Hiya 
So, my LO is 8.5 months and has been happily co-sleeping with us. Up to now she has fallen asleep in our bed and stayed there until morning. However, I now want to help her to fall asleep in her cotbed (about the time start to use it
). I would really appreciate if you could share any tips/your experiences.
Reasons:
1) She has started to become more mobile and I would hate her to fall off the bed!
2) She has started to wake up a lot after she has gone to bed and before I go to bed (meaning that my evenings aren't as relaxing), so I am hoping that helping her to fall asleep on her own may make her more confident to fall asleep on her own if she wakes up before I get to bed. Tbh, I have let it slip a little as she used to fall asleep fine when younger. Now she likes to sleep next to me all night. During the day she can fall asleep on her own as long as I am near her, but quite often she sleeps in a sling or in her buggie when we are out and about.
3) I am hoping this would help that she wouldn't develop a full-blown separation anxiety
(she is showing loads of signs already).
So here is what I am intending to do:
Breastfeed her in bed, put her in her cot and then:
1) for the first two to three nights stay in my bed and sign and touch her until she falls asleep (I already did so tonight and it took her 30 mins to fall asleep - first she was laughing and moving about as she thought we were having a new game, then she cried - surprisingly - little and fell asleep holding my hand, luckily I didn't have to take her out of her cot)
2) when we are both comfortable with above (hopefully by fourth night) to sit by her cot and still touch her and sing to her
3) eventually stop touching her and move away from the cot - then stop singing
4) finally stay by the door inside the room then outside, and eventually leave the room
I am expecting her still to wake up before I go to bed when I am hoping NOT to have to take her out of the cot. If she keeps crying I will take her out and comfort her and then put back. If she starts to cry again, I wait for a while and then pick her up to comfort her again, and put her down.
I know I need to be patient and that it will take time. I want to be gentle with my LO as it is not her fault that I have allowed her to have a habit of me being there all the time for her. I am planning to continue co-sleeping so that when I go to bed and she asks for her first feed (usually 1am the very latest) I will bring her to bed. If one night she won't ask for a feed, then I guess we may not co-sleep anymore?
So sorry for the long post but any input would be greatly appreciated.
The main issue may be that I may not be able to fall asleep without her next to me
So, my LO is 8.5 months and has been happily co-sleeping with us. Up to now she has fallen asleep in our bed and stayed there until morning. However, I now want to help her to fall asleep in her cotbed (about the time start to use it
). I would really appreciate if you could share any tips/your experiences.Reasons:
1) She has started to become more mobile and I would hate her to fall off the bed!
2) She has started to wake up a lot after she has gone to bed and before I go to bed (meaning that my evenings aren't as relaxing), so I am hoping that helping her to fall asleep on her own may make her more confident to fall asleep on her own if she wakes up before I get to bed. Tbh, I have let it slip a little as she used to fall asleep fine when younger. Now she likes to sleep next to me all night. During the day she can fall asleep on her own as long as I am near her, but quite often she sleeps in a sling or in her buggie when we are out and about.
3) I am hoping this would help that she wouldn't develop a full-blown separation anxiety
(she is showing loads of signs already).So here is what I am intending to do:
Breastfeed her in bed, put her in her cot and then:
1) for the first two to three nights stay in my bed and sign and touch her until she falls asleep (I already did so tonight and it took her 30 mins to fall asleep - first she was laughing and moving about as she thought we were having a new game, then she cried - surprisingly - little and fell asleep holding my hand, luckily I didn't have to take her out of her cot)
2) when we are both comfortable with above (hopefully by fourth night) to sit by her cot and still touch her and sing to her
3) eventually stop touching her and move away from the cot - then stop singing
4) finally stay by the door inside the room then outside, and eventually leave the room
I am expecting her still to wake up before I go to bed when I am hoping NOT to have to take her out of the cot. If she keeps crying I will take her out and comfort her and then put back. If she starts to cry again, I wait for a while and then pick her up to comfort her again, and put her down.
I know I need to be patient and that it will take time. I want to be gentle with my LO as it is not her fault that I have allowed her to have a habit of me being there all the time for her. I am planning to continue co-sleeping so that when I go to bed and she asks for her first feed (usually 1am the very latest) I will bring her to bed. If one night she won't ask for a feed, then I guess we may not co-sleep anymore?
So sorry for the long post but any input would be greatly appreciated.
The main issue may be that I may not be able to fall asleep without her next to me
If he sleeps later then he stays in his cot and when he wakes he is happy in there till one of us goes to him. Sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 15. We never make it a set time in case he comes to expect it. And we always go to him before he gets a bit grumpy.
). 
