We have co-slept (of sorts - DD starts off in own bed and joins us on first waking) since she was 19 months old and went into a toddler bed. She had always slept through since 11 months in her cot, but as soon as she was in a bed she 'escaped' up to 5 times a night, and after a month of putting her back I gave up and let her sleep with us. It was great to finally get some sleep. As she has grown bigger though me and DH sleep right at the edge of the bed and get woken up by kicks in the back etc. She sleeps through about once a week, and we feel so refreshed on those nights. Every night I would pray she would sleep through. She slept through on Mothers Day and ran in at 7am shouting 'I went to bed and woke up and it was morning!' She seemed really happy. So I told her well done for sleeping in your bed I will buy you a chocolate. I told (bribed) her that every night she sleeps in her own bed she can have a chocolate. Last night she slept through and woke up at 6am asking for a chocolate. And tonight she has gone to bed excited that she can have a chocolate in the morning. Great. Problem is I am feeling all emotional. Maybe because I am pregnant. But I feel like soon there will be a new baby in our room and my big baby will be alone in her room because I am bribing her to stay in her own bed. DD seems happy to be sleeping in her bed (because she is getting chocolate!) but I feel so guilty, and sad like it is the end of an era. Am i being unreasonable to feel so sad when she does not seem to mind at all? (I know I am probably being unreasonable giving her a chocolate when she wakes up but that is another matter! hehe).
AIBU?
to feel so sad at stopping co-sleeping with 3 year old?
soontobetwo · 11/03/2013 20:26
Aww, I bet the pregnancy hormones have a lot to do with it. She's growing up, she won't be the baby once the new baby arrives, end of an era, etc. Of course YANBU. But it'll be better for everyone in the long run; she'll sleep better, you'll sleep better (pregnancy insomnia aside 
).
We did similar with DD1; at around 18mo a holiday disrupted her sleeping pattern, bringing her in with us was the easiest way to re-settle her (and who doesn't want the easiest way when it's 2am?), and bad habits formed. We eventually did a bit of CC to sort it, and now at 3yo she sleeps through in her own bed happily. And as for the chocolate thing, we used chocolate as bribery rewards when potty training, and after a litle while she just forgot about the rewards when using the potty became the norm. As long as it's a small chocolate and not a 200g Dairy Milk every morning 
I miss mine in the bed. DC1 would rather sleep with his girlfriend than his mammy. 
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.