Can my baby sleep in my bed?

This is a subject that divides opinion.

Many people advocate sharing a bed with a baby or co-sleeping as it is often called.  It is lovely to cuddle up to your baby at night and can be useful when breastfeeding.  However, there are safety concerns.

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths recommend that the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a cot beside the parents bed for the first six months of their lives.  

They also say that there is a proven risk in co-sleeping if you or your partner smoke, have recently drunk alcohol, take drugs or are extremely tired.  As many parents of young babies are extremely tired, there is a risk of cot death in co-sleeping.  

Debbie Honer, Health Visitor