How, and why, I safely co-sleep with my baby

Over the next weeks, we both tried, and failed, to stay awake while holding Jack. We were dozing off, still upright, on the couch or in a recliner or glider — waking in a panic every time we realized what had happened. This was not a safe choice.

At around 5 weeks, I reached my maximum level of sleep deprivation. I was delirious. So I did the only thing I could think of. I read up on co-sleeping and bed-sharing. I learned how to make our bed a safe sleeping space for all three of us. Jack and I learned to master side-lying breastfeeding, and I finally started to get enough sleep to function.