Co-sleeping is a really controversial topic that I wanted to discuss in my blog today and invite any of you guys who have co-slept or who are thinking about co-sleeping to share your views and opinions.
We co-slept with our daughter for her first 4 months and in doing so we received many comments on forums and in public;
'I know a friend of a friend who did that and hurt her baby...'
'if you don't get her out your bed now, you never will!'
'It's really dangerous!'
We were not planning on co-sleeping at all, we had bought the moses basket and cot and when we first came home form the hospital she slept in her moses basket for the first 4-5 weeks. During that time none of us got much sleep - which is to be expected with a newborn but she longed to sleep on our chest and also to sleep on her tummy (which again we are advised against.) How the co-sleeping began was we were all so tired and I had just recently returned to work that one evening I decided we would all have a lie down in the bed together to get her off to sleep and then move her to her moses basket. She fell asleep straight away and so did we...she slept from 9pm - 6am! She had started to sleep from 9pm- midnight for a final feed then again till 6am but never straight through without the midnight feed! This allowed us all to get a better nights sleep and because we were both working meant that we were not so tired for work and generally were all in a better mood with one another as none of us do well with little sleep!
We just decided to continue with the sleeping arrangement and bought a bed rail for one side of the bed to ensure baby didn't fall off - these are not recommended until 18months because they can get their limbs trapped down the side but we rolled a blanket and shoved it down there to prevent that happening. We also removed all pillows and used blankets instead of a heavy duvet. I only let baby sleep next to me as my fiance is a heavy sleeper and we were both worried he wouldn't be as responsive as he doesn't have the mothers instincts like a mummy does.
It is true for me that I didn't sleep in a deep sleep because I was always aware of where our baby was on the bed and every time she made a noise or moved I woke up instantly but it was lovely to fall asleep with her and wake up to her beautiful smiley face each and every morning staring at me!
I do miss co-sleeping but for over a month now she has been in her cot and we didn't have any problems with the transition to the cot, we haven't experienced any bad nights where she has woken up all night and she has never indicated she wants to come back in our bed.
I think it is up to the parent what they do with their child, my youngest daughter didn't start off in my bed but after being very ill at 14 weeks I put her in with me and she stayed there until she was 3 and a half, I got lots of criticism but she went into her own bed fine after we had the room decorated and a new bed, she was excited to go in the new bed and was fine, she is 16 now. Lots of people said "you'll never get her out" but my advice to anyone who lets their child sleep with them is, they won't still be doing it when they're 19, and my daughter is 16 and certainly isn't still sleeping in my bed ha ha, it's a personal choice and up to the parents I'd say :) lots of love xxxxxx
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