Sorry, I can't directly access or quote from the specific article "Baby Sleep: How to Bedshare if you really have to" by Nalina Eggert as you requested. However, I can provide information on bedsharing and its impacts, along with making thoughtful comments and relating it to themes from a typical Module 2 on Birth, Physical, Cognitive, & Psychosocial Development in the First Three Years in a developmental psychology context.
**How does bedsharing help feel closer to the newborn?**
1. **Enhanced Bonding**: Bedsharing can strengthen the emotional bond between parents and their newborn, providing both with a sense of closeness and security. The physical proximity enables parents to respond more swiftly to their baby's needs, which can foster an increased sense of attachment and trust.
2. **Ease of Night-time Care**: It facilitates easier breastfeeding and comforting of the infant during the night. The convenience can lead to more consistent nurturing responses from the caregiver, which is crucial during the early stages of life when the newborn is developing trust and a sense of safety in their environment.
**Thoughtful/Reflective/Inquisitive Comments:**
1. **Reflective Comment**: I wonder how different family sleep arrangements impact the long-term attachment styles of children. Given the role of responsive caregiving in fostering secure attachments, does the practice of bedsharing create a significant advantage in developing stronger emotional bonds compared to separate sleeping arrangements?
2. **Inquisitive Comment**: While bedsharing appears to provide immediate benefits in terms of bonding and ease of care, what are the potential long-term developmental impacts on both the baby and the parents? For example, are there any cognitive developments in infants that are distinctly influenced by the increased physical closeness during sleep?
**Examples from Module 2 - Birth, Physical, Cognitive, & Psychosocial Development in the First Three Years:**
1. **Attachment Theory**: Secure attachment typically develops when a caregiver is consistently responsive to an infant's needs. Bedsharing might enhance this responsiveness. However, it is essential to balance this with recommendations on safe sleep to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
2. **Brain Development**: The physical closeness from bedsharing could potentially influence brain development through more frequent nurturing touch and immediate responses to distress, which are key components in the development of the baby’s stress regulation systems, social brain networks, and overall cognitive growth.
3. **Sleep Patterns and Physical Health**: It is important to consider how bedsharing might affect sleep patterns, both for the infant and the parents. Quality of sleep is crucial for the baby's physical growth and cognitive development, as well as for the parents' ability to function and respond to the baby's needs during the day.
In summary, bedsharing has its pros and cons, and one must carefully weigh the benefits of increased bonding and convenience against potential risks, always consulting current safety guidelines to ensure the well-being of the infant. By discussing these elements in the context of early childhood development research, we gain a nuanced understanding of how such practices may impact a child's formative years.
The article is Baby Sleep : How to Bedshare if you really have to by Nalina Eggert
How does bedsharing help feel closer to the newborn?
Read the article and make at least two (2) thoughtful/reflective/inquisitive comments
Find examples from Module 2 - Birth, Physical, Cognitive, & Psychosocial Development in the First Three Years
1 answer
3 answers