How do YOU do it?

Ally - posted on 09/23/2010

Our daughter was born in June, so for the first few months, we kept the house at a warmer temperature so she could sleep without any blankets and be comfortable. Tiny baby spent every sleeping moment with her face pressed into my boob or my side. For countless months, I slept in one position every night, never really moving unless she woke up. Dr. Sears has a great section on how baby and mother end up sleeping facing each other, breathing patterns matched, waking in synchrony, etc.

Hubby and I each had a pillow up high on the bed by the headboard with a big space in the middle for baby. Daughter slept below pillow height without sheets or pillows nearby. She was cradled in my armpit more or less. Hubby and I shared a sheet down below her body, no higher than waist high on us, so it wasn't even near baby. Baby was parked in the middle of us, but snuggled up against me.

For the first 2 weeks, my husband hardly slept. Nervous about her being there. He slept glued to the edge of his side of our queen bed. He relaxed when he realized that she slept so tightly nestled against me that he was not getting anywhere near us without me being aware of it.

When winter rolled around, we wore warm pajamas and continued to sleep with blankets no higher than waist high. Baby in footie pajamas.

As my daughter became able to crawl, I bought extra long bed rails that fit on both sides of the bed (Dex brand). Two years later and we still use them. She's pretty restless in her sleep sometimes, and rolls across the bed from one side to the other, sleeping right up against the mesh railings oftentimes. She seems to use us as bumpers while she sleeps, once we get in bed.

We began sleeping with regular blankets and she graduated to having her own pillow when she became truly mobile, which for our girl was around 14 months or so. She would climb up the bed while sleeping until she hit the pillows, then climb on top of them to sleep. I worried at first about her being facedown in the pillow, but once she was past a year and inching herself up there every night, I just paid close attention to the video monitor. Now we sleep with 3 pillows across the top of the bed, blankets as usual, and she still crawls up on top of her pillow to get out from under the blanket. She hates sleeping covered up, no matter how cold the weather! It makes me cold just looking at her, but when I cover her up, she inches out from underneath again! She definitely knows what she wants.

After having slept with her in the bed and seen how happy she is to go to sleep and wake up with us, I'd never do it any other way. I love sharing the good stuff, and this is definitely one of those things!

Best of luck to you!!!

Casey - posted on 08/12/2010

My rule was he slept between me and the side of the bed. You can put a safety rail if you are concerned, but in reality, the little one will most likely be pressed so close to you, there is not much concern about them rolling off.

I tucked the cover under my waist and had a seperate cover for the baby (a receiving blanket tucked around his waist). I was fearful of the blacket getting thrown over his head if he slept between my husband and I. We have been cosleeping for 8 months straight and loving it. Good luck!

Minnie - posted on 06/21/2010

Adelaide has slept either between us or on my side, depending on which breast I'm nursing her on. She has always slept squashed next to me, from birth, much of the time nursing while we sleep.



My husband and I sleep under different blankets, but that's because we like our leg room and don't like pulling the blanket back from each other, lol. I use a very light blanket.

Geralyn - posted on 06/18/2010

Hi Annie. For the first 8 months or so, my hubby slept in another room (heavy sleeper). When really young, my son slept next to me, no blankets or pillows near him, except for a small baby blanket at times that literally was the size of a small square. We just kept the temperature at a comfortable temp so I did not have to worry about blankets. I wouldn't necessarily have him under the family blanket or duvet.

When he got bigger, we each had individual blankets, so that I could put a reasonably safe one on him, and I could have a blanket without it on the baby.

There is an excellent book by James McKenna (an expert on co-sleeping) entitled "Sleeping with Your Baby A Parent's Guide to Co-Sleeping." He has excellent recommendations for SAFE co-sleeping.

My son has been with me every night since birth. We love sleeping together as a family. My son is now 2 years, 2 months.... Good luck!