For people who do or have co-slept

[Happybunny]

Hello

April still sleeps in our bed at the moment. She still wants to feed during the night, so it has been the best solution for us all getting some sleep. I am not going back to work, so we are in no rush to get her into a routine and get her out of our bed. Having her in bed with me seems like the most natural thing in the world and all three of us are happy. (Admittedly, daddy sleeps on a single mattress next to us now, so that we have more room, but we are still together.)

However, we are continually met with 'you're making a rod for your own back' and 'you'll regret it', mostly from people who have never BF or co-slept!!!!

So please tell me....is this true?
How long did you co-sleep for? How did it come to an end? Your decision or your child's? Did you have issues getting them to sleep in their own room?

Thank you

 

[maria1976]

you do what you think is best honey,i did and im still cosleeping your right bf and co sleeping go hand in hand. I get sick and tired of the same comments but its usually from peeps who have never done it.

Ruby is now in her cot from about 7 til i go to bed then she is in with me, DH in another bed! this works for us and we would never have it any other way.

Stick to your guns petal xx

 

[MagicMarkers]

Same a friend of mine whos never spenty more than an hour with any baby or child told me you want to get out of her sleeping with you, or your setting yourself up there twice in about 5 mins, i could have slept her what the hell does she know about anything ? Will it effect her ? Neither so piss off and mind your own business i dont see why people are so concerned, doesnt change anything for them and theyre not helping are they !!
Me oh and Flo all sleep in the same bed, we all love it so whats the harm ?

 

[MagicMarkers]

lol @ midna i can just imagine seed like "mum.... i was just wondering.. seeing as im 8 now... if maybe..... we could get bunkbeds for us ?! " awww

 

[Happybunny]

Thank you!! It is fantastic to know other people do it and love it too!

It does get disheartening though when you become almost embarrassed to admit it. I had to post after I got a lecture from my mum this evening, when I told her we didn't need a travel cot when we stay at theirs over Christmas!

I am quite happy for April to stay with us for as long as she needs to.

 

[DebbieM]

I love Luke co-sleeping with us. So does Matt. I don't care what other people think. It's easy for breastfeeding and he's capable of sleeping in his own cot too so we're not worried about "making a rod".What a load of tosh and what business is it of anyone elses anyway?

You do what's right for you!! xxx

 

[nickilubs]

Yes all the time! Every time we say that Ivy sleeps with us the first thing that is said back is "your making a rod for your own back" But I think If you are happy and your OH is happy then do it.

All I think is that everyone goes on about how baby's don't remember the first couple years and that they don't understand but its the very same people that also say "they know what they are doing, they are very cleaver". Either they do or they don't lol they don't choose to remember sleeping in your bed then choose to forget everything else!

If I had a choice of a big warm bed with two people to keep me warm or a little cot all on my own I would choose the bed so therefore I would not ever make Ivy do something I wouldn't like myself. When I feel she is old enough to understand or I think it would be more beneficial to her then I will let her sleep in her cot not when someone tells me I should. She is my child not theirs It may not suit everyone I understand but it suits me and my OH just fine

 

[xrachx]

you hold them...you make a rod
you rock them...you make a rod
you demand feed...you make a rod
you sleep cuddled up...you make a rod
you pick them up when they cry...you make a rod

RUBBISH!

 

[DebbieM]

EXACTLY! Sometimes, you can't win, no matter what you do, eh?

 

[nickilubs]

Thank you!! It is fantastic to know other people do it and love it too!

It does get disheartening though when you become almost embarrassed to admit it. I had to post after I got a lecture from my mum this evening, when I told her we didn't need a travel cot when we stay at theirs over Christmas!

I am quite happy for April to stay with us for as long as she needs to.

lol exactly the same happened with my parents! They wanted me to buy a £60 travel cot!!!! Feck that!

 

[Squiglet]

Well I co slept with Tia and "Made a rod for my own back" apparently... but I have been able to put my daughter to sleep in her own bed from the age of 4 and she doesn't constantly get up at night asking for things... She goes to bed I read her a story and shes asleep in 10 minutes. Yer thats a big rod

Lil miss also goes down in her own cot now...comes into bed during the night if she wakes... We are working, but its works great for us....both my little girls are turning out to be quite centred individuals whom I'm very proud of despite doing all the things that everyone said would make a rod for my back but that I found natural to do..

If you are happy and its working for you... why on earth change that? If it aint broke don't fix it.

 

[abcd1234]

We dont "properly" co-sleep, Tally goes in her own cot for the first part and when she wakes, be that 3am (all this week aghhhhh) or 10am, she comes in to bed with us and doesnt get out until we do.

It's easier for us, yes she's a clingy little madam atm, but she's 5 months old and just moved in to her own room, of course shes going to be a bit clingy.

Only problem i have, thoug probably not at all related to the co-sleeping, more the fact i run to her as soon a she cries, is that my mum looked after her for 2 hours last night so we could go see the Deacon and when we came back she's been screaming for 20 mins, refusing milk and was silent as soon as she came back to me and got a boob.

 

[mummykay]

i co slept and breastfed for a yr, even now ppls faces are shocked when i tell em - and did anyone get 'but ur too young to breastfeed?!' wtf!!!! like theres an age requirement

 

[trixipaws]

pah, dont listen to them. they talk nonsense!

i didnt co-sleep for the first 3 months as was worried about SIDS, but i breast-fed for 8 months and from 3-8 months old we co-slept, i could feed her while i was asleep- brilliant!

at 8 months her nursery was ready- also i decided to quit BFing (not related, just co-incidence) so we suddenly stopped co-sleeping and switched straight to formula.

no rods on our backs- she adapted to change straight away! those rods for backs comments really get on my nerves! lol

 

[littlepip]

I co-slept with Ryan until a couple of months ago and that was only because everyone kept on at me about getting him in his own bed!! So now he sleeps in his cot and to be honest i like having the space in my bed back!! He went into a cot with no problems at all, but if it wasnt for all that nagging he would still be in my bed.

 

[keli]

I co-sleep because it feels natural.. why would i let my baby sleep in a cold cot when he can be next to me, where he should be. Cooper has never slept in his cot. I think as long as your happy with LO sleeping with you then there's no problem

 

[Happybunny]

I am so glad I made this post!!! Thank you all so much for your positve comments. I feel much happier telling people to bugger off now!

Midna, you are right about the 'children are a burden' sentiment that seems to come from the older generation. I am constantly told not to let April rule the roost!?! And xrachx, your comments are also true - everything we do, someone has a comment about how it will make a rod! It is rubbish!

April is a very cherished, very longed for child......we will continue to pick her up, feed her, cuddle her, play with her, sleep with her etc if that is what she wants.

 

[Laur_250]

Me too

I thought about stopping the other day and got his cot ready but couldnt go through with it, it just feels safer having him with me where i can feel him breathing/he can feel me, than having him on his own where i'd have to get up to check him-which i would every 5 mins! Also when i stop i'll have to get up to breastfeed, whch is way too much hard work 8) xx

 

[purple13]

connor will stay in bed for as long as he requires boob - i'm not getting out of bed unnecessarily

noone has dared tell me not to co-sleep yet, but they'd get short shrift if they did!!

 

[aramintalovegrove]

we co-slept with DS until i stopped BF at 7 months, but regularly let him back in our bed coz i neeeeeeeeed my sleep and gettig up even for a fe minutes turns me into a shedevil

At about 12 months He didnt settle in his cot and I worried that we had made a rod for our own backs until I twigged that he was protesting about where he was sleepin not who he was sleeping with... He was pointing to the double bed in his room and wanted that to himself not the poky ickle cot we were putting him in. We got him a little toddler bed and he slept no problems infact I see many more parents of kids who have never coslept have problems with getting their children to sleep, my BIL insisted that his son would only ever sleep if he DROVE him in his car for 1/2 AN HOUR EVERY NIGHT!!! They were gob smacked when we stayed over put our son in our bed for the night and kiss him good night that was it straight to sleep, soooo much easier