I was told during my pregnancy that the best place for an infant is in a crib. “Back to Sleep” was taught in the childbirthing class, along with the no-blanket rule and so on. It never crossed my mind that I would ever share my bed with a child. I thought sleep sharing was for families who couldn’t afford the extra room and bedding, or for families from Third World countries.

Until my daughter was born.

I brought her home with the rules going over in my mind over and over again. I put her in her crib to nap and in between every night nursing. As time went on, my instincts kicked in and something clicked. This was not the way it should be, an infant in an enormous crib all by herself while Mommy and Daddy snuggle in bed together. She yearned to be with us, and I found that every time I brought her in my bed to nurse, she fell right to sleep and seemed more content. She wanted to hear my heartbeat and feel my chest rise as I breathed. She was a part of me and belonged with me…

With all the books I have read on sleep sharing and sudden infant death syndrome, all can agree on one thing: that sleep sharing decreases the risk of SIDS. When an infant shares sleep with the mother, it matches the rhythmical breathing pattern of the mother; the release of carbon dioxide from the mother’s breath actually triggers the infant’s brain to take a breath. Infants are born with a very immature brain; being close to the mother organizes the functions of the baby’s brain and makes them function more clearly.

Source: SouthCoastToday.com
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/06-06/06-29-06/02opinion.htm