When Anaya was smaller we slept with her head on my arm. That way I couldn't roll onto her. I think also that if we are in tune with our children we will be aware of anything unsafe. They say that less SIDS occur while co-sleeping, if the infant stops breathing mama usually senses it and even without waking up will adjust the child. At the very beginning, when Anaya had just gotten out of the NICU I would sleep with her on my chest because then I could feel her heartbeat and breathing and could tell easily if she had an apnic episode. I want to validate your concern as well as say that women have been co-sleeping forever, long before the invention of cribs, trust your primal mama instincts!

as her mother, you have a very sharp instinct that tells your sleeping body 1) where she is & 2) not to move. cosleeping sometimes means waking up stiff from sleeping in one still position all night. maybe invest in a larger bed. we have a hand-me-down king size bed & we find we have lots of room. although, now that little boy has taken to sleeping perpendicular to us, we have less room. eliminating all but two regular-sized pillows for your heads will reduce the risk of her getting underneath one (it happened to me, very scary) & if you're really worried about her getting lost under the covers (also happened to us), you can lay her on top of your covers or have seperate twin-size blankets for you & your partner & a small, light blanket for her.

don't give up & enjoy your cosleeping!

I was very worried about co-sleeping at first. I tend to be a very active sleeper. At one point I used to have night terrors. I roll around a lot, especially in the cold weather when the air gets dry in the house because I can't breathe so well. I thought I'd be just as active with the baby in the bed...but that wasn't the case. I found more often than not, I woke up in the same place as I went to sleep. When I was in the hospital with my second, the nurse was impressed because I was even aware of when I pushed the baby too close to the edge of the bed and moved myself and the baby back towards the middle, completely in my sleep. Think about it, how often do you roll out of bed? You learn where your boundaries are and keep them. The same happens with the baby. You're a lot more aware of what happens in your sleep than you think.

I know it was also mentioned that you could put the baby's head on your arm. This worked great with my first. My second, however, liked to give me a heart attack because he would only sleep on his belly or curled up against me. though it sounds uncomfortable, I used to tuck his head below my arm (think in my armpit almost). I slept without a shirt on, or at most with a camisole nursing pajama top, so I could always feel him breathing since he was facing me. He was so comfortable being so close to me that he stayed that way all through the night, except when he needed to nurse. Then he'd fuss until he found what he was looking for. Now he can find it on his own at night without help, latches himself on in his sleep, and nurses away until he's knocked out. At least, that's how he is when his nose isn't running down to his knees!

If you feel up to it, try one night of the baby sleeping right against your body from the time you go to bed. See if that helps calm your nerves any. It might help the both of you sleep more comfortably, since it seems she's seeking you out in the night anyway.

I've heard that a mommy's instincts are pretty right on when it comes to co-sleeping, even when the mommy is sleeping. The only danger I've heard of with co-sleeping is doing it when you have been drinking, or are otherwise not clear in the head. My daughter is 19 months and we've co-slept this whole time. I did, in fact roll over onto her once, and I woke right up!

i thought our girl was tootoo little to co-sleep right in our bed for the first few weeks, so we asked for the co-sleeper instead of a crib ... it was a great gift, even if it did become the clean clothes depository after we brought her to our bed at around 6 weeks-ish ( right around the time we learned to side-nurse )

but also, it was great to have a place for her to be safe and contained when we needed grownup time in the bedroom.

we broke it down and stored it when she was about 7 months old.

Congratulations on your new baby!

I have a month old as well and have been sleeping with her. I sometimes sleep with her tucked in next to me, on her side. I rest her head on my arm and make sure her face isn't right up against my chest...so she can breath. I think I'm also getting more comfortable with things. I still sometimes worry that she won't be able to breathe but I am learning to trust my momma instincts. I also sometimes lay her on her back beside me. I roll up two baby blankets and tuck one on either side of her to keep her from rolling onto her side or belly. She seems to like it. If you do have the co-sleeper that fits inside your bed maybe you should use that until you feel more comfortable. There's no wrong way to do this...it's about finding what works best for YOU. Good luck!