Co-sleeping. What are your opinions?

[Waiting4myprincess]

Hey ladies. I know this question has come up many times before but I wanted to ask again. What are your opinions on co-sleeping? Are there negative results from it? Positive? My DD who is 3 1/2 months old, has slept in bed with me for the last 2 nights (we moved into a new house and she is still trying to get used to her surroundings) and slept from 9pm-7am both nights. She sleeps so much better in bed with me. Why is that? How do they know they are in bed with their parents? And why do they sleep so much better? Just wanted to get your feedback on this since you all have helped me SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much in the past.

Thanks ladies!!

[Flikwerks]

I think you should do whatever works for you. There are so many views on this but I have read alot that co-sleeping can be very beneficial. You will know when she/you are ready to put her back in her own space.

Good luck in your new house.

[WhatYouMakeMe]

I loved it with my son and I'm doing it again w/ this baby.  Just keep it safe.  I bought a co-sleeper its at www.armsreach.com.  Its a little crib, it attaces to the bed.. gives the baby her own space.  No worries of suffication or rolling over on baby.  I'm a single parent my son coslept with me from birth to 4 years old.  No problems getting him to move to his own bed, and he is very independant.  Like I said I'm going to do it again with this baby, its easier on me and them.  Wish u the best

[alaysha]

Aspen is also 3 1/2 months and I put her in her room at about midnight until about 5 in the morning when she is ready for her next feeding. I feel like letting her sleep by herself during her long stretch helps her to learn to sleep by herself but once she wakes up after that I more her to my room since its a lot easier when she wants to eat every 2 hours to roll over rather than have to fetch her. She naps as long as I sleep and then when I get up she gets up so its nice! :)

[Agiesmom]

We coslept with my our now 11 yo ds while he was a baby, then he moved to a crib mattress on the floor next to my side of the bed (he was a crazy flipping, foot-in-your face and ribcage sleeper, so he had to move to the floor).  He slowly transitioned into his own room (went through a few phases of starting out in his room and coming into ours to sleep on the crib mattress).  But he sleeps in his own room, by himself, through the night with no problems whatsoever since he was 4 or 5 years old.  And he's extremely independent.  When the baby was born (she's now 13 1/2 months old and still nursing and sleeping with us), my ds spent the first few nights when we came home from the hospital on the floor in our room (he felt left out!).

It's interesting how we spend all this energy and effort to try to get them to sleep in their own beds by themselves when they will likely grow up and have to learn how to sleep with someone else again.  In many other countries families co-sleep (for various reasons).  I think babies sleep better with you because they can smell you, feel your warmth, hear your heartbeat and the rhythm of your breathing.  It's just comforting and I think they feel secure and reassured if they wake in the night.  So we all sleep better!

[pertykitty]

my 4 month old has been sleeping with me and while i love it my dh called me and told me that there wont be enough room when he returns so i need to get her in her bassinet or in her room sniff sniff.  on one hand i love having her there, she is a great snuggler and its easy for 6am feedings.  however she is becoming dependant on me being there for naps and everything and that isnt always going to work.  maybe she is still just too young and i should give it time.  you do what works for you and your family.  i see no problem with a family bed on one hand, but i do love the bed for me and my husband alone. i dont see how people can go to another room for sex or god forbid do it with the child in the bed ick!   how do you all manage a sex life with kids in the room?

[alaysha]

Haha Pertykitty that is so funny that you asked that. For a couple months (while we still lived in our 1 bedroom) me and my boyfriend never once had sex. It was just too weird when she was in the bassinet in the room or having to sneak out of the room to the couch or when she was awake in the living room going to the bedroom. I couldn't do it and he was going crazy! I don't know how people can do it either.

[renjam]

you did ask for opinions so here is mine! I personally think while the baby is very young its not so bad having your baby sleep next to you in a bassinet but once they are past the 5 month stage when hopefully your baby is sleeping through the baby should get used to sleeping in his or her own room. They are with you all day most of the time so its not like they cant get lots of cuddle and comfort time then. To me night time is an important time to spend with your partner. If you have a partner or husband its important to make the most of those times that you have alone with each other. Lets face it a new baby takes up a lot of time and any time that you can get with your partner (usually at bed time) should be cherished. I have a friend who would like to try for another baby but cant because her 2 1/2 year old still sleeps with them. She says its really affecting her intamicy with her hubby. Girls put in the hard yards early to get your child sleeping in their own room as the tough times will come later. Who wants disrupted sleepless nights when your child is 3 or 4. Ren jam  

[cantwait4baby]

It is beneficial with bonding but also dangerous.  It is a parents decision but if you do decide to do it you need to take many precautions.  Remove pillows and blankets from the area of the baby.  If you are a sound sleeper or a restless sleeper I would advise against it.

I live in Phiadelphia and their was a story on the news about 6 months ago of a family who co-slept with all of the their children when they were babies.  The last baby died in the bed of suffocation.  I dont know what the studies are but the warning was out there and the news did a big story on how more babies does of co-sleeping then SIDS.

Benefits of bonding are wonderful.  Getting them into their own bed may be hard later on.  Just be careful in whatever you decide.  I personally did not do it- I was too scared.  Now that my dd is 11 months old I do put her in bed with me sometimes when she wakes up during the night just because she is scared and teething.  I dont like it - I do not sleep because I am worried about her but I do it because it is what she needs at this time.

Good Luck - remember - remove all pillows

[Waiting4myprincess]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I think for now I am going to go ahead and keep her in bed with me. I love it and I love having her right here next to me.

Thanks again.

[AndiJ78]

Here is an interesting web page that seems to have some statistics that are more in line with what I have always read, just cited this page as it has them all in one place versus listing several links:

http://www.babyreference.com/Cosleeping&SIDSFactSheet.htm

[AndiJ78]

Okay, I wanted to post one more link.

http://www.****.com

As a co-sleeper myself, I find plenty of time and opportunity to have sex with my spouse both in my bed without a baby in room and outside of the bedroom (who just has sex in their bed?). ;-)

[Katie_CB83]

I have 2 daughters, Caley and Brooke and I chose not to so-sleep with either of them.  I slept on the couch for 2 weeks when our first was born (Caley) while she was in a bassinet and for 3 months in our second daughters room (Brooke) on our spare bed.  I personally need the space and was scared of suffocating them if we chose to co-sleep.  They developed their self-soothing techniques very quickly and thank the Lord for that because they both were sleeping throught he night by the age of 3 months.  I was able to sleep through the night in by own bed with my husband, sprawled like a cat and still able to listen to them breathe on the baby monitor.  It was like a victory when they slept through the night.  Their first milestone!!  ........Moral........ a little consistancy and persistance and you can accomplish anything.

[pertykitty]

andi this is funny, last year me n dh tried to be romantic in front of the fireplace- sore knees and rug burns made us decide we are not in shape for that anymore haha!!!  

[AndiJ78]

I like the shower...easy clean-up :-)