>> POPULAR ALTERNATIVE TO CO-

SLEEPING WITH BABIES

A few years ago, I wrote about the virtues of co-sleeping — allowing a baby to sleep in the parents’ bed. Advocates claim that babies and parents sleep better, nighttime breastfeeding is more convenient and it nurtures emotional and physical bonds. Although most societies around the world practice co-sleeping, it has been slow to catch on in the United States and Canada. Dr. Spock advised against it and, more recently, so did the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which are concerned that it might put babies at risk of suffocation or strangulation.

In recent years, parents have discovered an almost perfect solution to the safety concerns of co-sleeping: the co-sleeper bassinet. It attaches to an adult bed with one side opening alongside the adult mattress. Parents can rest comfortably in their own bed while the baby sleeps safely in the bassinet — all the while at arm’s length of each other. Parents can easily reach over and draw the baby next to them for comforting or feeding. Many co-sleeper bassinets are priced under $200 and are portable; and most convert to a changing table, toddler bed, love seat or playpen.
Thanks to all of the parents and grandparents who shared their kid tips with us this week.

FROM THE CRIB TO A BIG BED When my daughter was ready for the big change, I first removed the crib from her room and allowed her to sleep on the crib mattress on the floor (just to maintain familiarity at a time of change). Then we removed the crib mattress and placed her new twin-bed mattress on the floor. She had the opportunity to adjust, and there was no danger because the floor was only inches away. Then we put in the big bed, and she hasn't had any problems. -- Stacey A. Morgan, San Diego