Copecho: Breastfeeding When Co-sleeping

To this day, we can still hear comments that question co-sleeping, but for breastfeeding mothers, the cunt is the best tool to allow them to rest while breastfeeding.

More and more families decide to sleep with their baby in the same bed or close to their crib, to have their little one close to them and, thus, do the practice of the crest. Apart from the many benefits that co-sleeping offers, it also avoids having to get up during the night every time the baby wakes up, so the parents’ rest will be greater and of better quality.

When the baby is breastfed, this makes more sense, which is why it is known as copecho . The close relationship that co-sleeping with breastfeeding has given meaning to this word.

Copecho concept

The term  copecho was  born thanks to researchers James McKenna and Jee Gettler, anthropologists and experts in human behavior. They dubbed this close union between co-sleeping and breastfeeding as  breastsleeping  (which would come to be copecho , in Spanish).

Co-sleeping benefits

In this sense, it should be mentioned previously that co-sleeping has infinite benefits, as shown in this study published in Primary Care Pediatrics , both for the mother and the baby. The most notable would be the following:

• It favors breastfeeding : co-sleeping facilitates night feeding, making the mother’s rest compatible with breastfeeding.
• The whole family sleeps better : not only because of not having to get up to take care of the baby, but also because the little one will have fewer awakenings and will sleep better as they feel accompanied by their parents.

• Reduces the risk of sudden death : Studies show that co-sleeping reduces the risk of sudden death in infants.
• It favors the well-being of the baby and its emotional and neuronal development.

How does co-sleeping promote breastfeeding?

Sleeping with the baby next to him encourages him to take more nighttime feedings, unlike if he did not sleep with the mother. The fact of having the chest makes freely available to suckle when you feel the need without even having to ask.

All this means that the mother’s milk production is maintained during the night and that she does not wake up with such a congested breast.

In addition, having the mother’s breast at full disposal during the night helps the child to fall asleep in the micro awakenings that it has during the night. This is achieved thanks to the hormones contained in milk and the security and tranquility that being close to his mother gives him.

Studies show that babies who sleep with their mothers will breastfeed longer than those who did not sleep with their parents.

Precautions when practicing the crest

If you decide to cope because of all the benefits that this practice has, you have to take into account a series of factors so that co-sleeping is safe:

• Do not use pillows, blankets or any other element near the baby : the little one should sleep on a firm mattress and free of any cushions, blankets or stuffed animals. If it is cold, you can put a sheet up to the waist but no other objects that can be near your face.

• Do not sleep with the baby on sofas, rocking chairs or chairs : whenever you sleep with the little one, it will be in bed, on a lying surface where the baby is on the mattress. If you sleep with him on the couch, you run the risk that he might fall during your sleep.
• Do not smoke, drink alcohol or other substances : If the mother or partner has used alcohol or drugs, they can fall into such a deep sleep that they do not even realize that the baby is there. With one carelessness it could be crushed.
• Obesity : If the mother or father is obese, there may be a real risk of crushing. Also, the weight of the adult can cause the mattress to sag further than that part, which could cause the baby to drift to that side.
• Premature or underweight babies : each situation should always be evaluated, but, as a general recommendation, you should not co-sleep with premature babies.

To finish, after telling you about the many benefits that copecho brings, you will surely consider this option if your idea is to breastfeed your baby. Otherwise, each family and their circumstances are completely different. In the end, whatever you decide, it’s going to be the best for your family. There is no one better than you to meet your own needs and those of your baby.