Co-Sleeping

Sandra - posted on 03/18/2012

I've started off all four of mine cosleeping and they moved to their own rooms at their own pace. For the little ones, we found it easiest to transition me out of the room so daddy & baby slept in a famliar place, then they moved to a different room, then eventually he came back.

Aurelia - posted on 11/05/2009

We co-slept for almost a year and still do if he's tired but doesn't want to fall asleep. I found that, if I wanted him to sleep in his own space, I would put him there after he is asleep. He wakes up naturally there and has no problem with it.

Melanie - posted on 11/05/2009

I have a 5 year old now and when he was a baby we would co-sleep, I breastfed him so it was just easier doing it that way. For naps he had a bassinet he would sleep in. We did that until he approached two and I purchased him a toddler bed and had him pick out the comforter and sheets. I tried to get him excited about it but I had the bed right next to my bed and he would always start out in the bed but every morning when I woold wake up he would be right next to me. I would never know when he was sneaking in so I couldn't break the cycle. Now I have a 7 month old and we also co sleep. I'll do the same with him with the toddler bed. The only problem is my 5 year old, who has his own big bed and room, still comes to my room around 5am and wants to come in. We try to make it inconvenient

for him by making him sleep at the bottom of the bed but he will sleep there just as happy as can be. I don't mind though because they are only little for so long. My 7 month old has a bassinet that he'll sleep in for the first few hours before he wakes up for a feeding and that gives daddy and I enough time to cuddle and have uninterrupted grown up time :)

Ashley - posted on 11/05/2009

We have two daughters, one is fourteen and the other is six months. With my oldest, we co-slept until she was thirteen months old when she weaned herself and started sleeping in her own bed. It was a great experience for all of us. With our baby, we started co-sleeping when she was two weeks old and at first it worked well. We all slept better, etc. Then at around three months she started waking to nurse every two hours all night long. No one was sleeping anymore because she is a noisy feeder. I also wondered if she really needed to feed that often or if she wanted to feed simply because my breasts were in her face. Also, our bed is really high and I began worrying over getting her out of our bed before she started really rolling over. The co-sleeping (I'm convinced) prevented her from ever napping in her crib or anywhere really that was not on me or Daddy. Long story short, at four months I decided one day that we were done. I had been avoiding it because I did not know how awful the transition would be. I was convinced that she would howl all night long. I read all sorts of books, talked to doctors and friends and in the end the method that worked was the one that fit my baby's personality. Some books say to do it in stages. In the end we decided to make a plan and stick to it.
We started at night, began a routine, put her to bed at 7:15 and that was it. Checking on her made her even more mad so leaving her to work it out was best. The first week she protested heartily, but only for about thirty minutes. It has been two months and she rarely cries at bedtime or naptime.If she does it is very brief, like two minutes. She typically wakes to feed between 4:00 and 5:00 and goes back to bed for another two hours. The benefit for us was that once the nighttime issues were solved, the naps took care of themselves.
All that said, I am a proponent of co-sleeping as long as it works for all parties (mom, dad, and baby), and it is done safely. It makes BFing a snap. Your baby is older and has more of an opinion on his/her likes and dislikes so it may be a little more difficult. As with anything, what ever you choose be consistent. Good luck!

Heather - posted on 11/04/2009

We co-sleep also, and in my opinion, a good transition is to put a futon on the floor and start sleeping next to your bed. Then take the futon to your childs bed next to the floor and sleep there for a few nights then encourage your child to sleep alone on the futon, slowly working up to his/her own bed/crib/toddlerbed.
Good Luck!

Jennie - posted on 11/04/2009

I have a 5month old and we co-sleep it's beautiful sometimes i just want to watch her sleep, i love to cuddle with her, and i am bf she wakes up on average 3X a night to eat. I think you should do whatever feels right to you and whatever works for your babe. I don't find anything wrong with co-sleeping or crib sleeping either way it's SLEEPING :D it's what works for your family and each family is different. My daughter sometimes sleeps in her crib for naps if i really need to get stuff done, otherwise I am still at home with her so i cuddle with her or put her in her pack and play in the same room as i am. and to reply to one of the other ladies I think co-sleeping is easier for us during bf because my daughter likes to get up so often and i don't mind, if she slept all night she'd probably be in a crib? i don't konw, and another thing for us it does not take away from intimate time because when we go to bed we are TIRED and can still snuggle but we find plenty of time to do the deed when we want :) so do what is natural to you and your family~! like i said each family is differnt and makes things work differently for them. GOOD TOPIC~!

Diana - posted on 11/04/2009

Hey, I feel you. We co sleep with out 8month old. I have since birth, it was the only way i could get her to sleep sound, and the only way i could sleep well, since nursing her is a lot easier with her in bed with me. She is getting too used to it however, I cant get her to sleep in the crib for long periods of time, i end up moving her to the bed. I love my little one sleeping with us, but she is starting to get bigger, and more picky on her sleeping positing ( ie.... she likes to spread out! lol... I thinks its perfectly natural, at around 12 months depending how her self weaning of nursing goes i plan on pushing it a bit more, so she can sleep in the crib, which is only a few feet from us anyhow... I have been told to try to get them used to the crib by having her sleep in there every nap, placing an article of clothing in the crib that smells like you, or getting the baby used to a stuffed animal or special binky that will being them comfort if you arent around... im sure itll take some trial and error, but every baby is diff...

Michelle - posted on 11/04/2009

As an infant/child I co slept with my parents. They told me, when I was two they both rolled over on to me at the same time (something I am glad I survived). They said I stood up, grabbed my blanket, and said "I am going to sleep in my own bed." I hope you find a better way to transition your family :-)

Brooke - posted on 11/04/2009

18 months?! Wow, good for you. We are at 6 months. ;) Our LO moves around a ton. She also nurses like an all you can eat buffet from 1am on. Did your lttle one do this?



How bout transition to a pack n play in your room then to thier room?

Stephanie - posted on 11/04/2009

I have 3 kids and have co-slept wit each one! I practiced letting my oldest daughter sleep in her own bed once she was in kindergarden. But we officially co-slept 2gether til she entered tha 1st grade. And it'll prolly b tha same way with my other 2! Plus I breastfeed my kids til they are 2 yrs old. I feel that co-sleeping is natural and comfortable. Another plus is that I dont have a man- and he would prolly be tha only one complaining about tha co-sleeping situation! Also II push my bed up against tha wall and I sleep on tha outside. Therefore my kids are in between me and tha wall- and I have a huge bed- so no falling and hittin tha floor!

Lisa - posted on 11/04/2009

I am confused with all the different terms, some mean the baby sleeps next to you but on a separate surface...etc...but I'm a mommy who sleeps snuggled right up to her babies! and I love it!! I have had three all have slept in my arms at night. The first two were close in age and man they were bed hogs. I kicked them out at ages 3 &4, they got twin beds in their own room. My current snuggle baby is two years old. She started napping in her own bed and was even sleeping a little in it by the time she was 15-18 months old, but she'd wake up with a leaky diaper in the middle of the night and frozen, and I couldn't sleep that well, so I just started keeping her in bed with me again, especially since I quit my job. we both like it much better. I can tell if she's too hot or cold and change her diaper without waking her up. BUT--we are expecting another baby in a few months, so the bed is going to get really crowded! especially with DADDY!! he's going to have to find somewhere else...lol. j/k. I'm thinking we will re-bed wean her when we get a bigger place, right now there's no other room to put her in...so maybe next year.

Breanne - posted on 11/04/2009

My son who is 12 mo co-sleeps with me and naps in my lap usually or in bed if I am in there with him. He was a preemie with breathing problems so I always wanted him close so I couls feek him breathing. It's worked good for us, especially now since my husband is away for 2 years ans I am floating between homes with no crib for him. However I might buy him a toddler bed since he's getting big and kicking me all the time at night. Although my bed will always be open for snuggles and he nurses a lot at night, I plan to listen to him and let him transition on his own. They're only small for a short while so I don't mind giving my all.

Jennifer - posted on 11/04/2009

love cosleeping nothing wrong with it! every child grows out of it sooner or later!

Sandra - posted on 11/03/2009

I coslept with my son, but gradually weaned him out from 6 months to a year and a half. I got him used to going to sleep alone in his crib and during the night time feeding, I would bring him in. At one year, I weaned him from nursing and only when he is ill does he sleep with me now, although we share a room. He will be two in January. I felt it was important for him to ease into his own area and this weekend I am moving him into his own room. I need my privacy now, but the experience was fantastic. Naps were always in his crib.

Jennifer - posted on 11/03/2009

we co-slept until my son was 5 months old and i loved it!! it did feel natural to have him by my side all night. I guess you have to be careful who you tell that to though...I told someone I work with that he slept with me and she preceded to tell me how stupid and dangerous it was. Shes an RN and was previously a lactation consultant. I was really offended! I moved him to his own bed because my poor husband had been sleeping on the couch. I am still breastfeeding and it was just easier for me to get sleep because he was still wanting to eat every two hours until then.

Carmen - posted on 11/03/2009

Quoting Kerry:

Why do so many people say it's easier to co sleep when you breastfeed? I formula fed my first and breastfed my second and cant see what the difference is. Breastfeeding is easier anyway because you don't have to prepare a bottle!! I''m not sure about other mums but I didn't have to feed my bf son any more often than my formula fed boy. I'm just curious as to why so many mums use this as a reason for co-sleeping?

My reasoning is that I don't have to get up out of bed I just roll over to the side my baby is supposed to be eating on and and go back to sleep. Mostly though it only makes a difference during the growths spurts.

Carmen - posted on 11/03/2009

Quoting Kerry:

Why do so many people say it's easier to co sleep when you breastfeed? I formula fed my first and breastfed my second and cant see what the difference is. Breastfeeding is easier anyway because you don't have to prepare a bottle!! I''m not sure about other mums but I didn't have to feed my bf son any more often than my formula fed boy. I'm just curious as to why so many mums use this as a reason for co-sleeping?

My reasoning is that I don't have to get up out of bed I just roll over to the side my baby is supposed to be eating on and and go back to sleep. Mostly though it only makes a difference during the growths spurts.

Carmen - posted on 11/03/2009

I co-sleep, my parents co-slept with my brother and I. From my understanding my brother (who is 2 years older) transitioned himself out of my parents bed. I however remember being transition out by my dad. My mom died when I was almost 4 so maybe that was part of why I needed to be transitioned out instead of choosing it myself. I remember sleeping with my dad. I'm not sure if I was 5 or 6 but I remember that one night my dad informed me that I needed to sleep in my own bed. For a while he let me crawl back in with him in the middle of the night. Then after awhile wouldn't let me back in his bed in the middle of the night. Until one night I had a nightmare and he let me in his bed, but then I "had nightmares" every night after that so I could sleep in daddy's bed. After a while of my pretending dad figured it out and then I slept in my big girl bed after that no matter what. I wasn't traumatized by getting transitioned to my own bed, in my own room. I have asked my dad now that I'm a mom why he decided to switch me to my own bed and he said it was because he slept naked and he thought I was getting too old for that. I don't remember him being naked. I remember matching my breathing to his and snuggling down as close to him as I could get. I loved it as a child. I am not sure when I will switch my kids to their own beds but remembering my experience (and my brother's) makes me not worry about it too much. I don't think I will have my 13 year old in my bed but I already passed my first "out of my bed" goal (6 months old) so we'll see. I think my dad's timing was probably about right. Every child is different too though.

Juliet - posted on 11/03/2009

we did co-sleeping and our little one. We followed what Dr. Sear's (author & doctor) recommended in his book and our little guy did what Dr. Sear's said he would - he graduated into his own bed on his own time and with NO issues. He is just 11 months 2 weeks and we are sleeping happy in his crib now but that does not mean there are not cuddles and early morning sneak ins before we have to get up.

Mandy - posted on 11/03/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

I am going to have to agree with Kerry Wheldon. I like that time to myself and to spend with my husband. I think it is important to keep that relationship with my husband. I have twin 9 month old boys and have breastfed them exclusively this entire time. For me it is important for them to get into their own sleep schedules and learn how to sleep on their own. I have no problem taking an afternoon nap with them or when they are older I can't wait for them to come running into our room on Saturday mornings and crawl into bed with us. But at night, and most of the time for their naps, they sleep in their own cribs. They did co-sleep in one crib for the first 4 1/2 months, but they are now on their own. I find that they sleep better and I sleep better. It is also less risky when it comes to SIDs.

co-sleeping actually reduces the risk of SIDS

There is a huge array of benefits of co-sleeping, which include:

- Night feeding and nurturing,

- Greater bonding with both parents,

- Positive emotional and physiological responses from the infant,

- Less sleep disruption,

- Shorter night waking periods,

- Less nighttime crying,

- Enhanced breastfeeding,

- Ease of response to baby distress,

- Emotional security for the child,

- Reduction of night terrors

- Greater likelihood of natural child spacing.

Studies in New Zealand and the USA have reported that while infant death does occur in some co-sleeping situations, most of these involve an unsafe sleeping situation (such as a smoking mother or nearby pillows). A 1999 study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (USA) found that while 515 infants died whilst in their parents' bed, on a couch or a beanbag, there were 2,700 babies who died whilst in their cots. Of the 515 infant deaths, at least 394 of these were in situations where parents were not following the stringent safety guidelines for co-sleeping. Does this not suggest that co-sleeping, whether adhering to the strict safety requirements or not, is actually safer for baby than cot sleeping? It could be argued that the cot sleep and co-sleep ratio is uneven, however your own article states that "....in Queensland, 45% of the state's parents at some stage share beds with their babies."

In a laboratory study headed by Dr James McKenna on co-sleeping arrangements, it found that the mother is highly responsive to the infants' movements and spends less time in deep sleep. The infant arouses into light sleep more frequently."The inability for an infant to arouse frequently into light sleep is thought to be one of the underlying causes of SIDS, as arousal deficiencies are suspected in some SIDS deaths" (McKenna 1997). It is interesting to note that he defines co-sleeping as 'sleeping in close proximity to one's infant', where breastfeeding and/or attentiveness can easily be given. This could include arrangements such as a cot used as a 'sidecar' to the parents' bed, or an infant mattress or futon placed next to the parents' bed.

There is nowhere you can put your baby to sleep that is completely risk free, and of course we need to follow the safety guidelines for whichever situation your baby sleeps in, so that our childrens', safety is maximised. However I believe that co-sleeping ensures that we are there for our son and can better respond to his needs should he require assistance during the night.

"In those infants at risk for SIDS, natural mothering (unrestricted breastfeeding and sharing sleep with baby) will lower the risk of SIDS." (Dr Sears, 1999)

Penny - posted on 11/03/2009

I have 4 children and each one has been a different sleeping situation.
My oldest, now 18 never slept with me. I think this was mostly because I was a first time, young mother who listened to other people tell me not to do this.
My second who came 8 years later, started out co-sleeping, moved to his crib at about 1 month, but moved back to our bed when he was about 6 months. He hit a major growth spurt and wanted to nurse all the time so this was the only way for me to get any sleep.
My third was not a cuddly baby. He did not like to be held, did not breastfeed and definitely had no interest in sleeping anywhere but in his crib.
My baby now 22mo has co-slept from day 1. I had the crib set up by my bed and we would occasionally get an hour or 2 with her in it, but the majority of the time she was in bed with us. I took the crib down when she was a year old because it was just taking up space, then about 2 months later we got a full size bed for her room. I now sleep in her room with her, with the total support of my husband. He gets more sleep, the baby and I get more sleep because we don't have to listen to him snore and this has allowed me to continue breastfeeding without having to get out of bed all night long.
We still have private time, not whenever we want, but enough to keep us happy and our relationship strong. I have taken the cues from each of my children and allowed them to decide what they need, when they need it. I have never had any of my kids on any kind of feeding or sleeping schedule (until they started school of course) and though I know this would not work for most people, it has for us. I think the most important thing is to raise healthy, happy children and however you choose to do this is the individual choice of their parents.

Shelley - posted on 11/03/2009

My son is 20 months old. He falls asleep nursing in our bed around 8:30. I move him to his crib when we go to bed (around 11pm) and then he wakes up calling for us (his crib is in our bedroom -- we live in 1bdrm apt.) we move him to our bed where he nurses for a little while takes a bottle and falls asleep. he usually stays in our bed until the morning. I take it as it comes so not sure how long this will last or when he's going to move to his own bed (we're going to have to switch teh crib to a bed in the next 3-6 months. I'm thinking of getting a day-bed or a bed that is wider then a regular kids bed so that i could nurse him to sleep or cuddle with him until he's asleep at the begining and then maybe when he wakes up i can go to him rather then bring him to our bed. while i'm not sure how things will happen i can tell you for sure that i am not going to let him cry it out, it's going to have to happen naturally. i can't stand him crying for me and not comforting him. it's been wonderful to read many of the responses here and learn that so many moms out there feel the same way i do, it makes dismissing the know-it-all co-worker mom of 4 dismissing looks of me and my decision co-sleep that much easier to ignore.... :-)

Jennifer - posted on 11/03/2009

I am going to have to agree with Kerry Wheldon. I like that time to myself and to spend with my husband. I think it is important to keep that relationship with my husband. I have twin 9 month old boys and have breastfed them exclusively this entire time. For me it is important for them to get into their own sleep schedules and learn how to sleep on their own. I have no problem taking an afternoon nap with them or when they are older I can't wait for them to come running into our room on Saturday mornings and crawl into bed with us. But at night, and most of the time for their naps, they sleep in their own cribs. They did co-sleep in one crib for the first 4 1/2 months, but they are now on their own. I find that they sleep better and I sleep better. It is also less risky when it comes to SIDs.

Emily - posted on 11/02/2009

we co-sleep! makes night time nursing so much easier. also helps keep us on a routine in defiance of my husband's crazy changing work schedule. we are at 18 months and the only complaints so far are when she wants to get up, but no one else does, and also a subtle request to get her into her own space before we have another...mostly for safety of the new one. so far, so good.

Nichole - posted on 11/02/2009

I am a co-sleeper with my 6 month old daughter and have basically been since me and my boyfriend came home from the hospital with her. We had tried a basinett but I found it alot easier to have her co-sleep with us since I am breast feeding and even at 6 months she still is getting up between 1-2 times a night so its alot more convenient too. I'm in no rush to have her sleep in her crib since I plan on breast feeding until a year :)

Sara - posted on 11/02/2009

We are co-sleepers and I can't sleep if my kids decide to sleep in their own beds, my son is 5 and sleeps in his own bed most of the time. There is nothing wrong with it:) I let my son decide on his own as will my daughter who is 6 months.

Courtney - posted on 11/02/2009

we transitioned when i began having trouble sleeping... around 15 mos. we put him in a bed in his room but i slept with him. then we switched to dad sleeping with him and from there it was easier to eventually move him to a toddler bed and sleeping on his own at age 3. it was a long transition but relatively painless. best wishes to you

Jessica - posted on 11/02/2009

We co-slept with our first born since the day he came home from the hospital. He is almost 4 and still wants to share our bed.

Nicole - posted on 11/02/2009

We co-slept with our now 4 year old and now with the newborn. We were lucky, our now 4 year old, decided on her own she wanted to sleep in her own big girl bed. At first we put it in our room and then, about 6 mo. later. we transfered her into her own room where she has an even bigger "big girl bed" and decked it out in Dora. She loves sleeping in her room and only finds her way into our bed when she has a bad dream, or a really tough day. I had a harder time letting her go, I miss the snuggling. I think it is up to the family, but understand that we were lucky and some kids don't leave the bed until they are 11ish, I think the harder you push the more they will go against it.

Kristin - posted on 11/02/2009

We co-slept for several months with my first. He's just now 7 months. My husband was a little iffy with co-sleeping because his oldest had a hard time transitioning to his own room, but Grissom has done well. We put a cradle at the foot of our bed, Grissom would sleep with me until my husband came to bed and he would put him in the cradle. He would sleep there for a little while and when he woke to breastfeed, I would put him back with us. During naps, we would put him in his cradle (now his crib because he's outgrown the cradle) in his own room. Now at night, he sleeps in his crib until he wakes up (about 3 or 4) and then he comes to bed with us. I guess we kind of had him used to sleeping in two places at once... but I can definitely say that he slept better with us and I felt better with him beside me too. I'm glad my husband helped make it work, even though he wasn't totally for it in the beginning. I also have to say though, that it's nice having our bed to ourselves as well... definitely a lot more room. Sleep well and do what works for you!

Joy - posted on 11/02/2009

I'm getting a couple different definitions of 'cosleep' here, I think.

Both of my babies have slept in a separate sleeping place right next to my bed and at about the same level. Neither sleep IN the bed, though, except for naps, since my bed is a high four-poster full-sized, which makes it pretty tiny when both I and my husband are in it. Plus it's a pillowtop mattress, and it would just seem like it might swallow up a small baby.

Now that she's 7 months old and capable of sitting up on her own, I can't really have her in the bassinet anymore. It just won't hold her! Plus our bedroom is too small to have a crib in there. So she's in her crib in the nursery now.

Pamela - posted on 11/02/2009

We co sleept with our youngest son and he's 3 and still sleeps with my husband. I ended up getting a twin bed to put beside our queen and moved onto it.With our 4 month old I decided not to co sleep. Dohnovan will not sleep by hisself at all. I really loved co sleeping with him but it got to be too much.We hope to have him in a "big boy" bed by the time he goed to school.LOL

Kasey - posted on 11/02/2009

we have co-slept with my son since he was born as wll as our daughter and like you i dont want it to be forever but right now their is nothing more that i enjoy than having her next to me while we sleep. my son decided to move out of our bed once the baby came home and he was four and a half. our daughter is over two years and still sleeping with us. They arent little forever and being kicked in the back isnt the end of the world! I figure she'll move out when she's ready.

Kelli - posted on 11/02/2009

as a reply to everyone who breast-feeds and co-sleeps , i breast fed my daughter and i did NOT co-sleep with her . my main reason of this is im a VERY hard sleeper and once i completely fall asleep , i toss and turn and im paranoid that i would suffocate her . me getting up out of bed and sitting straight up made me wake up enough to feed her until she fell asleep . then i would go back to bed in my own bed and her into hers . even if i wasn't a hard sleeper i wouldn't co-sleep . i enjoy having my own time with my husband and that would just be another thing i would have to break my child of .

Chasidy - posted on 11/02/2009

We cosleep also with our 9 month old daughter. She naps in her crib tho, she fell offf of our bed twice. I also coslept with my son, now 7, he went to his own big boy bed when he was around 3 I think. It just feels natural to them there, and I get more sleep by not having to get in the middle of the to nurse her.

April - posted on 11/02/2009

I Co sleep with my daughter. I have done so since day one. It really is easier for both of us. She is such a mommy's girl that she refuses to go to sleep without being on my chest. Recently, we transitioned her into her crib. She loved it, because she can move around freely and at her own will. Now that she sleeps in her own bed, we co-sleep until she is 100% asleep. I breastfed for the first month, and then found out she was allergic to my breast milk. Regular milk too~ So we now have her on a soy diet, and its working great. She has met all her milestones, and will be walking and talking soon enough. Every source I've read though advises against co-sleeping. Any idea why?

Jocelyn - posted on 11/01/2009

I co-slept with my son until he was about 2 (he's 3 now), and then we got him his own twin bed. We bought him a special cars blanket to put on his bed (kind of a bribe lol) It took a couple nights to get him to fall asleep in his new bed. Now he'll sleep thru the night alone, but crawls into our bed in the morning (around 6) and we'll sleep a few more hours together. It's very nice, he's a big cuddler and so am I (and dh works nights so it works really well for us lol). Now I'm co-sleeping with my new daughter and she sleeps very well! She's only 3 weeks and I am so rested! It's lovely :)
Oh and my son naps on the couch, always has.

Emma - posted on 11/01/2009

My son goes to his crib at around 8:30pm-9pm after bath etc and then its usually around his 1am feed he ends up in bed with us. It started for us about a month ago when he was waking at 5am and wouldn't settle down to go back to sleep...until one morning he fell asleep on me, and I did as well. He slept that morning til around 7am. I love having him beside me and with him starting off in his crib that gives me and his daddy some alone time too.



He does take his naps in his swing though, my boy likes to power nap in the mornings, has a 2 hour long nap in the afternoon and power nap around dinner.

Danielle - posted on 11/01/2009

For our first child I semi co-slept (had him in his bed for naps and started him off in his own bed at night but would bring him to our bed if he woke during the night). For our 2nd we co-slept with her from day one apart from naps until her 1st birthday. We put a twin bed against our bed so if she woke I could still reach out to her or cuddle her and when she was used to this we transfered her into her own room and she was fine. Sometimes she wakes and comes into our room (she has just turned 2) but she usually returns to her bed pretty easily. For our 3rd who is almost 7 months I co-slept from day one, including naps (which he spends in our bed or in his stroller). I plan to co-sleep until he is atleast one as I plan to breastfeed until he chooses to self-wean and then will probably put a twin bed next to ours like I did with our daughter. It is a good way to make the transition. Good Luck! :-)

~Danielle James

Lucy - posted on 11/01/2009

We coslept for 4 months and then transitioned first to a pack-n-play in the same room and then to her own room. I slept in the twin bed in her room for her first few nights in there and now she goes to sleep by herself in her own room. We do still nap together sometimes.

Jasmine - posted on 11/01/2009

my baby is nearly 5 weeks old and hes slept in my bed since the day he was born, i think its an amazing connection to have

Nicole - posted on 11/01/2009

Howdy! We've been co-sleeping since day one. I plan to phase her out of our bed when she quits nursing during the night. She turned one on 10/4 so I'm not exactly sure when this will happen since we are doing baby led weaning. I have friends who used this method successfully. If your LO has night weaned, The No Cry Sleep Solution might be a good read for you, heck even if she hasn't night weaned it could help.

Nykki - posted on 11/01/2009

Hello! I'm a mom of 4 and have never owned a crib!!! All of my chidlren slepy with me and I wouldnt have it any other way! They moved into thier big girl beds and then onto their won rooms around age 4. I also breastfed all of them so co-sleepin worked best for us. I didnt use a bassinet I just placed my baby right next to me; slept (in the beginning) without a pillow or a comforter...lets face it when you have a newborn a pillow and blanket are the last things you need!



Co-sleeping is fabulous; I feel much safer knowing my children are with me! we've never had an accident! there are many nights my children sneak into my bed and they're ages 12, 8, and 5 and of course the baby 8 months. Transition wasn't too difficult, I guess because they were so much older and had an older sibling to sleep with.

Hope this helps! Best wishes!

Stina - posted on 11/01/2009

I coslept/had my dd next to our bed in a pac'nplay bassinet for her first 3 months. Then we transitioned her to her siblings bedroom where she sleeps most of the night in her bed. When she wakes in the wee hours of the morning to nurse, she joins me in my bed until Dad wakes up and moves her back to her bed/gets some time to play and interact with her before I wake up. I work a swing shift so it's nice to have her out of our bed at some point in the morning so I can get more sleep when she would otherwise be kicking and squirming.



I'm all for cosleeping- but in our home, I like the combination of cosleep and the baby getting to sleep in her own bed. She's my third- as she gets older, the hope is she'll give up her middle of the night feeding(s) and sleep through in her own bed. It worked fine with my second child- eventually when she was about 18 months, we just started returning her to her own bed when she got up to join us. I would stay with her a while and return to my bed. After a while of that we could tell her to go back to bed- sometimes she'd cuddle up on our floor and go to sleep there. Eventually she stopped coming to our bed and slept in her own room and bed all the time.





Each child and family is unique. Since your guy is used to sleeping in your bed all the time, maybe try starting with a mattress on the floor for your baby- Once he's used to sleeping near mom and dad but not in the same bed, move his bed to his own room.

Hilary - posted on 11/01/2009

I didnt say I let him sleep on the floor. I picked him up and put him in his bed after he fell asleep. It was important for me to let him know that I am the parent and therefore in charge. He was not going to get what he wanted in this situation. I think this is ridiculous. I was sharing my story to be helpful, not to be judged by another mother. raise your kids however you want.

Geralyn - posted on 11/01/2009

Hilary, I also do not believe that our son's transition will be anything like what you experienced. I have no intention of having my son throw fits for hours and sleep on the floor through the transition. I did not have a positive 18+ co-sleeping experience to end on such a sour note. My son and hubby and I will work through the transition together, when my son is ready, and look forward to a positive experience.

Sylvia - posted on 11/01/2009

Quoting Hilary:

I co-slept with my first child. It was nice, but now he is six. When he was 2, i decided I was sick of being kicked in the head, and everywhere else, while sleeping. It was very hard for me to get him to sleep in his own bed. he would throw fits for hours and end up falling asleep on the hallway floor. Just so you are aware that this is going to happen. your body heat is a security blanket for them while sleeping and you are taking it away from them. I recommend developing a strong nighttime routine. every night we read a story or 3, he is now reading to me, sing a song and then cuddle for about ten minutes. this helped to make him more secure about falling asleep on his own.
I will be giving birth in 3 weeks to my second son. he will not be sleeping in my bed.

With respect, not necessarily. It hasn't happened in our family. And there's no guarantee that a child who has never co-slept will always go to bed without a fight, either. You'd be amazed how many stories I hear from other parents about how their kids started wandering around all over the house at night as soon as they were out of the crib and into a "big kid" bed. (One woman I know slept on the floor in front of her younger son's bedroom door for two weeks so she could put him back to bed every time he got up. And she thinks *I'm* crazy for not caring when my kid ends up in our bed at four in the morning...)

The transition can be tough, and parents bed-sharing with a baby should be prepared for the fact that it might not be easy. But I don't think it's accurate to say that "throwing fits for hours" at two is the inevitable result of bed-sharing in babyhood...

Hilary - posted on 11/01/2009

I co-slept with my first child. It was nice, but now he is six. When he was 2, i decided I was sick of being kicked in the head, and everywhere else, while sleeping. It was very hard for me to get him to sleep in his own bed. he would throw fits for hours and end up falling asleep on the hallway floor. Just so you are aware that this is going to happen. your body heat is a security blanket for them while sleeping and you are taking it away from them. I recommend developing a strong nighttime routine. every night we read a story or 3, he is now reading to me, sing a song and then cuddle for about ten minutes. this helped to make him more secure about falling asleep on his own.
I will be giving birth in 3 weeks to my second son. he will not be sleeping in my bed.

Cheryl - posted on 11/01/2009

I still co-sleep and breastfeed my 15 month old and love it! I just don't understand someone would do it any other way? I love the cuddling and bonding and I love that I don't have to wake up to feed him at night! Daddy wants him into his own bed so I usually cuddle with him in his big boy bed until he falls asleep and then at the first feeding he's back in bed with us. That way mommy, daddy, and baby all get our way! good luck with the transition!

Cheryl - posted on 11/01/2009

we to go!