Help why do I feel like a failure

This will probably be long and might not make much sense but I need to get it out!

Ds has been co sleeping since about 4 months! Before having him I would never have considered it, but after much reading and feeling like it was the most natural and easiest thing to do we started full time.

He has never slept through the night, maybe for a week when he was tiny.

i feel like i am a failure cause he doesn't sleep through and is still BF constantly. Now I love that he is still BF but I feel like I need my body back especially at night when from about 3am he wants to be constantly attached.

I look at other peoples babies who have controlled cries and formula fed and they are sleeping through and are the most perfect babies, it makes me feel like I am being punished for choosing a gentle and natural way for my son. I am so worried he will still be waking up 5 and 6 times a night by the time number 2 comes in October and it scare the hell out of me!

He is high spirited and cheeky kind of kid and I know this is from being nurtured they way we do cause he feels safe and secure.

I love co sleeping with him but I just wish he would sleep through I am so tired and need to sleep.

I need to hear some positive stories of co sleeping and breastfeeding babes who sleep through.

Thanks for reading.

I have moments of 'argh.. have we done it all wrong' too, usually after particularly bad nights & I feel wiped (last time it was coz she was getting sick.. so there you go.. nothing I was doing.. she was getting sick!) We are co-sleeping and still feeding through the night. But you know what.. it seriously doesn't last forever. My DS was exactly the same, and at about 2 1/2 he started sleeping through in his own bed. You'll find you go through natural transitions and they are eventually out of your bed and sleeping through. Ours was feeding to sleep & co-sleeping. Feeding to sleep in his bed, and him coming in to our bed through the night. Night weaning through pregnancy, but still waking and coming in to us. Started going to bed awake after a feed, but needed us to lie with him, started sleeping through, then eventually putting himself to sleep. And you know what.. I don't know of many kids his age that just go to bed and stay there LOL. No fuss or anything. I put it down to our hard work keeping sleep a good thing for him.

You're doing all the right things. Don't compare yourself or your baby to anyone else. Just go with what you're comfortable with. If you do feel the need to compare, think of all those cuddles that the non-cosleepers and 'perfect' babies are missing out on :) You'll probably find your baby quite flexible with change if you just introduce it when you're both ready :) And do remember that it doesn't last forever. Enjoy it :)

Hmmmm - maybe I shouldn't post :think: DS still does not sleep through and we co-sleep. He does now start off the night in his own bed and day sleeps are also in his bed. At the moment he is waking more often at night to practice his words :D

DD co-sleeps in a side car and has slept between 5 and 7 hours on a few occasions and is fully breastfed.

Not sure if this really helps though :dunno: You are doing a great job and the rewards will come in a more visible way later, and it is normal to be tired. You are pregnant with a toddler :hug:

ETA - and we've had a similar sleep progression to Liz. It does get better!!

Michelle, that's where we were at one stage. DS starting in his bed, but coming in through the night. And DD next to us in a co-sleeping cot. hehe. It's kinda nice having the whole family in the one bed in the morning.. even though your eyes can be hanging out your head LOL.

Oh hon... :hug:

I often thought maybe I was doing the wrong thing, it wasn't done much when I had my first 12 years ago!!!

But the rewards are great. I have great, happy, independant children that we have a great relationship with. You are doing the right thing for your family. Things do get easier, but I'll warn you, me and Ad have a 2 yr old and Harmony in our bed at night!!!:rofl: But we love it....

Thanks girls. I spose I am just worried as DH is a shift worker so I dont get anytime to sleep at all and feeling like I do at the monent I am worried about whe I get to those last months and bieng a wreck!

Everynight I say tonuight will be better and pray that he ven just wakes twice but some nights its worse. I have all my fingers and all my toes crossed that it will get better! We are thinking of getting a little bed to put in our room to see if he will sleep in it, we can only try right!

:hug: thanks so much girls :hug:

The first trimester is the hardest :hug: