Is it necessary for my baby to sleep in a crib?

No: This is called co-sleeping and is encouraged in many cultures. Before you start co-sleeping, you should be aware of 2 things. The first is that it is associated with a higher risk of sids. The second is that you will need a plan for getting your infant out of your bed at a specific age. Without this plan, I have seen co-sleeping go on into the grade school years.

Yes: Cribs are very safe for infants, and cribs make life less stressful for babies and their parents. In a crib, a baby can fall asleep, wake up, make noises, play with toys, look around the room, and fall asleep again . . . All without the intervention of a parent. If a crib and its contents are properly set up, an infant cannot climb out of the crib. Therefore, the infant can't get into trouble.