New research has revealed that mums who co-sleep with their baby are more motivated to breastfeed [Photo: Rex Features]
The issue about whether to sleep in the same bed as your baby is a controversial one with experts coming down on both sides of the to share or not to share debate. But a new study has revealed that mums who share a bed with their newborn are more motivated to breastfeed and more likely to keep it up for longer.
The British study used data from 870 new mothers in the North-East of England. For 26 weeks following birth, mothers gave information about whether they had breastfed and whether they had slept in bed with their baby for at least one hour in the past week. 44% of mums said that they “rarely” or “never” bed-shared, 28% did so “intermittently” and 28% said they shared a bed with their tot “often.”
More of the women who said they bed-shared often were still breastfeeding after six months. Those who sometimes shared a bed tended to breastfeed for around five and a half months, while those who bed-shared rarely breastfed for an average of just over three months.
Sleeping with your baby can help you reach your breastfeeding goals [Photo: Rex Features]
The research also found that mums who co-slept with their baby often had demonstrated more motivation to breastfeed during pregnancy. 70% who ended up bed-sharing often had said before birth that they viewed breastfeeding as important. Compared to about 56% among woman who went on to bed-share intermittently or never. Similarly, 95% of mums who frequently co-slept had expressed a strong intent to breastfeed during pregnancy, compared to only 87% and 82%, respectively, of mums who shared a bed with their baby intermittently or rarely.
The issue about whether to sleep in the same bed as your baby is a controversial one with experts coming down on both sides of the to share or not to share debate. But a new study has revealed that mums who share a bed with their newborn are more motivated to breastfeed and more likely to keep it up for longer.
The British study used data from 870 new mothers in the North-East of England. For 26 weeks following birth, mothers gave information about whether they had breastfed and whether they had slept in bed with their baby for at least one hour in the past week. 44% of mums said that they “rarely” or “never” bed-shared, 28% did so “intermittently” and 28% said they shared a bed with their tot “often.”
More of the women who said they bed-shared often were still breastfeeding after six months. Those who sometimes shared a bed tended to breastfeed for around five and a half months, while those who bed-shared rarely breastfed for an average of just over three months.
Sleeping with your baby can help you reach your breastfeeding goals [Photo: Rex Features]
The research also found that mums who co-slept with their baby often had demonstrated more motivation to breastfeed during pregnancy. 70% who ended up bed-sharing often had said before birth that they viewed breastfeeding as important. Compared to about 56% among woman who went on to bed-share intermittently or never. Similarly, 95% of mums who frequently co-slept had expressed a strong intent to breastfeed during pregnancy, compared to only 87% and 82%, respectively, of mums who shared a bed with their baby intermittently or rarely.
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