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EVENT SALES PROGRAM Our Event Sales Program allows you to fundraise while offering quality materials to your customers, families, or event participants. Perfect for conferences, WBW events, and more! Here's how it works: Select the books you'd like by browsing our store Order any of our books at a 50% discount Return the books that you don't sell Receive your bill after your event Only pay for the books you sold To learn more or to place an order, contact us at Info@PlatypusMedia.com .

We are always excited to work with other parents, educators, and bloggers who enjoy our products! If you are interested in working with us or writing about any of our products, please fill out our contact form. Thank you! BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION CHILDREN'S BOOKS FEATURED ON HUFFPOST Three of our titles are featured in an article on HuffPost! The author of the article, " 19 Children's Books That Normalize Breastfeeding , " writes: In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, we’ve rounded up 19 children’s books that are about nursing or feature images that normalize this way of feeding a little one. Check out the article here to see more great children's books. INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DIA L. MICHELS Dia L. Michels is an award-winning internationally published science and parenting writer, she is the author or editor of over a dozen books for both children and adults. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Dutch, Hebrew, Chinese, and Korean. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at conferences, universities, libraries, and schools around the country. Her most recent publication is a Spanish edition of her classic breastfeeding children’s book, If My Mom Were a Platypus . Learn more about Dia and our latest release 'Si mi mamá fuera un ornitorrinco : Los bebés mamíferos y sus madres ' through this fun interview conducted by Children's Book Council! FEATURE FROM HISPANIC MPR Seventeen years after the publication of If My Mom Were a Platypus, Science Naturally published a Spanish translation of the children’s book. Si mi mama fuera ornitorrinco , the 64-page softcover title written by Dia L. Michels, translated by The Spanish Group and illustrated by Andrew Barthelmes is filled with color illustrations and journal style sketches of animal babies and their families on most pages. Read more of Hispanic MPR's article at their website . COME HOME SOON, BABY BROTHER Shanisty's son Adam was born full-term and weighed a whopping 9 lbs. 8 oz. at birth. She thought everything with him was perfectly normal, until he was diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) at only 6 weeks old. It was a terrifying time for her entire family as Adam was admitted to Nationwide Children’s Hospital for several days. He was hooked up to breathing machines and oxygen as he fought for his little life. Read how our "Come Home Soon Baby Brother/Sister " coloring books helped Shanisty explain to her older children what it was like for their new brother while he was in the ICU. Read the full story on her beautiful post: Come Home Soon, Baby Brother! Image Credit: Shanisty Ireland

Nurtured and Nuzzled Book Set Paperback ISBN: 978-1-930775-45-9 Price: $17.95 COMING : OCTOBER 2018 These two early childhood books from our Beginnings collection are filled with captivating illustrations of animal mothers caring for their babies. These books demonstrate a wide range of habitats and healthy relationships in the natural world. The elegant text and educational back matter will help parents, librarians, educators, and healthcare providers adopt new ways of introducing children to attachment, breastfeeding, and early science concepts. Both books model the warm, nurturing bond between parent and child, while encouraging curiosity about childhood, nature, and families. Free, downloadable Teachers’ Guides are available to further explore the content in each book. Set includes Cuddled and Carried and Babies Nurse . Click on titles for more information about each book. what the experts say... "★★★★★ Cuddled and Carried is one of those books children will ask to be read over and over. The illustrations make you want to cuddle and carry the book itself. The amazing lifelike illustrations show nurturing relationships of a variety of animals and their babies [who] share the meaning of love. Simple sentences promote a child self-reading from the artwork, even if they don’t know the words. Cuddled and Carried is a fun and educational resource. Highly recommended!" —Reader's Favorite starred review "These gentle books beg to be read aloud with a little one in your lap, but they offer more than mere bedtime stories. Designed to encourage a lifelong passion for learning, they also include supplemental information about the animals pictured as well as suggestions for talking with children about the natural world." —Karen Lyon, The Literary Hill “What gentle books! They nurture a child’s empathy for others and open their eyes to the world of nature. Very sweet and educational.” —Dr. Harvey Karp, FAAP, author, The Happiest Baby on the Block

Cuddled and Carried Karese'm Epi Pote'm Beautiful bilingual book celebrates the bond between parent and child in the animal kingdom - now in Haitian Creole Babies—whether in snowy dens, warm lagoons, cozy nests, or living rooms—are carried and cuddled, nurtured and nuzzled. Stunning images and gentle verse will capture the curiosity of even the youngest readers as they see how animal mothers tend to their cubs, pups, calves, and chicks. Beautiful images introduce the reader to attachment in the natural world. Watching mothers lend a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion. Supplemental back matter and a free Teacher's Guide helps parents, librarians, educators, and healthcare providers creatively describe caretaking, while introducing a range of early science concepts. Twenty years ago, Dr. Nice helped start the Orphelinat Coeur d’ Jesus (Heart of Jesus Orphanage), a K-12 school in Haiti that today serves 550 students and houses around 50 orphans. He contacted Platypus Media about commissioning bilingual English/Creole editions of the book to be donated to the students of the school. According to Dr. Nice, “Our goal is to give one of these beautiful books to each of the children we serve so they have something of their own to treasure, and this book will certainly be a treasure to hold for the children.” Dr. Nice is working with two translators on the project, Pierre Alix Occide and Honoré Jean, who have also served as English teachers, translators, and interpreters for many medical missions in Haiti. Coming March 15, 2020 Size: 6 x 8 | Page count: 32 | Ages: 1-4 Paperback: $8.95 | eBook: $7.99 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-930775-82-4 eBook ISBN: 978-1-930775-78-7 View the Press Release . Free downloadable Teacher's Guide available. Also available in English and bilingual English/Spanish editions. what the experts say... “This book will... be a treasure to hold ” —Dr. Frank Nice, RPh, DPA, CPHP, founding member of Health and Education for Haiti. “Cuddled and Carried is one of those books children will ask to be read over and over. The illustrations make you want to cuddle and carry the book itself. The amazing lifelike illustrations show nurturing relationships of a variety of animals and their babies [who] share the meaning of love. Simple sentences promote a child self-reading from the artwork, even if they don’t know the words. Cuddled and Carried is a fun and educational resource. Highly recommended!” —Reader's Favorite ☆☆☆☆☆ review “What a gentle book! It nurtures a child’s empathy for others and opens their eyes to the world of nature. Very sweet and educational.” —Dr. Harvey Karp, FAAP, author, The Happiest Baby on the Block “A beautifully and realistically illustrated book that briefly introduces how animals care for their young. Young children will enjoy seeing care-taking by familiar animals and learning about new ones. A good choice for first graders to meet NGSS performance expectation 1-LS1-2 to read to ‘determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.’ The book places humans squarely in the Animalia kingdom, rather than setting us apart from all others, inviting comparisons between species.” —Peggy Ashbrook, early childhood science educator and author of Science Learning in the Early Years About the Author Dia L. Michels is an internationally published, award-winning science and parenting writer who has authored or edited over a dozen books for both children and adults. While her topics include science and math books for middle grade students, her passion is promoting attachment parenting and supporting breastfeeding. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Dutch, and Hebrew. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at conferences, universities, libraries, and schools around the country. The mother of three grown children, she lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with four cats and a dog. She can be reached at Dia@PlatypusMedia.com . and Illustrator Mike Speiser ’s artwork has been featured on the covers of Wild Animal Baby magazine and on fundraising products for science organizations. His paintings have been displayed at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. He is involved with efforts to protect the natural world for future generations. He lives next to the Black Hills of South Dakota. He can be reached at Mike@PlatypusMedia.com .

Coming Soon! click on the covers below for more information

Read the Press Release in English or Spanish Size: 10 7/8 x 8 3/8 | Page count: 32 Age Range: 4-7 Grade Range: preschool-2nd grade Hardback: $14.95 | Paperback: $9.95 | eBook: $8.99 Available in a bilingual (English/Spanish) format June 2018 and an English-only format October 2018 Bilingual Hardback ISBN: 978-1-930775-73-2 Bilingual Paperback ISBN: 978-1-930775-72-5 Bilingual eBook ISBN: 978-1-930775-40-4 English Hardback ISBN: 978-1-930775-61-9 English Paperback ISBN: 978-1-930775-71-8 English eBook ISBN: 978-1-930775-75-6 Free downloadable Teacher's Guide available. Babies Nurse Así s e alimentan los bebés Esta hermosa colaboración entre una bibliotecaria del área infantil y un jugador de la NBA que se volvió acuarelistapresenta el acto más natural y amoroso: el amamantamiento de las madres a sus críos. Ganador del Premio Productos Favoritos de los Padres, las luminosas ilustraciones y el lírico texto bilingüe (Inglés/ Español) de este libro dan a los niños un vistazo a los mundos de 13 diferentes criaturas mamíferas. Cautivadoreshechos sobre su infanciaamplían también el conocimiento del joven lector acerca de cada animal. La lactancia como tema central del libro motiva conversaciones acerca de la paternidad, la biología, los espacios naturales, la supervivencia y demás temas afines, haciendo de este libro una opción entrañable tanto para los infantes como para lectores en la escuela primaria. BILINGÜE (INGLÉS/ESPAÑOL) JUNIO 2018 PRÓXIMA APARICIÓN EN INGLÉS OCT 2018 "creaun espacio adecuado para explorar la alimentación y el apego normaldel infante " "crea imágenes positivas acerca de la lactancia" Una porción de todas las ventas de estelibroserá donada a Liga internacional de La Leche Lo que los expertos dicen... “¡Qué libro más encantador! Despierta la empatía de un infante por los demás y abre sus ojos al mundo de la naturaleza.Muy tierno y educativo.” —Dr. Harvey Karp, FAAP, autor de The Happiest Baby on the Block (El Bebé más Feliz de la Cuadra) “Sencillo, escrito en rima, con un texto bilingüe y amables y apacibles ilustraciones, el libro introduce allector y oyente infantila la más natural y amorosa de las actividades: las madres alimentando suscríos. Madres y bebés de los campos, de la jungla, del aire o del agua son presentados en un escenario semejante demostrando que todos los bebés mamíferos son alimentados en la misma forma. Este libro será invaluable al mostrar la lactancia como algo completamente natural, normal, amoroso y bueno para ambos las madres y los bebés” —Wendy Watson, autora y/o ilustradora de más de 60 libros para niños, Phoenix, Arizona “Las ilustraciones son sublimes. Los hermosos colores y las líneas fluidas permiten al lector ver a los bebés alimentarse delicada ynaturalmente.¡Hacer este libro bilingüe es una maravillosa manera de exponer más alternativas de lenguaje a las mentes de los bebés! Este bello libro es un perfecto regalo para cada nuevo bebé.” —Alejandrina Vostrejs, Certificada Birthing From Within Mentor and Doula (Maestra y Comadrona de Partos desde Dentro) “Este hermoso libro demuestra de una espléndida manera la conexión intuitiva y natural entre una madre y su crío. La lactancia es el primer paso en el cultivo de una mente, un sentido del instinto y un espíritu saludables para ambos la nueva mamá y sus pequeños. Como pediatra y madre, valoro la sencilla narrativa acompañada de las lindas ilustraciones. ¡Genial y alentador!” —Kristin Struble, M.D., autorade How to Be a “Poop” Detective (Como ser un detective “Popó”) Read all the Reviews Si a usted le gusta este libro, Le encantará: Cuddled and Carried/ Consentido y cargado Los bebés, ya sea en cuevas nevadas, cálidas lagunas, acogedores nidos o salas de estar, son cargados y acurrucados, alimentadosyacariciados. Este libro es una celebración del estrechonexo entre un padre y su criatura en todo el reino animal. Impactantes imágenes y una rima elegante capturarán la curiosidad de hasta los lectores más pequeños. En la parte posterior del libro, guías de discusión, vocabulario animal e información acerca de los primeros alimentos de una cría estimulan a los niños a aprender más acerca de estos 18 animales. El libro presenta conceptos científicos básicos, tales como los hábitats, exhortando a los niños a que comparen su vecindario con la jungla, el océano o el ártico. También vendidos en un set como la Colección Nurtured and Nuzzled (Criados y Acariciados) Bilingüe ISBN: 978-1-930775-75-6 Inglés ISBN: 978-1-930775-74-9 $17.95 "¡Enfáticamente recomiendo estos librospara su uso personal o educativo!” — José Avilés, Director de Escuela, Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School, Wilmington, Delaware Acerca de la autora Bibliotecaria en una escuela primaria, autora de libros infantiles y madre de tres niños, Phoebe Fox escribió Babies Nurse / Así se alimentan los bebés para mostrar a los niños como todos los mamíferos proveen leche para sus vástagos. Fox buscó enfatizar la calidez y la belleza de la lactancia al mismo tiempo que mostraba que todos los mamíferos comparten ciertos criterios en la alimentación, protección y enseñanzas que dan a sus criaturas. Con títulos universitarios en Desarrollo de la Infancia Temprana e Instrucción Curricular, Phoebe estuvoespecíficamente bien posicionada para presentar esta información de una manera atractiva para los pequeños lectores. Basándose en su propia experiencia como una madre lactante, y queriendo presentar de una manera clara y precisa lo relativo a este“artenatural,” ella consultózoólogosy pediatraspara recrear esta práctica en una sencilla introducción. Ella también es la autora de: Starry’s Haircut, Starry Gets Lost (Corte de Pelo de Starry, Starry se Pierde), y Up Up Up (Arriba, Arriba, Arriba) Ganador del Premio 2015 a la Primera Edición de un Libro Infantil. Visítela en mamafoxbooks.com . Fox vive en Phoenix, Arizona, con su esposo y sus tres hijos. Puede ser contactada en PFox@PlatypusMedia.com . Cuando llegó la hora de buscar un ilustrador para el libro, Phoebe le pidió a su suegro, Jim Fox , si él aceptaría la tarea. Retirado dela NBA donde jugó con los Phoenix Suns, Jim fue él mismo un recipiente de mucha de la leche de su propia madre y dice que los beneficios son obvios: él mide 6’ 10”, es un hombre saludable y ha procreado maravillosos hijos y nietos. Abuelo de cinco nietos, cree que la lactancia es la mejor iniciación de un ser en la vida. Jim vive en Phoenix con su esposa, Mary Alice. Este es su primer libro. Él puede ser contactado en JFox@PlatypusMedia.com . y el ilustrador transadaptación por Victory Productions Victory Productions provee servicios de traducción, evaluación y programas de estudio. El equipo Victory de lingüistas nativos y especialistas de contenidos usan recursos propios y expertos pedagógicos para resolver todas las necesidades de lenguajes. Visíte los en www.VictoryPrd.com . Dibujos lineales por Wesley Davies Un artista residente de New England, Wesley (23) se especializa en ilustración digital y diseño. Terminó sus estudios universitarios en el Kenyon College en 2017 y trabaja como ilustradorpor su cuentaescribiendo suhistorieta en curso The Ecliptic Age (La Edad Eclíptica), y añadiendo plantas a su siempre creciente jardín que cultiva en el interior de su casa.Desde su temprana infancia, inspirado por los muchos libros y documentales sobre la naturaleza que despertaron su pasión por la biología y la antropología, él ha estado dibujando animales. Siempre lo hace feliz poder combinar sus intereses personalescon las ilustraciones que crea. Él puede ser contactado en Wesley@PlatypusMedia.com .

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Sleeping with your baby has been the norm for almost all cultures through almost all ages. Despite this, few issues in modern parenting generate as much disagreement as whether or not parents and babies should sleep in the same bed. Authorities warn that child should never sleep in an adult bed. Parents who cherish the closeness, warmth and security of cosleeping find their hearts at odds with their brains. This page provides information about cosleeping, sleep training, crib safety, and overall sleep safety presented in an unbiased and family-friendly way. On this page, you will find resources to supplement your knowledge of safe infant sleeping and to assist in the facilitation of any discussions amongst groups of new parents, parents-to-be, and with your parenting partner. These resources have been carefully compiled to provide you with the most current research and accurate information, so you can make the best decisions regarding safe infant sleeping. Below you will find: an extensive FAQ , our Safe Infant Sleep Checklists , Dia's Safe Sleep Powerpoint , and a variety of other resources . Resources for Safe Infant Sleep Will cosleeping get in the way of my child’s ability to be independent? Ultimately, absolutely not, but it may delay your baby’s willingness to be alone when she sleeps. Sometimes parents are under the mistaken impression that if they don’t train their babies to sleep by them- selves, somehow some developmental or social skill later in life will be kept from them, or they worry that their babies will never exhibit good sleep patterns as adults. In reality, there has never been a scientific study anywhere that has shown any benefit whatsoever to sleeping through the night at young ages, or even sleeping through the night as adults. Independence and autonomy have nothing to do with self-soothing or forcing babies to learn how to sleep by themselves. Studies have shown recently that children who routinely sleep with their parents actually become more independent socially and psychologically, and are able to be alone better. The idea that you shouldn’t pick up a baby or touch a baby during the night, which is believed by many who promote solitary sleep, is completely antithetical to a hundred years of biological information on what constitutes good development: the development of empathy, the development of autonomy, the ability to be alone when you need to be alone, and the ability to interrelate and to become inter- dependent with others. As you begin to know your child better and identify your priorities as a parent, you will guide your child toward these goals. When compared to solitary sleeping children, children who have coslept tend to make friends easily, are more innovative, better able to control their tempers, and are better problem-solvers. Earlier we talked about parenting trade-offs, and this is an important and useful concept here. For example, should you choose to routinely cosleep all night every night with your child, you should be prepared for the possibility that, when you are ready to wean your child from your bed, they may not be on the same timetable as you. One study found that, compared with solitary sleepers from birth, infants who cosleep from birth either learn or accept sleeping alone about a year later than infants who have no choice but to sleep alone. So the trade off may be this: the emergence of independent solitary sleeping in children may be delayed with routine cosleeping, but eventually separate sleep will not be a problem for your child, and the good news is that as parents you derived great feelings and memories from cosleeping. Along with those experiences, your child may have developed a more permanent capacity for self-sufficiency, resilience, comfort with affection, and the ability to be alone when necessary. Will we be able to get a good night’s rest if we bring our baby into our bed? The answer to this question depends in part on exactly how parents define a “good night’s sleep,” and whether bedsharing is a choice made by the parents or a situation they feel was imposed on them by their child’s inability to sleep alone. But remember that the reason that many families unexpectedly decide to bedshare is that it permits the family to get more sleep. It is more accurate to say that some parents, while still happy with their decision to bedshare for emotional reasons, are not able to get as much uninterrupted sleep. For many families it remains worth it to bedshare with older children, even if on some nights Dad or Mom makes a hasty retreat to an empty bed somewhere else in the house for some extra rest they feel they need—a system I refer to as “musical beds.” Sometimes one parent takes the call from a child sleeping in another room and enters the child’s bed, stays for while, then slips back into their own bed. Moms and Dads often take turns—or maybe just Dad does the nighttime responding (as I did). For families that like this method, it can work very well. (Upon reflection, I can honestly say I think back with gratitude for those times when my son called me into his bed to snuggle upon waking and feeling a bit insecure.) Again, each family should work to find what arrangements work best for them. Contrary to popular belief, and according to the mothers themselves, the choice to bedshare with infants tends to promote a longer, more restful night’s sleep for both babies and parents alike, and this is especially true if the mother is breastfeeding. A baby sleeping in a separate room, in order to elicit a feeding from the mother, needs to cry. This generally makes the baby less calm and more excited, even before the breastfeeding begins. While bedsharing mothers may have many more arousals, they perceive that their sleep is better when they are sleeping with their babies. And, of course, if you do experience difficulty sleeping with your child in your bed, you can still experience many of the benefits of cosleeping by having your baby sleep on a separate surface in the same room. My pediatrician says I will create a “bad habit” that will be hard to break if I bedshare. Is this true? This ubiquitous warning is based on subjective, perceived values, not science. One family’s “bad habit” is another family’s most treasured time together. And for most (though maybe not all), bedsharing feels pretty darn good, and for all the right reasons. Like adults, infants and children will be reluctant to give up something that feels right to them. That said, any human habit can be broken and the way new sleeping arrangements are introduced depends on who the parents and children are and the special characteristics of the family. There is absolutely nothing wrong with deciding that you are ready to have your child sleep in his or her own room, but the trick is to trust your own knowledge of your child in deciding how best to do this. Methods tried by some parents include making bedtime full of stories and rituals unique to your child or offering a sleeping companion doll or favorite object, easing the child from the bed by having the child sleep on the floor or a mat next to the bed or on a cot or bed in the room but not in the bed, or merely stressing the excitement of a new room or having special privileges for an older child. Changing routines is a necessary part of growing up, and the transition away from cosleeping can be a positive experience for your child. What about naptimes? Most babies do not mind sleeping alone during naps during the day—it is the darkness of nighttime that is intimidating. But it is ideal to not isolate babies even for naps. Try to let your baby nap in a bassinet or crib wherever there are people around, if this is possible. Don’t worry about your baby not being able to fall asleep, because most babies can sleep in the middle of a rock concert when they are tired. The old idea of “Shhhh! ...the baby is sleeping,” only conditions a baby to sleep lightly and to stir at each extraneous noise. Babies feel secure hearing the voices of their brothers or sisters and parents while sleeping. The level of normal noises in a household assures a level of arousal in your baby that’s probably just about right for the safest possible sleep. And remember to purchase an extra set of baby monitors and put the speaker next to your baby! If I have twins or multiples, should we cosleep?" As with any aspect of caring for twins, there are added challenges to bedsharing, especially without the proactive involvement of your partner or spouse. My general recommendation is to place at least one twin back in the crib or bassinet after feeding and sleeping with one twin or multiple at a time, to place both or all infants back in the same crib or bassinet to cobed with each other (see the next chapter), or to place two or more bassinets next to each other. If you do not have the kind of spouse or partner that sees him or her- self as an active partner in the care of your twins, it is best not to fall asleep with the twins in the bed. Moreover, if regularly bedsharing with your twins, it is essential to have a king-size bed and a partner who is more than a passive participant, and who has agreed to work with you to take responsibility for knowing exactly where each twin is at all times. If the second adult does not agree to take responsibility for at least one twin, but you want to continue to bedshare, then do not leave one twin between yourself and your partner, but rather have both twins in front of you so that you can curve your body around them and shield them from your bed-mate. Keeping yourself and your twins at some distances from each other will be important too, only because it is easier for one twin to want to snuggle as close to you, and in the process, as close (perhaps too close) to his sibling as he can get. Use only the lightest of blankets to ensure free air passage for both twins. Being mindful of the fact that hungry infants are quite capable of mistaking a sibling’s nose for a breast is worth preparing for, because as strange or as funny as it may seem, one twin sucking on the nose of the other can quickly dehydrate the other. Yes, it has happened. I recommend that if there is a partner in the bed who has no interest in monitoring or taking responsibility for one or both twins, after each breastfeed (and if not breastfeeding at all), it is best to place the infants back in a bassinet or crib to cobed. (Karen Gromada has written a wonderful book on parenting multiples.). What is cobedding? Does it serve the same purpose as bedsharing? From a scientific point of view, this is an area that is little investigated. The term for cosleeping twins is “cobedding.” Cobedding is another form of cosleeping, and is very different from what the majority of this book has been concerned with. Cobedding takes the form of two bodies of equal size and weight in the same crib. How cobedding functions, and its role in infant development and safety, is very different from other forms of cosleeping. Since twins and multiples in general (for reasons still unknown) are associated with a higher risk for SIDS, questions pertaining to what kind of sleep environment might best protect them or put them at increased risk is especially critical. Questions pertaining to cobedding emerge against the larger background of trying to understand why premature births occur, as many twins are born premature. Prematurity is the leading cause of hospitalization during the neonatal period, and is responsible for up to 75% of neonatal illness and deaths, so this is an area in need of much further exploration. The challenge of all newborns in making their way from the womb to the worldly environment is to re-establish some kind of “biorhythmic balance” by stabilizing the functions of sleep-wake cycles, eating pat- terns, blood chemistry levels, and respiratory and heart rates. Two teams of researchers have argued that the mutual sensory exchanges that are facilitated by cobedding may enhance the ability of any one twin to accomplish this task specifically by improving breathing, using energy more efficiently and, in general, reducing the twins’ stress levels. It is known, for example, that the stress response which leads to increased cortisol production can negatively impact growth and development and generally alter thermal regulation, sleep duration, breathing and heart rate in potentially negative ways. These researchers found that, similar to what is observed to occur in the womb, cobedded twins move close together, touch and suck on each other, hold each other, and hug one another. Studies done by Dr. Helen Ball show that twins smile at each other and are often awake at the same time, supporting several anecdotal reports by parents of twins that their own infants prefer to be together, and that their babies settle better together and sleep more soundly when cobedded. Given the challenges of caring for two babies, as Dr. Ball points out from her studies, it is not surprising that parents will come to practice any behavioral care pattern which tends to maximize their own sleep and ease the burden of caring for and feeding two babies simultaneously. Nowadays when you hear a recommendation against cobedding, it often illustrates cultural biases against cosleeping in general where medical authorities assume—without any data—that if some instances of bedsharing between an adult and a baby are dangerous, then certainly two infants of equal body size must likewise pose a mutual threat. When and where there is a gap in our knowledge, or little information is available, recommendations (whether medical or not) quickly rely on generalizations, stereotypes, and anecdotal information, which is then passed on as if proven scientifically to be true. In this case, studies of bedsharing involving adults and infants are being applied to the question of whether or not it is safe or beneficial for twins to share a crib. Some hospital nursery wards are already assuming that the AAP’s recommendation against bedsharing applies to twins when, in fact, no twin studies were considered as the basis for those SIDS guidelines and no evidence-based considerations have, thus far, been used to justify hospital policies that argue against cobedding. As the following drawing shows, there are many different ways that parents of twins arrange a cobedding sleep environment for their infants: Is there anything different about cosleeping with an adopted baby? Depending on their ages and experiences, adopted infants and children may have heightened needs for affection and contact, but, if older, they may not be used to intimacy. Watch care- fully how your child reacts to you and respond accordingly. It is also helpful, where possible, to know your child’s history of experiences and assess what special needs or processes may be required to integrate the child into your family and to establish secure, safe and trustworthy new relationships. If you have adopted an infant and not a child, of course, there is no difference. Regardless of cultural origin, place of birth, or ethnicity, all babies have the same needs. Since attachment between any of us can be greatly enhanced by contact, cosleeping behavior can greatly facilitate the developing bond between your adopted child and yourself. It may be the case that adoption agencies require infants or children to have their own rooms. But you will be joining millions of parents whose nighttime care and associations with their children are hardly defined nor limited by the number of bedrooms they have, or where a crib may be located. What should a cosleeping family know about traveling together? During the first few years of life, you will find your infant or child will feel especially reassured sleeping in your company when away from home. Many parents permit cosleeping while traveling who do not ordinarily practice it. There does seem to be an elevated risk of SIDS for babies who experi- ence a previously unknown sleep environment. That is, babies between 2 and 4 months of age who are left to sleep alone while traveling and who ordinarily do not sleep alone have an increased risk (however slight) of dying from SIDS. And the reverse seems also to be true. A baby who does not ordinarily bedshare but who does while sleeping away from its home is at an increased risk of SIDS because she is in a new sleep environment. The bottom line: perhaps it is best while traveling to mimic as closely as possible what you ordinarily do at home. If you bedshare, bedshare; if you sleep apart, sleep apart. Keep in mind that if you are bedsharing while traveling, you need to ensure that the bedsharing setup is safe for your baby (see Part II: How to Cosleep). When you are traveling or on vacation, risk factors that may endanger your baby are still present. Risks may, in fact, be increased, so it will pay to be extra careful as to where and how your baby is sleeping while traveling. Will my child be different, in any negative sense, if I choose to cosleep or bedshare?" NO! Sleeping arrangements never, by themselves, create any specific kind of relationship that has not already been shaped by what occurs during the day. Sleeping arrangements only reflect the nature of the relationship a parent and child already share before they come to bed. In other words, sleeping arrangements generally reflect and sometimes strengthen, contribute to, or exaggerate the nature of the relationship that already exists, whether good or bad. Sleeping arrangements do not create a relationship: if the nature of a relationship is very, very good during the day, cosleeping simply makes whatever is already good just as good or even better at night. In contrast, if a parent is depressed or is resentful of the infant during the day, these same dynamics will impact the child negatively during the night if the parents choose to cosleep. That said, cosleeping can be a wonderful way for content and affectionate parents to continue to deepen the bond with their child during the night. How long should I cosleep with my child? However long you want to! In fact, how long an infant or child sleeps in proximity to her parents has never been a concern throughout all of the evolution of our species. As long as cosleeping is enjoyed by everyone involved and the relationship it reflects is healthy during the day, cosleeping in some form or another never has to stop...but, of course, it will. There is no specific cut-off after which suddenly, or even gradually, the family cosleeping arrangement becomes harmful, unless some- one in the arrangement is no longer pleased or at some point the situation has became socially, psychologically or physically unhealthy or undesired by a participating member of the family. Cosleeping (whether bedsharing or roomsharing) could never be best if all participants do not feel comfortable with the practice, and this is always the best time to stop. If anyone involved does not wish to cosleep, then cosleeping should never be forced. I am reminded of the number of times my South American under- graduate students sheepishly come up to me after my lectures on cosleeping to whisper their stories that they could never tell to their peers for fear of ridicule. More often than not, they wish to tell me they STILL cosleep with their parents when they return home for the holidays! One of my young friends described how all of the kids jump into their parents’ bed for conversation, storytelling, eating, watching TV, and for the simple enjoyment of sleeping together and being with each other in their parents’ bed. Should we cosleep if my partner is not the baby’s father? There is one study that has shown an increased risk of an infant dying when bedsharing with an unrelated adult male or other adult. However, the group that was studied for the most part had more than one risk factor present when these babies died. My guess is that if an unrelated sleeping partner is committed to an infant, assumes responsibility for her, considers the bedsharing infant his or her responsibility in the same ways the mother doethen the bedsharing should be as safe as it would be if the biological father or an adoptive parent were bedsharing. But the point is worth repeating. Unrelated adults may not care to be responsible for the infant in the same way as a biological or adoptive parent might be, or may choose to disregard their own responsibility for the infant’s safety. In any situation in which this is true, I would recommend against bed- sharing. Instead, place the baby next to the bed on a different surface. What long-term effects will my baby experience if we cosleep? It has never been proven, nor shown, nor is it even probable, that sleeping with your baby has any kind of negative long-term effects when the relationships between those involved are healthy. Instead, experts are finding that cosleeping can help develop positive qualities, such as more comfort with physical affection, more confidence in one’s own sexual gender identity, a more positive and optimistic attitude about life, or more innovativeness as a toddler and an increased ability to be alone. One major epidemiological study showed cosleeping school-age children as being under-represented in psychiatric populations. And, while I do not know if you might regard this as a blessing or a curse, a survey of college-age subjects found that males who coslept with their parents between birth and five years of age had significantly higher self-esteem, experienced less guilt and anxiety, and even reported greater frequency of sex! Cosleeping is part of a loving, supportive environment that parents produce for their children, and this, in turn, will give them the confidence to grow into social, happy, loving adults. Is it possible to reduce night feedings in a cosleeping situation? It is a difficult and unique process to wean a baby who has slept next to you from birth. The decision to wean is important, and should only be made if you feel it is necessary. Some babies might have difficulty adjusting to less breastfeeding. One strategy for less night breastfeeding is to breastfeed your baby more during the day. Placing a barrier between your breast and the baby, or sleeping facing in opposite directions can sometimes reduce the infant’s detection of milk nearby and eliminate some feeds, as can simply placing the baby in a crib in your room, or next to you in a bassinet. If your baby is crying to be fed, Dad can walk with the baby to help her learn a new association. Dad’s role in weaning a baby from night feedings can be very rewarding for fathers, leading to a new aspect of the attachment relationship with the baby. Trusting and using your own judgment and experience with your baby is important— and every baby will give you different insights as to what might work best for them and only them. Like the decision to cosleep or bedshare, the decision to wean has to be made carefully and with full attention to the needs of each individual family. Should I bedshare with my premature or underweight baby? In almost all of the epidemiological studies of which I am aware, infants who are small for gestational age or premature are disproportionately represented as SIDS victims and as victims of sudden unexpected infant death in bedsharing situations. While the reasons for this are not yet known, and could possibly include in-utero developmental events or assaults to the fetal nervous system (some of which are induced by maternal smoking, which can cause intra-uterine growth retardation), it is probably safer not to bedshare with your underweight or premature infant. Routine bedsharing does not seem to be found to contribute to the survival of these more fragile infants, so it is best avoided. Place your premature or underweight baby right next to your bed on a different surface, but not in bed with you. Skin-to-skin contact while awake, however, is extremely protective, and sensory exchanges with an adult are known to be clinically beneficial to developmentally disadvantaged infants. The more holding, carrying and breastmilk made available for these special babies, and the more physical interactions you have with them, the better. Safe Sleep FAQ These questions are excerpted from Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping, written by director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame and leading expert in the field Dr. Jim McKenna. This book, containing all the information parents need to know about cosleeping, is available in many languages, as well as in an abridged pamphlet in both English and Spanish. Dr. McKenna's newest book, Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions (2020), is also available in English and Spanish ! Safe Sleep Checklist Click the screen to download Dia's presentation on the benefits of cosleeping featuring featuring A charming baby dozes during each of her family's outings. Wakened by the sounds and smells of the places where they go, Baby opens her eyes and sees a lively detail—a flower, a hoof, a rubber duck—in this beautifully photographed series of books. Help Baby solve the mysteries of this guessing game book filled with beautiful photographs. Shop The Safe Sleep Checklist includes a variety of checklists from expert doctors and professional medical organizations to ensure a safe sleeping environment for an infant. Some lists address sleep training, cosleeping, and bedsharing, specifically, while others cover general safe sleeping requirements. Following the steps in the checklists will help ensure that an infant has a healthy sleeping environment. GET IT HERE . . . Cosleeping Power Point Fox 6 investigative report: Fatal Mistake Watch this investigative report and see what all these SIDS babies had in common in Milwaukee. It's a must-see for maternal/child health professionals and parents alike. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied

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• Coming February 2022 • A lo largo de la historia y a través de las culturas, dormir con tu bebé ha sido lo habitual. Pero aun así, en el mundo moderno, esta práctica está cargada de preguntas, miedo y culpa. En Sueño infantil seguro, un experto en el colecho con reconocimiento mundial explora por qué los profesionales de la salud recomiendan ampliamente todas las formas de colecho, comparte lo último en investigación científica sobre los beneficios de esta práctica y te ayuda a determinar cuál es el mejor plan de colecho para tu familia—desde amamantar al dormir hasta compartir la habitación. Sueño infantil seguro Respuestas de los expertos a tus preguntas sobre el colecho PRE-ORDER NOW El pediatra Jay Gordon escribe: "este es el libro más importante que puedes comprar o regalarles a los padres de un recién nacido". El doctor y consultor popular de la salud, William Sears, dice que "Sueño infantil seguro es un libro muy recomendado para todos los futuros padres y padres de recién nacidos, y es parte de la biblioteca de lecturas obligatorias para todos los asesores de cuidado para bebés". ¡Esta guía esencial tan apreciada en inglés ahora está disponible también en español! Throughout history and across cultures, sleeping with your baby has been the norm. Yet, in our modern world, the practice is fraught with questions, fear, and guilt. In Safe Infant Sleep, a globally recognized cosleeping authority explores why health professionals broadly recommend against all forms of cosleeping, shares the latest scientific research on the benefits of the practice, and helps you determine the best cosleeping arrangement for your family—from breastsleeping to room sharing. Pediatrician Jay Gordon writes "This is the most important book you will ever buy or give as a gift to new parents." Doctor and popular health consultant William Sears says "Safe Infant Sleep is a must-read for every expectant and new parent, and belongs in the required reading library of every babycare advisor." Already beloved in English , this essential guide will soon be available in Spanish! "La manera más saludable y natural de dormir para el bebé humano es en íntimo contacto con su madre, mamando a demanda durante toda la noche. Nuestra sociedad olvidó esta realidad hace ya algunos siglos, pero las investigaciones científicas de los últimos años sobre lactancia materna y desarrollo infantil han motivado a muchos profesionales de la salud a cuestionar las recomendaciones tradicionales. James McKenna nos ofrece su nuevo libro, en el que podemos encontrar una detallada explicación de lo que es el colecho, lo que supone para la salud del bebé y su madre, y cómo practicarlo con seguridad." —María Berrozpe, autora de ¡Dulces Sueños! By James J. McKenna, Ph.D. • Forewords by William Sears, M.D. and Meredith Small, Ph.D. Paperback: 978-1-930775-68-8 • 298 pages • 5.5” x 8.5” • $14.95 eBook: 978-1-930775-53-4 • $13.99 introducing: breastsleeping Introducing... 'breastsleeping' Safe Infant Sleep and Sueño infantil seguro foreground Dr. James McKenna's concept of " breastsleeping ." Drawing on the historic anthropological relationship between breastfeeding and infant sleep, breastsleeping refers to the phenomenon of breastfeeding mothers bedsharing with their nursing child. Here are the basics: With easy access to the breast, babies will night feed without waking their mother, or even fully waking themselves, meaning both mother and child get more sleep. Bedsharing increases the frequency of night feedings and has been known to extend breastfeeding duration. Worried about safety? Breastfeeding moms are physiologically attuned to their babies, and are likely to sleep more lightly, rousing if their babies are in danger. For more information, please visit SafeInfantSleepBook.com . Further reading: Acta Pædiatrica article ScaryMommy.com Notre Dame News Introducing 'breastsleeping' Presentando el dormir amamantando Acerca del autor • About the Author El Dr. James J. McKenna fundó y dirigió el revolucionario Laboratorio del Sueño Conductual para Madres-Bebés de la Universidad de Notre Dame y dio clases en su Departamento de Antropología por 22 años. Recibió su licenciatura en antropología en la Universidad de California, Berkeley, su maestría en la Universidad del Estado de San Diego y su doctorado en antropología biológica en la Universidad de Oregón, Eugene. Fue pionero en los primeros estudios en el mundo sobre la fisiología y el comportamiento de las madres y los bebés que practican el colecho, y publicó más de 165 artículos científicos en revistas médicas y antropológicas sobre los temas del colecho, la lactancia materna, la medicina evolucionaria y el SMSL. También es autor de varios libros, incluyendo Paisajes ancestrales en la evolución humana , Medicina evolucionaria , Durmiendo con tu bebé e Investigando el Síndrome de la Muerte Súbita del Lactante: el papel de la ideología en la ciencia biomédica . El Dr. McKenna es un orador popular en conferencias médicas, sobre la crianza y políticas gubernamentales en todo el mundo y continúa siendo el portavoz principal de la lactancia materna, el SMSL y asuntos de camas compartidas frente a los medios de comunicación en los Estados Unidos. - Dr. James J. McKenna founded and directed the revolutionary Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame and taught in the Anthropology Department there for 22 years. He received his undergraduate degree in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, his Master's Degree from San Diego State University, and his Ph.D. in biological anthropology from the University of Oregon, Eugene. He pioneered the world’s first studies of the physiology and behavior of cosleeping mothers and infants, and has published over 165 scientific articles in medical and anthropological journals on the topics of cosleeping, breastfeeding, evolutionary medicine, and SIDS. He has also authored several books, including Ancestral Landscapes in Human Evolution , Evolutionary Medicine , Sleeping With Your Baby , and Researching the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: The Role of Ideology in Biomedical Science . Dr. McKenna is a sought-after speaker at medical, parenting, and policy conferences around the world and remains a chief spokesperson to the U.S. media on breastfeeding, SIDS, and bedsharing issues. A Bit About the Illustrator Alison Kreckmann is a graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she received Bachelor of Art degrees in English and Graphic Design. Alison lives in Washington, D.C., where she works as an Editorial Assistant in scholarly publishing, and spends her spare time drawing.