Co-sleeping.?

Question

How many other parents co-sleep? Do you find that your child sleeps much longer than when alone? How long did you co-sleep for? Was it an easy transition from bed to crib?

I just recently started transitioning my 2 month old daughter from my bed to crib and she doesn't seem to really care at all. I think it was much easier on me with all the middle of the night feedings to have her there with me and, I never felt at all that me or my husband put her in any kind of danger at all. The moment she hit the bed I told my husband to be careful she was with us, the minute he moved around I was awake to make sure that he kept his distance from her it was like my maternal senses were so intune, was it like that for any other co-sleepers?

Answer 1

We co-sleep with our son but I can only contribute to your poll part of the question. I don't have any advice since we never tried letting him sleep alone. He's two years old.

Answer 2

We co-slept with my, now 3 1/2 year old, daughter for about a year and a half. We now have a 7 week old baby who we are co-sleeping with. I feel that they sleep much better when we are in the same bed. They seem to wake less and it definitely makes night feedings much easier on mom. My first daughter was a champ at breastfeeding while lying down, however my 7 week old has yet to pick it up (I have to sit up in bed and feed). Neither I nor my husband are deep sleepers and do not feel that we are posing a great risk to our child. I am constantly aware of our positioning in bed and the fact that she is right next to me. My poor husband, however, has been relegated to a very small portion of the bed.
If, however, either of us has taken any kind of medicine or had any significant amount of alcohol, or anything that may affect how deeply we sleep or our senses, we put her to sleep in the co-sleeper, next to the bed.
Like I said, we slept with our first daughter for over a year. We then transitioned her when she was ready (probably a little after she was really ready). There was a small amount of crying each night, 10-20 minutes, for about a week, and then she loved being in her own room. And we were finally able to go back to getting some deep, restful sleep again. Now we are at it again. It will probably be a little different this time around.

Answer 3

I am co-sleeping. I found myself doing it accidentally at first because I was so exhausted, but now I know it is very useful. It is one of the few ways I can get her to sleep for longer than an hour, plus it is convienent for midnight breasfeeding sessions. My maternal senses are also in tune to where my hubby is on the bed. He is a heavy sleeper and doesn't even realize I am there sometimes, let alone our small daughter. I don't know how long I am going to do it for, but hopefully not long, because I really want a full night's sleep again!

Answer 4

We were definately co-sleepers, reasoning was because yes it was much easier. I was breastfeeding and every time I laid her in her crib she would cry. Our youngest slept in our bed till she was about 8 months old( I know it's a long time) but it was better for all involved. Without sleep we are much crankier. And as far as the maternal senses they were definately in tune. Every time my fiance moved I would put my hand out as a barrier. (he spent alot of time, pushed against the wall, lol) The transition to the crib was a little difficult, but eventually we all made it through it.

Answer 5

Oh yes, we're totally in tune with our babies in the bed with us. Even my husband is like that, but usually the babies sleep on the other side of me until they're a little bigger. I have never even come close to rolling over either of my babies and there are times when we've slept touching eachother all night long. I love the closeness that it brings to our family. We haven't transitioned out of the bed with either child (we have one that is 2 and one that is 4 months) and we probably won't any time soon because it is one way that I can reconnect with them after working outside the home all day long.

Answer 6

we co-slept! it was awesome for all 3 of us. she slept soo much better (and still does) when she is with us. we co-slept for 6 months and the attempted to put her in the crib. she HATED It. but she is 15 months now and does it cause we worked slowly up to being alone in her bed. i suggest from my experience to let her sleep with you when you know she is gonna have a hungry night. if she is tired and will sleep longer, put her in her crib. it will make the transition better later. let her nap in her bed. yes, moms have a better sense of where baby is and feels and hears every movement and noise. daddys are good too. my husband is great now! he understands that baby and mom are in tune! do what works for you. but i really do suggest letting her sleep alone in her bed as much as she can without making it traumatic asap. but night time is easier when you are next to her. easy feeding. good luck! you can do it!

Answer 7

We love the family bed. It's so much easier and we are not even considering moving our daughter to her own bed yet (she's 10 months old). We got a king sized futon with co-sleeping in mind. It's low enough so she can get up and down by herself and also is very firm.

Answer 8

Our twins are 10 months old. they have slept interior the path of the night for the main section (we've had some develop spurts and teething that disrupted sleep varieties) considering approximately 3 months old. we don't co-sleep - there are 2 of them and that they do properly of their cribs. each and every on occasion if one is sick or up early interior the morning, we can carry them into mattress to snuggle yet we don't extremely co-sleep. superb desires!

Answer 9

My daughter slept with us for nearly 6 months and the ONLY reason we kicked her out was because she was a total bed hog. My son slept with us for about 4 months. I let them sleep with me off & on; Im all for the family bed! It is great for nursing, & closeness. My mom hated that my kids slept with us! People often have a bad perception of it.
I too was very sensitive to my babies being in bed with us. Ive had several friends that have all had the same/similar experiences. We are all natural birth-ers, home birthinng etc. I personally think that our birth process made us very connected to our babies in a way that I don't see AS STONGLY with other mothers. Sleeping with our babies is easy, comfortable & natural.

Congratualtions!!

Answer 10

I also co-sleep with my 6 month old daughter and what i found that helps her sleep longer in her crib is that she missed my smell, so i sleep on one of her blankets and when i lay her down i put the blanket on and its like i am in the crib with her and her sleeps great.

Answer 11

I do not think that co sleeping is healthy for the baby, she is at high risk for sids, and I have heard of many cases where the baby had very great mothers who only wanted to be closer to their infants when the baby got sids in the bed co sleeping with them one lady was a wife of a paramedic, and when he got to the house when she dialed 911 he couldn't revive the baby.. very sad case
also take it from a second time mom who waited until her baby was 16 months to co sleep, and well he is 4 and still in the bed with mom, dad sleeps in his bed in his bedroom, and refuses to sleep in his bedroom, my baby who was on an apnea monitor til he was 5 months old only slept with me in extreme situations, and I had an apnea monitor and didn't feel safe....
please do not make this mistake, I k now you love your baby thats no doubt, I feel the same towards mine and would have loved to do the same with both.. however the risk is not worth it

one thing I did find that helped was taking a pack and play and putting my youngest in it and pulling it as close to the bed as I can get it, and he slept better than ever close to me, also take a shirt you have wore through the day and lay it close to her, I always wear a tank top under my scrubs, and I would let carson sleep with it.. .it gives them a sense of closeness without the risk.... believe me the shirt thing does worrk, my husband had to keep one of my shirts to help the baby sleep when I was at work

this method has been proven in neonatal icu's also, they make a blanket that the mother places close to her skin and it traps her scent inside and the nurses use it on the babies, they had a much better rate of survival!!! look up east tn childrens hospital to get more info on that...

good luck.. I am also a mother of 2 and very well versed in the mistakes that we can all make... I have seen a lot of them in the er, and my husband which is a paramedic also has seen the same...