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feels very cozy. Is there anything harmful in doing this?
Spending the night with your baby at your side is how most
people have slept throughout the ages. I think one of the most
blessed feelings a woman can have is the sweet sleep that she shares
with her nursing child. When you are together like that, it’s natural
that she may want to nibble a little on and off. However, it’s your
choice. You can go along with your baby’s wishes or keep your shirt
on and try to pacify her another way. There’s no right or wrong
about this—the decision is yours. (See
Chapter 15
for a discussion of
the pros and cons about co-sleeping.)
However, if you’re sleeping with your baby, please be aware of
the following:
Keep pillows and blankets away, avoid waterbeds, and make
sure she can’t fall off or get stuck under the headboard or
against the wall. (Swaddling will help keep her from scooting
into dangerous places.)
Make sure you’re getting enough rest. You’re no good to your
baby if you get sick or become a menace when you are
driving.
Once your baby’s teeth begin to come in, be aware that

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feedings lasting more than a half hour may cause tooth
decay.
9. There are a lot of thumb suckers in my family. Will giving my baby a
pacifier prevent her from sucking her thumb later … or encourage it?
Some babies are just incredibly driven to suck. Their strong desire
is not a sign of being overly immature, dependent, or insecure (or of
your being too lax as a parent). In my experience, the vast majority
of cases of prolonged thumb and pacifier sucking is simply an
inherited trait, no different from eye color or dimples. Or, to put it
another way, it’s one thing you really can blame on your parents!
There is little doubt that pacifiers prevent thumb sucking; it’s just
too hard to get both into the mouth at the same time. But in my
experience it doesn’t affect the length of time a baby demands to
suck on something (finger or paci).