Pro Co-sleeping!

Lisa - posted on 08/01/2009

My daughter is 8wks old an i find it much easier to co-sleep! there is nothing wrong with it mothers are aware of thier babies being next to them! I absolutely love waking up next to her and she and i have a much better sleep that way!

Victoria - posted on 08/01/2009

Hi Katie: I also co-sleep I just had my fourth a baby girl. she will be six months on the tenth.. and I love it! I also am breastfeeding and for me it just is so much easier to nurse her lying down.. I am also greedy and hate to part from her!(lol) I also let her sleep on her tummy ofcourse now she mostly rolls onto it anyhow... I think your right mother's intuition is a very powerful thing! Thank god were grown ups right! so we can do what we WANT!(LOL) woot woot!



Happy co-sleeping



vicky

Dana - posted on 08/01/2009

We co-sleep in our household too. I can't imagine breastfeeding and not co-sleeping, it seems like it should go hand in hand. My son just turned one and sleeps in his crib beside my bed until we go to sleep, that way I don't have to worry about him crawling off the bed when he wakes up. He sleeps much better when he's in bed with us, prior to us going to bed he wakes up every 45 min to an hour. The only negatives I've heard from people are, that I'll have a hard time getting him into his own bed eventually. I'll cross that road someday, for now we love it!!

Laura - posted on 08/01/2009

I have co-slept with my daughter for almost 6 months, until about a week and a half ago and I loved it! She would wake up usually 3 or 4 times a night though so I thought about trying putting her in her crib. It was So easy I couldn't believe it and now she usually sleeps through the night. I was amazed! BUT...I miss her being beside me all night, I could just open my eyes and know she was fine. But, my point is, I am Very much so in favor of co-sleeping, it just wasn't the best thing for my daughter's sleeping habits apparently.

Sara - posted on 08/01/2009

Wow! We ALL co-sleep in my house and I have always felt very guilty and very embarrassed about that until reading through these posts. I have Daddy, me, my 3 month old, and my 3 year old in the huge king size bed. Our sleeping arrangements starting out by choice and now are more by need (lack of space)...but I truly believe that even if I had the space for everyone to have their own room and own beds, we would still co-sleep! Thank you everyone for all the wonderful words, they have been a great help alleviating my guilt and embarrassment with my sleeping arrangements.

Claire - posted on 08/01/2009

I have four children ages 13, 5, 3 and 1. I co-slept with all my children even when my first would not breastfeed and was on the bottle. I am still co-sleeping while breastfeeding my 1 year old. If friends ask me about this, I tell them I have done it successfully and I like the close bond I have with all my children. My childrens needs come first and if they enjoy the comfort of co-sleeping, then I will continue with it.

Nicole - posted on 08/01/2009

Greetings! I am a fellow co-sleeper ( I was even sneaky and did it in the hospital when she was born) and I love it. Since I breastfeed and for the first six months exclusively did it, co-sleeping was a great way for Phoebe to bond with her dad. Heck, we never even bought a crib. I find it funny that humans in the name of being "civilized and modern" are the only mammalian species that isolate their young from birth and look down upon breastfeeding. Seems kind of savage to me. In a nutshell, I am one of those breastfeeding, baby wearing, bed sharing "hippy" mammas. Oh, and I cloth diaper too ;)

Shawna - posted on 08/01/2009

I didn't co-sleep with my first until she was 3 months old. I was way too afraid. After I brought her to bed with me for the first night it was FABULOUS. She and I both slept so much better. We never stopped after that. My second daughter was co-sleeping with us since the very first night she was born. Its usually me and both my girls at night in the bed. My husband snores and keeps them up so he sleeps in a different room.

Haley - posted on 08/01/2009

wow! where to start! I believe whole heartedly with co sleeping! I didn't even have a crib for more than show for either! I started out with a bassinet beside my bed so I could just pick the girls up when they squeaked and just lay back down! the one night I tried to put my oldest in her crib I stayed most of the night waiting to hear her. I even had to go in and look at her every 20 minutes!
When I started to wean my big girl at 18mths I had to rock her to sleep... she's one of those girls that screamed to try to stay awake at all costs! so I would rock her and sing until she was asleep then put her in bed... our's was not a smooth transition as she still needs to touch me to go to sleep! But we have a huge recliner that I can breastfeed the baby and my big girl can sit with us until she is asleep!
I put my little girl in her toddler bed (it was free!) and when she wakes up she can get out of it and into mine!
I can't imagine not sleeping with them.
Their daddy was ok with it as I explained that it was better for my sleeping... when he worked MAD rotation it was easy bc he only slept with us 1 week out of three. after he switched to days only it got a little hard and he moved into the spare room but he was alright with it because he knew it would only be for awhile.

Yvonne - posted on 08/01/2009

love it. my daughter is 8mos`and a tummy sleeper as well:-)

Geralyn - posted on 08/01/2009

I love co-sleeping with my 15-month old. It just feels right to have him there. Family snuggling is the best! I am a member of the Attachment Parenting/Co-sleeping community with like-minded moms; it'd be great to see you all on there!

Cara - posted on 07/31/2009

We did and still, I found it made nusring easier for me and I was less tired so I say GO CO-SLEEPERS!!!!

Naomi - posted on 07/31/2009

we co-sleep. at first my husband was weary about it 'cause he's a crazy sleeper, so we started off with a snuggle nest in bed with us. it helped us kind of learn our new boundaries and my husband felt a lot more comfortable about it... my son's now 14 months and still sleeps in bed with us most nights, ok, like 99.5% of nights... LOL

Rachel - posted on 07/31/2009

Co--sleeping rocks! We have been co-sleeping with my daughter ever since she was born (a year ago now) and I am still breast feeding...its so easy and I love all the bonding time :)

Beth - posted on 07/31/2009

It's the best answer for me and my girl! Who cares what people think?! If your baby is happy and you're happy, that's all that matters

Brandie - posted on 07/31/2009

It's so nice to know many mothers out there support co-sleeping and do it until their children are toddlers. I have a 2 yr 9 month old and a 5 wk old baby. My oldest still sleeps with my husband and I. I just love cuddling with her and I do get more sleep. I have been curious about baby #2 and if I should do the same for the first year or so due to breastfeeding (I didn't breastfeed my oldest). From all the posts I have read it sounds so much easier to have the baby sleep with me for breastfeeding. Our bed IS crowded, we have a california king size bed and it's still tight. LOL! Between my oldest, my husband, the baby, myself and 2 cats, it's getting crowded. Right now I have the baby sleeping in my arms in bed or in her bassinet. I do miss cuddling with my husband though. But I know we have MANY years ahead of us for that. We have to take advantage of our girls being small and able and wanting to sleep with us. Time goes by so fast.

Lydia - posted on 07/31/2009

We skipped the toddler bed and went straight to a twin size bed. I started a night time routine and for the first week I would lay with her until she fell asleep. The second week I would lay with her until she was sleepy but still awake. Some times she would cry a little in protest when I would leave but it wasnt a hard cry and by 10 minutes she would be out. Now I do the bedtime routine and put her in her bed without laying down with her. She still protests for about 5 min but never cries hard. We are doing pretty good with her bed except when she is getting her molars. There is a lot more night waking during teething.

Kylie - posted on 07/31/2009

We started co sleeping at around six weeks after a rough start and haven't looked back. It suited us so much, is easier for night feeds and baby and I sleep so much better. She is five months now. My husband works away which makes it easier as he does not have early morning starts when he is home. How do other hubby's cope when they have to get up for work?



One thing I am worried about is getting her in to her own bed later. For those who have done this, at what age, to cot or bed and how did you go? Would love to know :-)

Lydia - posted on 07/31/2009

We co-slept until she was 15 months. We still co-sleep in the mornings. My DH and I loved it. When people ask me if I am afraid of rolling over on my kid, I respond by asking them if they ever roll out of bed. When they say no, I say "See even though you are sleeping you know where the edge of your bed is. Well even though we are sleeping we know where our baby is." That helps it make sense to people, I find.

Amy - posted on 07/31/2009

I co-sleep with my 11 week old after his 5am feed. There is nothing better than waking up to him smiling at me.

I believe every mother should follow their instincts. If co-sleeping works for you don't let anyone tell you you are wrong.

Nicole - posted on 07/31/2009

We co-slept with my son from 6mo. until almost 2yrs until I was very pregnant and he was kicking my back and belly too much. Since then he sleeps in a toddler race car bed at the end of our bed. My 16w daughter starts out the night in her swing that is in our room too. She's there for about 4-6 hours. When she wakes I bring her to our bed she nurses and we sleep until I have to wake. In the mornings my son comes and gets in bed with us for an hour or two. So then its my daughter, myself, my son and daddy. All of us in our king size bed. My daughter has the most room as we give her lots so she doesn't roll off the bed. Hubby, he gets enough space to sleep on his side. We love co-sleeping though, it's awesome. We just meet in our office where we have a futon for date night.
Eventually my son will move into his own room and my daughter into the race car bed. But, I hope they'll come get in bed with us in the mornings for years to come!

We always put our kids to sleep on their backs though as there are proven studies doing so saves lives! The SIDS deaths decreased SIGNIFICANTLY when the back to sleep campaign started. I don't think it is "The Man" or society trying to control us on this one, just trying to save lives. But, I am all about sticking it to "The Man" and doing my own thing, what I think is right. LOL!

Colleen - posted on 07/31/2009

I had both my daughters in bed with me 'till about nine months old, so easy and it just felt right to have them right there next to me. I was very aware of them the whole time, a slight change in breathing often meant that I would wake up a few minutes before them. I used to do the same thing with puppies and kittens when I was a child ( no boob obviously lol ), good training for motherhood. :)

Holly - posted on 07/31/2009

I still co-sleep with my 3 month old. He is stll breastfeeding and it is just so much easier than having to get up in the middle of the night. I also co-slept with my 4 year old until he was 3 months old (when he stopped breastfeeding). I say good for you. It has worked WONDERFUL for us!

Lynn - posted on 07/31/2009

I love sleeping with my 4 month old son. Living in Sweden, they actively encourage you to co-sleep with your child. When he was born he slept naked 'skin to skin' with me in the hospital. It was wonderful. I have a good nights sleep every night. When he grumbles a little for boobie I simply slip my nipple in his mouth and we both fall back to sleep again. I have tried him in his crib (at the suggestion of others) and find myself lying awake listening to his every movement, breath etc. Separation anxiety I guess ;o)

Anna - posted on 07/31/2009

We have also co-slept with our 16mth old dd since birth. It is a wonderful bonding experience to be able to nurse and sleep with your little one. My dd isn't nursing at night anymore, but she still wakes up, looks over, smiles at me and goes back to sleep, it's sooo sweet. She is a very independent and secure little person! My only regret is our bed isn't big enough to snuggle our 3 year old too! Congrats on nursing and cosleeping!

Lisa - posted on 07/31/2009

My 6 mnth old girl ends up with me most nights as did my other children..it made sense as a breastfeeder and i like to have them safe in my arms.I would be up checking every 15 mins otherwise! We all get a good nights sleep.

Jenny - posted on 07/30/2009

My lil one is 3 months now. She starts in her crib then when she wakes for a feeding I put her in bed with me. She loves to cuddle next to me and there is nothing better than seeing her look up at me in the morning when we wake. I love it!!!

Amber - posted on 07/30/2009

we do the same thing! My son is 7 months old. I love co-sleeping. Before I had him i wasnt planning to but it works great for our family. Hes still ebf, not really interested in eating solids yet.

Hannah - posted on 07/30/2009

I definitely co-sleep with my 7 month old, and love it! It is so easy to just role over and feed her, without having to get up. But in a couple of months, we will be putting her in her crib... I'm happy and sad all at the same time!

Tennille - posted on 07/30/2009

my hubby works from 11pm to 7am so co-sleeping works great for us. Cole usually sleeps in his crib until about 3:30am when he wakes up for feeding then I just put him in bed with me and we nurse off and on until we get up in the morning! Ok weekends are a little rough as hubby complains of only getting a sliver of the bed but I just say Whaaaaah! poor baby!! lol

Minnie - posted on 07/30/2009

Two thumbs up for cosleeping!! Our babies are MADE to sleep in mother's arms, nursing at her breast through the night. What other mammal leaves her infants in another nest while she sleeps in her own? Unreal!

Debbie - posted on 07/30/2009

I have no words of wisdom to offer on co-sleeping as it didn't work for us. I do always envy those who are able to do it though.



I do want to say way to go for listening to your mommy intuition and choosing to do what is right for you and your family even if it isn't the popular choice.

Debbie - posted on 07/30/2009

I can't comment on the co-sleeping as it didn't work for us but I alway envy folks that it does work for.



I do want to stay good for you for listening to your mommy intuition and doing what works for you and your family.

Jessica - posted on 07/30/2009

I slept with my son right up until his sister was born (a little over 12 months) and I am doing the same thing with her to. She is now 14month old and usually sleeps in her crib now which i miss but my partner didnt like the idea of her still being in bed with us seeing as she sleeps all night now. I do however when he is working away bring both of them into the bed with me at night ;)