One of the most common issues a family faces is handling night-time parenting. The most important thing to remember is that there are no right or wrong answers on this topic. We encourage you to understand normal infant sleep behavior and patterns (which are guaranteed to change as soon and you feel you have it figured out!) and how to keep your baby safe. Sleep practices vary by culture and personal preference, and co-sleeping is common; in fact, it is often the safest option in many parts of the world. The WHO and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has completed extensive research on safe co-sleeping, as well as practical guidelines for parents.

Cognitively, infants do not have the ability to understand they are a separate person from their mother for many months, and they feel most “at home” staying physically close to their parents for most of the first year of life. Some parents like to follow these attachment parenting strategies. Others find that one of the many sleep training methods work for them, once their baby is older. If you choose to try sleep training, we encourage you to avoid prolonged periods of infant crying (you won’t be sleeping anyway if your baby is crying loudly for a long time!). There are many many right ways to manage night time parenting; we hope this has helped you find the info you need to balance your own sleep needs and be there for your baby! Although there are no magic answers, we are always happy to talk it through – contact us anytime, even if you just need a listening ear from someone who has lived through it.

DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.