Co-sleeping

[JmelynnOU]

I have a 10 week old daughter with whom I co-sleep. I am very happy with the decision to do so despite MANY unwarranted comments from family and friends such as, "Uh oh- you are getting her into a BAD pattern! You'll be sorry!" and "Haven't you heard of SIDS?!" I have done a lot of research on SIDS and have taken many precautions to safely co-sleep. Also I do not believe I am getting my daughter "into a bad pattern". I personally know people who have co-slept with children and then successfully put the child in their own bed later on when the time was right. I would like to hear from parents of toddlers or older children with whom they co-slept and ask if you could go back in time would you again make the decision to co-sleep? What have you seen are the benefits and/or problems in your older children that you can trace back to co-sleeping? Thanks from this new mother! Love and blessings!

 

[Robinsegg]

I have coslept with all 3 of my children, at least to a degree. We've had no ill effects.
Rachel

 

[jgonz]

I didn't co-sleep with my first 2 at all, I co-slept with my next 3 for 6 months only, and I co-slept with my next 4 for a year or so.

I would LOVE to go back in time and co-sleep with my oldest 2 (I would have breastfed them too). We wouldn't have had Nearly the nighttime issues with them when they were older.

If I could go back and redo the next 3 I co-slept with until 6 mos, I would have co-slept longer. They also had nighttime issues, but were more secure than my first 2.

The last 4 that I co-slept with for a year or so were Definately the most secure of all my kids, and we Rarely had any nighttime issues with them. They slept better in their own beds too. My youngest is 2 yrs, and he Does wake up at night~ but then wants to sleep next to my 10 & 12 yr olds for the rest of the night (they love to camp out in the den every night on sleeping bags), so we just take him out there with them every night that he wakes up.

 

[Etsi]

Mother of seven, co-slept with all of them, and would not go back to do it otherwise.

 

[heart of peace]

Co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, attachment parenting mama here! I have treasured every minute of mothering my son and co-sleeping has provided so many of their own treasured memories. *happy sigh*

There have been no drawbacks at all for us to speak of regarding co-sleeping. It was a decision that both my husband and I supported and we've been very happy with it. God bless you as you embark on your mothering journey!

 

[JmelynnOU]

Thank you all so much for the positive feedback! I love sleeping with my daughter and it has already been a blessing. I will just tell the naysayers that everyone has to make their own decision as to what they feel is best.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

Thank you all so much for the positive feedback! I love sleeping with my daughter and it has already been a blessing. I will just tell the naysayers that everyone has to make their own decision as to what they feel is best.

This. I did not co sleep, that was what was good for my family. If co sleeping is what you feel is good for your family, by all means do it..you're not hurting anyone, they need to stay out of it.

 

[Stan53]

Problems of co-sleeping? There aren't any. If your happy with it, go for it.
Benefits? Too many to list.
From a dad's point of view, they make an excellent hot water bottle.
Mum's happy, baby's happy.
Having said that, one of my work mates was not happy. He couldn't sleep at night for the baby movements and neither could his wife.
We are due to have Baby 3 and we will certainly be co-sleeping.

 

[FaithPrevails]

I co-slept with my oldest and had trouble getting him out of my bed when *I* was ready for it. I did not co-sleep with my middle child b/c he did not sleep well in bed with me and seemed to prefer his crib. They both started migrating from their beds to mine in the middle of the night after a major life change and I allowed it to give them an added sense of security. I transitioned them back to their own beds FT again about 2 years ago at the ages of 6 and 3. I was running out of room in my own bed!

I am doing a modified co-sleep with my youngest (she's about 9 weeks old). She goes to bed in her crib and then I pull her into bed with me to nurse if she wakes up and usually leave her in bed with me - but she's sleeping through the night most nights now.

 

[visionary]

Co-slept with mine, and had no problem with the transfer to their own beds when older.

 

[Etsi]

I'm going to clarify how I worked co-sleeping. My babies typically went down to sleep in their own crib or on our bed (clear of blankets and firm for naps) and later came to bed with me when they woke for their middle of the night feeding (usually I was still up and ready to go to bed by then) unless it was middle of the day and I needed a nap, then I would nap and nurse. I think both using their crib AND co-sleeping is what helped with any adjustment (limiting or eliminating).

Most of those the cry "SIDS!" have not researched SIDS but are only repeating the same cry created to create mass panic. Most SIDS cases happen while the child is in a crib. Some SIDS cases are related to various other issues (brain swelling due to vax's, infantile seizure, sleep apnea...of which co-sleeping would have reduced as the mother's breathing regulates the child's and can "jump start" a child that has momentarily stopped breathing). Some credit towards SIDS has been given to those crazy bumpers put on cribs that prevent air flow through the bars and hold carbon monoxide down in the crib (one of the reasons they have the "back to sleep" program is so the child can draw air from above...I just don't put the bumpers).

 

[JmelynnOU]

I agree about the SIDS stuff Etsi. I have done a lot of research on my own and I have also found that it occurs much more in cribs! I am actually going to be posting on my personal blog about this next week!