4/7/11

Co- sleeping...Let's Chat...


OK... let me start by saying... I am NOT ONE TO JUDGE.  My theory is, WHATEVER works best for you and YOUR baby... is the BEST way for you!  I know that this is a hot button issue with some... so, I wanted to throw it out there.  What did YOU do?  Or what WOULD you do? 


For those of you that are like, WHAT?  What is co sleeping?  Well, it's a practice that some parents chose to do that allows their child to sleep in bed with them (for many different reasons... click here to see some books about it).  For some, co sleeping is only in the beginning.  For others, it can last much longer.  Again, it is all a personal thing.  In fact, I read an article just the other day that quoted a parent about co-sleeping.  Their baby slept in their bed for the first year and then transitioned putting the baby into her own bed.  Most people fear that transition and how difficult it must be.  BUT, these parents said that there was NO PROBLEM. 

picture from pajamasandcoffee.com
Now, if you are pregnant or planning on having kids, eventually... this is definitely something that you are going to want to think about.  And HONESTLY, it might not happen the way that you plan... when you hold that precious gift in your arms, EVERYTHING might change! 

I remember when my first was born, I wanted her to be near me at all times.  I was worried that if she was in her room, I wouldn't be able to hear if she stopped breathing!  That's right... I was THAT crazy (you might be too).  I mean, it's not like I would hear her STOP breathing even if she was right next to me.  OK... back to the subject.  My solution was a Moses Basket.  I think that's a safer way to have my newborn sleep in the bed next to me (and my husband... right in the middle :-)).  There was NO WAY that either of us would roll on top of her (not really sure HOW that is possible, but I hear it is).  The Moses Basket is extremely convenient.  I could lay her down and carry her anywhere.  She would sleep in the living room and then I'd carry her to bed when it was time.  When Addison was getting too long for the Moses Basket we transitioned into her sleeping in the crib (that was about 5 weeks). 

Another option that a lot of nursing mothers choose is an attachment for your bed or even a seperate bed altogether that rolls right up to the edge of your bed..  It is like a bassinet attached to the side.  Either way, GREAT ideas.

There are also folks that choose a pack-n-play with a bassinet feature to keep in their room.  *If you don't have or aren't planning to get a pack-n-play, I HIGHLY recommend looking into them.  They come in handy LONG after the 'newborn days'.

Last, there are the brave folks that start right off the bat in the crib!  I mean, why buy a crib if you aren't going to use it (I can HEAR my husband saying that in my head ;-)). 

So, which are you?  Did you do (or are you doing) the co-sleeping method?  If so, how did it work for you?  Would you do it again?  If you didn't, do you feel like there is less of a bond between you and your child(ren)?  **REMEMBER** There is NO right or wrong opinion to this... just want to chat... not argue ;-)

Let's chat....

10 comments:

  1. I had big anxiety issues with my first born. I work in a NICU where all my babies are on monitors. At all times I can see their heart rate, respirations, and oxygen sat's. So I bring home a baby who means more to me than any baby I have ever cared for in the NICU and I can't see her vital signs at all times?!? How am I supposed to know if she stops breathing?!? She ended up sleeping in the bed with me for the first couple weeks. I had a Mini Co-Sleeper that attaches to the side of the bed but I had to FEEL her breathing to be able to get sleep at night. She slept on my pillow curled up by my head so I wouldn't smoosh her. I know. So not safe! She survived though. Eventually I relaxed and was able to start putting her to bed in the Mini Co-sleeper (after much complaining from my husband I was like a mother bear at night, he moves a muscle and I would stiff arm him to keep him away from Kaley haha), which I highly recommend for breastfeeding mothers. Then she moved into her own room in a big girl crib. Now with my second he went straight to the Mini Co-sleeper. I'm a pro mom now and these days I need a good night of sleep! :) He's never slept with us. Soon as he was down to 1 feed a night (2 months old) he went to his big boy bed in his own room where he sleeps soundly. I'm not a big fan of letting kids sleep with you. During toddler bed transition days we never let Kaley crawl in bed with us because it is not a habit we want to start. I love my kids but I need my space some times. Bed time is mommy and daddy time. For sleep, of course. :)

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  2. I didnt let any of my 3 sleep in bed with me. My husband would have been too paranoid he would roll on top of one even if I had wanted to. I had a pack n play next to the bed for the first month or two. Then they were in their own crib. I had a monitor in the room and kept the other monitor right next to my head on my side of the bed so I can hear anything. ;) When they would sleep in the pack n play at night in our room I tried to make sure they slept in their crib in the day time so that when it was time for them to move to their crib at night time sleep too they would already be used to it.

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  3. Isn't it SO CRAZY how much MORE confident we are the second time around?! Well, that AND we value sleep and quiet time a little more ;-) I never had the co sleeper but I've heard GREAT things about them. Was it convenient for you? Any pluses or minuses you could share? THANKS KELLY!!!

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  4. GREAT POINT! I'm sure thatnapping in the crib really did help that transition! I did the same type of thing with the 'crying it out' method (I'm sure that there is a more official name but, we all know what I'm talking about). I would let them cry during naps and rock them at night. Did NOT last long... they got used to just being laid down. Neither one of my babies were big fans of the rocking :-( it DID make life easier though... THANKS FOR CHATTING!!

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  5. I definitely had a case of wanting to hear Keagan sleeping as well. We did use a small bassinet in our room for the first three months. After he was down for almost the whole night and I had gone back to work, we moved him into the crib in his room across the hall. It was probably harder for us than for him. However, when we went from a crib to a toddler bed and with hubby gone it was hard to be strong and keep him in that bed when I was tired and having to work early. He slowly inched in with me and when I stayed at my parent's house for a couple of months in transition during moving from Georgia to Colorado he ended up with me almost every night. When we got to Colorado, dad had missed him so much he wanted him to sleep with us for a while too. If we could just turn back the hands of time.....We have worked hard to get him into his big boy bed for naps and bedtime now for the past 6 months or so. It is still a struggle sometimes after we had enabled him to sleep with us for so long. We had good intentions of comforting ourselves or him, but I would definitely have done it differently now. That time is supposed to be for mommy and daddy to comfort each other after a long day, not for Keagan to tell us to get back on our sides of the bed and stay off his pillow! :- )

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  6. Kaleb, my first and only for a while ;) never slept in the bed with us. From the day he was born until he was 3mon old he slept in a pack-n-play at the foot of our bed, because I was nursing and he ate every 1.5-2hrs...once he started going 3-4hrs we transitioned him to his room in his crib and he did wonderful, even started sleeping longer! He now will not sleep unless he is alone, in a crib (portable or not) and it is dark and quiet...he even has to have it like that for nap time. He has set his own bedtime (I know funny right) he started at 10, then 9, 8, and now it's 730 lights out and he WILL let you know if you keep him up passed his bedtime. I also started the ferber method with him at 5mon, but that's a whole different topic hehe and he has been sleeping through the night ever since then...he sleeps 730pm-8am now!! And we just started with the no milk once in the bed for the night and no sippy cup to wake up to in the middle of the night, because we were having a hardddd time with him wetting the bed..and ever since we have done that, no more wet sheets in the morning..he does wake up about an hour/hour and a half earlier, but I just change him then and give him some juice and he goes back to sleep. I think always keeping him in his own space made the transition to his own room SO much easier. I feel like I didn't stress out so much about having to watch him sleep because I am the oldest of 7 and always had a hand in helping raise my siblings, everything has kind of come natural to me. I think the only down side to this is that he doesn't like so snuggle, at ALL...and what Mommy doesn't want to snuggle with their sweet boy :-D

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  7. @Kelly... thanks so much for sharing with us! I feel you girl! I definitely understand the convenience part AND wanting to snuggle :-( they grow so dang fast! But, good for you for sharing that if you could turn back time...you would. **idea** i had this thought... have you thought of getting something new to make the bed more appealing? maybe new fun sheets or a new fun blanket or stuffed animal that he can ONLY use if he's sleeping in HIS bed?! just a thought... good luck! (btw... we miss y'all)

    @Jessi... YAY for less wetting! i'm so glad that THAT is going better! isn't it GREAT when they go to bed early? wyatt is in bed at 7 and addison 730... ahhhhh... and then, MOMMY TIME!!!

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  8. I'm getting in on this a little late...Bax slept in the pack-n-play for about 3 months (propped up in a bouncer - reflux, but I digress)in our bedroom. I was pretty neurotic about moving him across the house into his room so I found a "movement monitor" on Amazon for about $100 by Angelcare. It had great reviews so I bought it and I have to say it was pretty awesome. It alarms if it doesn't detect movement after 15 seconds. You have to get used to turning it off either before or immediately after you pick the baby up (or you will hate the thing) but I guess that lets you know that it is working. So I suppose between the video monitor, movement monitor, and checking in on him everytime my still recovering bladder made me wake up in the middle of the night, I actually slept remarkably well.

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  9. @Katie

    That's actually what we did when we got here to Colorado. We got him some airplane sheets and then started just by making sure he was in his own bed for naps. Then we worked on getting him in there at night as well. However, breaking Daddy is a lot harder than breaking Keagan, so the little weasel still finds his way in there a couple of nights. Now that he is doing his responsibility chart and becoming more independent though he brags when he does make it the whole night in his room. I will have him in there for when True Blood Season 4 starts! That's the goal. :- )

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  10. @Kelly

    My younger brother is 8 and my Dad still wants him in the bed with him haha sometimes he will even go get him out of his bed while he's sleeping just to bring him in bed with him haha Mom isn't too thrilled about this anymore...but now that he has his own room he is starting to think it's cool to sleep in there.

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