Holiday anxiety

[BradfordBrontesaurus]

Wise counsel needed MNers. Talk me down slap me silly out of my headspace.
Have 9 month old child who, due to a series of issues, co-sleeps with me. Over the past few months I've managed to get her to sleep on her own mattress (from her cot) which is adjacent to my mattress on the floor. We got to a stage where she would only wake three times for feeding in the night and go back to sleep on the mattress almost immediately. Except a week ago the wakenings gradually started to be more frequent and now she only sleeps for half an hour before she's awake. She's only getting more sleep if she's sleeping on me (so I'm basically not sleeping, only light dozing sometimes during the night or for twenty mins when she sleeps on her mattress.

We're going on holiday next week to Europe and I'm BLOODY TERRIFIED how this is going to work. When she sleeps on me I have my arms and back supported with hard pillows (to avoid the risk of her face planting into a soft pillows and struggling to breathe). I won't have any of this set up. So I won't be able to do this safely. We're flying in very very late because the flight keeps getting pushed so hardly any time to figure out and set things up (plus will have DSSs who will also need to be settled) plus it's obvs warm there and how the hell is she going to be comfortable sleeping on me in the heat?

Please tell me I'm over reacting and it's going to be lovely. I'm not going to be even more of a zombie than I am now, am I?

Please don't @ me that I shouldn't be co sleeping or feeding her at night.

@nanbread thank you - it's good to hear people getting through it

@Caterinasballerinas I think they're built in beds so can't shift the bed, but probs can drag the mattress onto the floor like @Fernando072020 suggested.

@Wettyhainthrop at the moment it's got the most "benefits" especially cos to transition her like @FuzzyClutter suggests wouldn't be possible. My DP can't support me to that level at night so anything would have to be done on my own and that only leaves distressing methods really. But I'm working on it!

@ForeverInADay we got it! It worked for a few weeks then not Now she just likes to play in it

@katienana and @ShinyGreenElephant and @trunumber I think I'll try all of those suggestions to see what might work before we go then also adapt to the situ.

@eightyfourandahalf

Thank you 💗

@milcal I did try that ages ago but haven't recently. I might try it again. Thank you

@stepupandbecounted yeah, and I think that's the backdrop to it all which is worrying me as well. Like you say, travel with kids is always intense plus pandemic shenanigans.

Have a look at the Lullaby Trust advice kn co sleeping.
As pp said no pillows loose sheets and a bed guard to stop vany falling on floor.
Also advised not to sleep with baby if you have been drinking alcohol. I'm just wondering if you had thought of that as you will be on holiday.

I hope you have a safe and lovely holiday. You are a braver woman than me.

Sorry for typos

@eightyfourandahalf just in response to your post...I am not at all anxious because both my children are/have been safe sleepers.
I put the 12 month old in her cot and leave the room happy that she's in an appropriate sleep space.

Mumsnet often seems overwhelmingly ok with co-sleeping. I just don't get why.
The "safe sleep seven" is utter bullshit. There is no safe way to co-sleep. Adult mattresses are not safe for babies.

@Thedogscollar yep I follow the safe seven - even more so because I give her her own surface! Won't be drinking cos BF. I had one light beer a few weeks ago at a carefully calculated time of 4pm well before any feeding or sleeping hours later but that's been it Part of sleeping on a mattress on the floor and her having her own as well was so DP can still have a drink so he sleeps separately from us and it'll be the same on holiday - I won't have her in a bed if he's even had one. Probably over the top but find it's easier to have a clear rule rather than trying to gauge the safety every night.
Thank you for your lovely wishes ❤️

I hope your holiday goes well. I breastfed back in the day when it was recommended that Mums drank a glass of Guiness (for the iron benefits). I hated the stuff but the DC slept well!

@user1493494961 ha ha must have been all that extra iron thank you xx