Co-sleeping?!

[Laur_250]

I know there are a few on here that do it?

Reggie has been in our bed for about 7 weeks now. We started letting him as it was he only way he would sleep well and we would get more sleep plus i breastfeed so its easier as i do it lying down. I love having him next to me which I know is naughty and although it would be nice to have some time to me and OH I secretly feel like i wouldnt want him to be in his own bed now as im so used to having him with me and i'd worry about him God that must sound REALLY BAD!!! But anyways I know this cant go on and its probably bad parenting as he HAS to learn to go to sleep on his own (HV kept telling me this), so when should i have started trying him on his own by before its too late?? And have I done this really the wrong way and 'spoilt' him allready so i cant ever teach him the skill of sleeping on his own now??

Any stories from your experience? Thanks girls.xx

 

[mum's the word]

Ricky and I co-slept for 6 months, I really enjoyed it. breastfed him without really waking up and felt it was right. Problems came when I started to get invited for meals out with the girls from baby club, and when MIL wanted to have him overnight. I wasn't able to leave the house in the evenings and after a lot of thought and mental preparation I put him in a cot in his own room. It took 3 nights of strong will, but it was the best descision I made (plan to do this with new baby at around 12 weeks).
Ricky has slept through, up to 13 hours some nights consistently since the change and is a happier baby for it, anyone can put him to bed now and since I stopped feeding him 3 months ago everything feels easier.
I wouldn't have changed anything because I enjoyed co-sleeping and didn't feel ready to put him in his own room/cot til he was 6 months, if I had donr it sooner I probably would have given up and had him back in bed!
You'll come to a point when you feel it's time to change, and as long as you're enjoying it don't feel it's 'naughty' it's far from wrong, children in some countries sleep with their parents for years and are found to be far more secure and independent than western children. I co slept with my older son til he was 4 cos I split with his dad and lived with my mum, it took just one night for him to settle on his own and he's an excellent sleeper now.
My personal feeling now is that either co-sleeping or putting them to bed in their own room fully awake are the kinder options, both ensure baby knows exactly where they are, many of my friends carefully place their sleeping baby in a cot only to find they wake every few hours because they don't know how to self-settle, nights are hard work this way.
Good luck whatever you choose!

Lucy

 

[kelsey]

In my opinion you cant spoil a baby. Both you and him are enjoying things as they are so I wouldn't worry. He'll gradually go into a cot etc and oh so quickly you'll be asking him for cuddles. I'd make the most of it now

 

[Squiglet]

I co sleep with lil miss... I can't imagine not sleeping with her. Especially as she now signs so when I put her in her cot and she wakes up, she signs cuddle and mummy and up when crying... I wouldn't deny my eldest a cuddle if she asked, so I won't do the same with the LO. I just breastfeed till she's asleep and then pop her in her cot..if she wakes up, I go in, I cuddle, I feed, I put her back in the cot.. and now she goes down from 9am till 3am... Then she comes into bed with us... where she kicks and fidgits till 8am Well meaning people keep saying, you need to move her into her own bed... she'll sleep better..it will be the best move you'll make... well we did... and shes still exactly the same only now its worse because I have to full wake up, walk down the hallway to get her and I can't just quietly pop her back in her cot when shes really fidgiting... so we are giving it another week then I'm demanding that lil miss comes in with us again..ie her cot in our room till she sleeps through.

I co slept with Tia and she turned out just fine and goes to bed in her own bed without any issues and has done since she was around 4 years old.

 

[trixipaws]

i co-slept from 3 months til 8 months. (well from her first nightly wake for BF i'd bring her to bed, latch her on and fall asleep!)

she did sleep better when i stopped, but at the same time i also stopped BFing and she got her first tooth im not sure which (if any!) made the difference hehe

 

[Laur_250]

Thanks everyone those stories are so reassuring as people make you feeel like you're mad and it makes you feel as though you're the only one in the world! I will carry on as we are until i feel ready i guess, we have a cotbed in our room ready so just a case of trying it out but i think i'd be awake all night checking him when we eventually do!xx

 

[jayla's mummy]

well im really bad jayla sleept in her moses basket from birth till 4-5 months then we started to co sleep. were trying now to get her in the cot and it is hell! i think its because she is so used to sleeping we us. i just wish that we had tried to put her in the cot earlier. even though secretly i wish that she could stay we use forever ( but that just wanted work lol)

 

[LisaJ1986]

I feed Angel til she's asleep, then pop her in her cot after. I do this with every feed and at 7am she stays in bed with me as i enjoy the cuddle. For about 2 weeks she spent the whole night in bed as she was being plain difficult and i was a tired mess. It was just the easy option. But then the night i woke after being kicked, turned out i'd pulled the duvet up over her face and laid my arm on her head! I feel so terrible and scared and cried my eyes out for ages after for being a terrible mum. I was so careless and tired. Scared me since.

 

[mum's the word]

Another thing-we had the cot next to the bed for 3 months and though he never slept in it til I put him in his own room used to put him in there with his mobile on awake for 30 mins or so each morning so o/h and I could cuddle in peace!

 

[Redshoes]

Co-sleeping is NOT bad and you should never feel your baby SHOULD be doing anything but what works for you both and what you are both happy with If I could get one of those huge millionaire beds I'd co-sleep with both mine forever And OH and I have lots of cuddles and a sex life that's just fine too. Very best wishes

 

[purple13]

we have a cot-bed that acts as an extension to mine & OH's bed - we bought it when i got fed up with sleeping on 6" of bed whilst connor & OH starfished across the rest of it. we've co-slept from the start; it wasn't a deliberate choice (at first), but because connor just wouldn't sleep on his own.

we found that he established his own bedtime at around 3.5/4 months - he goes to bed on his own (in his cotbed bit) and then he crawls into our bed with us during the night for feeds and cuddles.

 

[Laur_250]

we have a cot-bed that acts as an extension to mine & OH's bed - we bought it when i got fed up with sleeping on 6" of bed whilst connor & OH starfished across the rest of it. we've co-slept from the start; it wasn't a deliberate choice (at first), but because connor just wouldn't sleep on his own.

we found that he established his own bedtime at around 3.5/4 months - he goes to bed on his own (in his cotbed bit) and then he crawls into our bed with us during the night for feeds and cuddles.

Awww thats so cool! My OH moans too cos me and reg take up most the bed and hes squashed to one edge!!! Thanks ecveryone i told OH about your replies as he says no1 else does it but us as his friends tell him they dont!xx

 

[Xena]

I co-sleep with Alex. He's very clingy and just won't sleep without me.

I'm sure he'll grow out of it at some point - not yet though lol

I actually sleep in a single bed with him because there wasn't enough room for us both and DH all together.

 

[Clydesdaleclopper]

Don't feel bad about co-sleeping - it's perfectly natural and what happens in most of the world. Have you read "Three in a Bed" as that gives some useful info and helps to stave off HVs. Just do whatever you are happiest with and remember that you cannot spoil them at that age.

 

[moss]

Just wondering how all of you co-sleep, as in where you put your baby, etc. I have read guidelines but we don't follow them when we take Jacob into bed because he doesn't tolerate it.

 

[Laur_250]

Just wondering how all of you co-sleep, as in where you put your baby, etc. I have read guidelines but we don't follow them when we take Jacob into bed because he doesn't tolerate it.

He sleeps on my arm so i put it out, that way i know he cant roll off and OH or the duvet cant go on him as i'd feel it. Ive never seen any guidelines so be interested what everyone else does.....?xx

 

[jennifer1981]

Dylan co-slept with me and OH until he was 10 weeks old. Everyone kept telling me that i shouldn't let him sleep with us in our bed as it will 'spoil' him and id 'regret it' in the future as he wont be able to settle by himself.

When he was 10 weeks old we put Dylan's cot up next to out bed (on my side). He slept great in it from the first night we put him in it. Occasionally though, when he is unsettled through the night il end up putting him into our bed (this has only happened twice).

Im fine with him being in the cot but when he goes into his own room in a few months i dont think il like that one bit

 

[Redshoes]

I do with Ophelia as I did with Isaac, we sleep wherever, under whatever, and use my common sense, I don't smoke, take drugs or get drunk. I believe in my mothering instinct and believe its safer co-sleeping as I'm right there if they become distressed, and I help regulate their breathing and temperature, plus its blooming fantastic for BF'ing, no getting up, well except for nappy changes hehe Both my babies have favoured sleeping face to face with me or just starfish spread out on their backs, though I have to keep flipping Ophelia as she does like laying on her front, I don't like her laying that way personally so turn her over

 

[beanie]

I've co-slept with both my babies and will do with future babies. My fave memory is when Cally was born and me, OH and her were all snuggled in the bed. I also love it when Seren wakes up and stumbles in, just feels right.

 

[Laur_250]

Awww yay for co sleeping its so cute! Its my favourite memorys too seeing his little face next to mine!xx