Co-sleeping and seizures

[RiffRaffMama]

I don't want to inflame anybody but I'm wondering if anyone out there co-sleeps with their kids and at the same time runs the risk of dropping a seizure?
I know I've had two now in the same bed as my youngest and with the first my husband was able to move us apart but with the most recent one I was alone with her and I naturally worry about what I could have done to her.
When I came around my daughter was still happily out to it and far enough away from me that I clearly didn't cause her problems, but I still worry....
However I'm also sure I mustn't be the only "attachment mum" out there who also has epilepsy.....
Anyone else wanna admit to being an attachment mum with epilepsy who has run the risk of whacking their kid?
Please??!

 

[LJ-Bain]

I have 3 children and 2 of them since my seizures began...but never tonic clonics.
I LOVED sleeping with them. It has been and will be my favourite memory associated with them as infants.
I would put them in the crib but then if they couldn't go back to sleep after 2 a.m. they would sleep with me and my hubby. Then it comes to the age where they wake up at 5 a.m. and just want to nurse and then go right back to sleep and I always let them do it with me. It is a joy.
So it sure doesn't inflame me. Alot of people feel very strongly about co-sleeping as an issue by itself.
If you are worried maybe you should just do it with your husband present. It's a sacrifice, because believe me, I understand how precious sleep is, but if you are posting you are clearly concerned, right? Are your tonic clonics usually nocturnal?
It's hard to know what is best. We never want to purposely hurt our children and sleeping with them isn't the only thing to worry about by far.
I have had a complex partial when my toddler and 5 yr old were in the tub under my watch. My husband makes sure he's present now and mainly he does the tubbing. Sigh.

I always worry about dropping my baby. I have had many a partial while singing my littlest to sleep in my arms but fortunately he was usually asleep too and I had an aura usually to warn me but not always.

All we can do is the best we can and with as many safety precautions as possible.
I hope other people voice their opinions but I think you do what you think is best and what you feel you can do with a clear conscience. Being a mom is hard. Being a mom who has seizures is harder.

 

[CathyAnn31]

How old is your baby? How often are your seizures? Are they typically violent?

Can you side car the crib? The baby would be a little further away..

I wasn't diagnosed until my babies were older, but I was dx with sleep apnea and always made sure hubby was in bed with me. Luckily he is a light sleeper.

 

[momof3boys]

When our kids were babies they slept with us. Ive had epilepsy my whole life and have not had a seizure while the kids were in the bed with us. Once they got older, I put them into their own beds. But I havnt experienced a seizure while they were in the same bed with me.

 

[KarenB]

Well, for us, it's the reverse. We co-sleep, but it's because our little one has seizures at night. When he was younger, he had a crib that could open on one side and be level with our bed, so we would put him in there with the crib next to our bed and he could get in and out on his own. He would crawl out in the early morning to cuddle, but still have his own space. That might be a good way to handle it if you're afraid of harming him when having a seizure.

Now he's older and still sleeps in the room with us, but on his own mattress on the floor (he prefers sleeping on the floor, and we don't have to worry about him falling out and hitting his head)

 

[julie wishes]

Co sleeping in general is a widely debated subject. I didn't know if u knew that. Here in America they recommend against it but the debate goes round and round. And may even be different from coast to coast. I hear it is widely practiced in other countries. So many infants are lost each year because of suffocation. Its a hard decision for some parents and completely the natural choice for others. I personally know women who have accidentally smothered their children while sleeping. A horrible thing to live through, and something these moms could not get over. But for centuries women have used co sleeping.. I caution you to be careful and aware. Enjoy your little ones.... they grow up fast.

 

[Autumn Breeze]

I am a huge advocate of co-sleeping. I think it's what babies need, ect. But, I know that I could not co-sleep if we had anymore babies. At least not all cuddled up with easy access for nursing like I used to.

I would have to side car the crib or get a co-sleeper.