Help - should I co-sleep or not?

[ss_storm]

check out the SIDS website, i think they list all the safe co-sleeping guidelines.
if it is something you want to do and it will benefit you and your family, then do it, dont listen to anyone else! DD went through a stage of only sleeping on me during the day, and i now go by the mantra 'do whatever works!'. she is pretty good now, but occasionally i might put her into our bed if she won't settle after an overnight feed, if she wakes up at an ungodly hour of the morning (like 5am and i am so not getting up to start the day!), or if i want an afternoon nap as she tends to sleep longer if i am next to her.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

Most parents do co-sleep at one time or another. they find, just like you have found, that babies are designed to sleep with their parents - and parents get tired and need some sleep too. Given that this is the case, it's better to make your bed a safe place to sleep. Never sleep with your baby if you are drunk or drugged. It's not advisable either, if you or your partner smoke. It's actually safer to sleep with her in your bed than struggle, exhausted out to the couch and fall asleep unintentionally.
And, co-sleeping is one of the simple pleasures of being a parent

[babymiracles]

Thanks so much everyone for your wonderful responses. We ended up co-sleeping last night and it was such a lovely blissful experience. We all slept very well and beautiful molly just wanted to cuddle up very close to me all night - how can there be anything wrong with that?

[STARRYSKY]

exactly! It is beautiful isnt it!? I miss having Jacob in the bed these days, but as they get older they get more wriggly too...enjoy it!

[nicjay]

Hun I wish I had seen this earlier!

E is much the same as Molly by the sounds of it Even in hospy I couldn't get her to settle in the crib for very long, so I just popped her in the bed with me and cuddled her till she went to sleep, awwwww LOL The nurses were great, very supportive, and the only comment I got was maybe you should pop the side of the bed up. Anyway, I never intended to co-sleep with her it just happened and she is still in with us. TBH too after all we went through to get her we are both happier having her close to us KWIM? We also had lots of troubles with DD1 and her sleeping as a toddler, if we hadn't co-slept with her for a time we both would have been total basket cases from lack of sleep! She now sleeps happily in a big bed in her own room (although she insists on having a light on) and has done since she was about 3 years old, so don't believe the old "rod for your own back" comments

E just sleeps between us on top of our covers with a wrap around her legs - doesn't like the arms being wrapped or the legs being loose - neither of us smoke or drink, so I figure she is pretty safe And breastfeeding her lying down is brilliant too, I was saying to DH last night that I have an almost 100% success rate with it for settling her down - the only bad thing about it is she dribbles it onto the sheets as she drinks ROFL

Don't listen to anyone (even your mother!) who tells you to go against your instincts, Molly is your child and you and you only know what is best for her. If that includes co-sleeping then go with it, you could never do anything that is wrong for her.

I'm so glad to hear you had a lovely night with her, how beautiful xo

[babymiracles]

Thanks so much Megsmum - i totally agree with you and it is lovely to hear you are co=sleeping with emma too. i also was thinking that it took a lot to get molly so it is really lovely having her close to us.

Molly seems a lot happier today too - almost like she is saying 'hey mum you finally figured out what I want' and what she wants is lots of company and closeness - hey who can fault that!

Thanks for your reply - it has helped so much

[babymiracles]

oh and Megsmum - I agree re the breastfeeding - it is so nice feeding lying down - very blissful