How do you co-sleep?

[newmum2]

I didn't intended to co-sleep with DS. We have a bassinet that's right next to the bed for easy access instead.

He's up once a night to feed but otherwise fussy in the bassinet. He wants to sleep on my chest, in the crook of my arm or just next to me (between DH and I). Once he goes in the bassinet he grunts, fidgets and whines, making for a miserable night for us all.

I often give in and I'm very nervous doing this, I never sleep well or deeply and I'm always trying to put him back so I can rest properly. I don't trust myself to not roll over on him, that he won't be smothered by blankets (or his face pressed against the mattress) or especially, DH rolling over him. My Mom found out he was sleeping with us the odd time (well, more than odd at this point) and she put the fear into me!

So, I wonder how you all co-sleep. Where does the babe sleep? how do YOU sleep with him/her there with you (relax)? and should I be giving in to this or should I stick to the bassinet so he'll eventually get the clue that this is HIS sleeping area, not our bed.

(*I'm very ignorant to the benefits of the co-sleeping arrangement*)

[my2babies]

I always put them beside my head and against the wall (Dh is not reliable enough to sleep beside a baby and elbow it or something accidentaly).

It's blissful once you get it down, I don't know this lack of sleep thing many moms talk about, and I think co-sleeping is a big part of it.

I don't know all the benefits but I think I have heard something about mom breathing beside baby helps them if they forget to breathe?? I do it for the sleep if I was to be honest and I love having my babes tucked in beside me.

[Kari2217]

I would lie with DS when he was an infant in bed, but couldn't sleep deeply either. An option might be those little “beds“ that go in your bed next to you- Baby Delight Deluxe Snuggle Nest - Baby Delight - Babies "R" Us
But that may not work if he needs to be nestled up right next to you to sleep...

[PurpleCat]

The only time I think I'm going to squish M is when I'm nursing on the 'top' boob and I have to lean over a bit. He's still alive so I haven't squished him yet... I think.

Is there space to have a crib side carred to your bed? That may be a nice option. Baby can sleep in his space but still be close by.

I usually have M in the middle between us. Bad co-sleeping 'ettiquette' but I prefer to nurse/sleep on my right side and that's facing the middle of the bed. We don't usually co sleep for the entire night so it works for a few hours. M's a busy sleeper and if he has to be in bed with us all night I'll use the spare bed. It's not on a frame so I just have a pillow barrier at the edge. At my mom's place the bed is wedged into the corner and he's against the wall.

I never had an issue falling asleep. M slept in our bed for the first week and I woke up every time Mr.PC rolled over to make sure he didn't squish M (He claims he wouldn't have but I think otherwise).

[mamabear]

i feel safest when she's in the crook of my arm or on my belly. if i ever put her anywhere else to sleep i worry and check her a million times.

i do make sure the bed is well-made, like nothing is coming untucked or anything, and just make sure i feel safe about her position and mine before bedtime otherwise i can;t sleep.

[OctopusesNotOctopi]

I find I am conscious that she is beside me, but I can still sleep well (more so as she has gotten older). I wake up before I roll over. She sleeps both between me and the wall and between me and my ummm sleeping partner? lol when I change boobs, but mostly between me and the wall. It gets less worrisome as they get older!

[lhastie]

We didn't full time co-sleep, but she did spent a chunk of time in our bed

side-caring the crib is a great option if you can do it. Gives him some space and you some piece of mind. If you have enough space for the crib, do a couple searches for ways to set it up so it is tight against your bed. That might work well for you.

In terms of blankets, I'd try to minimize. I know the literature out there often says no blankets at all, but I know mot people don't get there. Keep the blanket lower than the baby, so up to your waist and keep him boob height and it should be far away from him. We always put her in the middle, but I know a lot of people put baby between mom and the edge with either that edge against a wall (fill the gap!) or a bumper of some sort.

You likely will sleep lighter, but should be able to find a way to get 'real' sleep I know the stuff I've read about the benefits of co-sleeping and the studies showing lower rates of co-sleeping (when done in a safe manner, opposed to the studies that take any scenario when a baby sleeps with and adult and decides it isn't safe ) they talk about mom being more aware of the baby and the baby syncs up their breathing with mom.

Hope you find something that works well for you!

[britmum]

I sleep in a double bed with my little fella (and did for 7 months with ds #2 as well). Dh sleeps downstairs.

The bed is pushed up against the wall, so I sleep on the outside of the bed and the baby usually just with a bottom sheet. Once he's done feeding I try to move him away from me in the bed so I can turn over if I want (and I guess to minimize the risk of me rolling on him.)

I love it, I don't know how people who have to physically get up to feed a few times a night do it. However we are getting to the more mobile stage which is when I put ds #2 in the crib (plus we ended breastfeeding then). So we'll see.

[Mrs.Crunchy]

Zayden sleeps in between DH and I. When he was an itty bitty chunk he slept in the crook of my arm... soemtimes we still do it that way, but he makes my arm fall asleep now! HAHAHA.

[a_bun_in_the_oven]

DD1 co-slept with us constantly as a babe. We had a bedrail set up on my side of the bed. She slept between the rail and myself. I'd generally sleep on my side and she'd be right beside. If she slept between DH and I, she'd be in the cook of my arms so that I could feel if he was encroaching (we have a queen), I'd be less concerned with a king. I find with a lil baby furnace right next to me I don't need anything more then a top sheet, though will often have the heavier blankets from the bum down.

With DD2 we put the crib in our room this time, she starts out in her crib and usually stays in there for the most part until 3-4am. She's a pretty awesome sleeper right now. I don't have a rail up yet, so she spends most her time in the middle. I'm a bit more hesitant of co-sleeping this time because at any moment my 3 year old can hop in the bed and she doesn't really check to see who she's landing on.

[NikkiJ]

I co-slept just how you said, he was inbetween DH and I. I'm a very very light sleeper ALL the time so it was never a problem, DS breathed to heavy and I was up.

[elliesmom]

we have a king size bed. At first dh was afraid of squishing him, but even he has become aware in his sleep and he never crosses to a point where I am worried. I also have a bedrail up, but I switch sides and just make ds flip with me. I am currently getting ds to sleep more in his crib, but I sure do love the snuggles when I bring him back to bed in the wee ours of the night.

[angela]

when my ds was younger he slept in the crook of my arm or my chest...its not a great sleep but it was better then listening to the grunting!
now he curls up next to me or i roll him over and spoon him...my arms are always around him so i am semi concsious of his position and know he is closer to me then a comatose daddy!

[MrsKK]

When DD1 co-slept, we used the change pad from her change table. It looked like this:



Curved sides so she couldn't roll out and we couldn't roll on her. There was no way at that point I was spending $60 on a co-sleeper. She only co-slept for 2 weeks though, then she moved into her side-carred bassinet and she loved that for only 2 months and got too big then moved to her crib.

[princess2808]

They just slept beside us. I'm a pretty sound sleeper so i always slept well still. Dh didnt as well when they were between us so I often put them on the outside.