Co Sleeping(Infant Bed Sharing): A Harm Reduction Approach

I never intended to practice co-sleeping or infant bed sharing with my first baby. I had the tiny cot prepared for him next to my bed. It was a “firm, flat surface” as recommended. My (ex)partner was skeptical. He comes from a country where people don’t use cribs and the newest baby is always in bed with the parents until they get big enough to go to the room with the other kids or the next baby comes. But that first night I brought him home, just a few hours old, he choked in his sleep. It’s not out of the realm of normal for a baby to choke a little or cough in their sleep, but as a brand new terrified mama and a partner that thought he should be in the bed anyway, I brought him into our bed.