning our local radio deejays who are neither parents were insulting co sleepers.
Since when is it okay for people who are not parents to make commentary on parenting? Nevermind insult our specific parenting techniques. I thought we agreed as a group ( Parents/the haves) that the non-parents (have-nots) should keep their opinions to themselves.
I am a co sleeper. I believe in the family bed. LOUD AND PROUD CO-SLEEPER! There is something soothing for both parent and baby to be within arms reach. I am also probably one of the most overprotective mothers that you will ever meet. I am a semi-crunchy, co-sleeping, totally over-protective, sometimes helicopter parent.
READ ALSO: Co-Sleeping is not for sissies!
Believe it or not, I still get up in the middle of the night to make sure that my girls are breathing. I would absolutely never do anything that would be harmful to my children. I certainly would not pose them in the bed with a butcher knife. I hope the butcher knife was Photoshopped in or somebody’s got some explaining to do.
Seriously, I understand the risks involved in co-sleeping but if done appropriately and precautions are taken, co-sleeping can be beneficial for everyone involved.
This is NOT co-sleeping with a Parent
I see the picture of the photo of the beautiful cherub-like baby sleeping in the loving family bed and there beside it I see a butcher knife, looming like a silent killer. The poor unsuspecting baby is asleep completely oblivious to the imminent danger that he/she is in. I get it Milwaukee health Department you want to scare us crunchy co-sleepers straight. Shock us into realizing the reality of co-sleeping but this photo is nothing like co-sleeping or bed-sharing.
When a family makes the decision to co-sleep, they are not only aware of the situation they take precautions to be sure that they do it the right way. Besides, have you been a parent? Whoever sleeps again once they have children? Solid, sound sleep is a thing of the past.
READ ALSO: The Truth about Co-Sleeping
Unless you are binging out on the Ambien ( in which case don’t co-sleep), drunk ( If you are drunk don’t co-sleep) or dead ( if you are dead please die elsewhere, your baby doesn’t need to see that and it will be detrimental to their health) you will most likely never be able to sleep long and hard enough to roll over on your baby and smother them. Since I’ve given birth, my hearing has improved tenfold…I call them dog ears. I hear everything. My kid hiccups in another state, I can hear them.
Co-Sleeping is about Awareness
At first, I was afraid to co-sleep with my girls. I was afraid that I would roll over on them, forget they were there, they would fall out of the bed, under a pillow, get tangled up in the covers, the Big Guy (after all he’s not the Little Guy) would squish them but it happened so naturally.
Of course, I was petrified of SIDS. It was my biggest fear. Co-sleeping started with me feeding my sweet baby in the middle of the night. I would lift her from her bassinet and over to my bed. In those days it took her so long to suckle that we were up almost continuously.
Our bonding/breastfeeding session would be over but she would want to be held to be soothed to sleep. I would willingly oblige because why not? You can never love a baby too much, right? We’d both start to doze; my sweet slumbering angel and her exhausted new mommy. It honestly made more sense to lay her down in her positioner in the center of our king sized bed than to take the chance that her half-conscience Mommy drop her when her arms finally dozed as well.
Then I became addicted to looking over several times a night and seeing the two most important and perfect people that I have ever known lying peacefully and safely next to me. There is something addictive about tiny hands reaching for mine and smiling in their slumber because I am there. They are safe and happy. Rogue hugs, random kisses from apple breathed babies and cuddles from toddlers are my drug of choice.
I hate these ads of the co-sleeping infant being portrayed with a butcher knife. It is using scare tactics and shock value to force new parents to decide against co-sleeping. I think these “dangers” of Co-Sleeping ads rob parents of a parenting choice. I think it’s awesome to make new parents aware of the pros and cons of co-sleeping. I think it would be fantastic to educate parents on how to co-sleep safely. I think it would be amazing to make parents aware of the health risks of co-sleeping but to go for sheer fear factor I think is complete bullshit.
Why not run ads about what birth REALLY feels like? Wait? We’re probably saving those for a later date when we have a more urgent need for population control. SIDS is real. Stupid parents who are negligent with their co-sleepers is real but these are not the status quo. Co-sleeping should be a family choice, not governments. What are your thoughts on the Dangers of Co-sleeping ads?
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