How many of you co-sleep?

[fimimifi]

About half my friends co-sleep/slept with their children (I'm talking all ages, not just babies) and half don't.

I'm wondering whether this is a reflection on the rest of the county?

We've chosen not to, and it's been challenging. I love the idea but it doesn't work for us at all in practice. I'd love to know what you do/have done?

Yes we co sleep with our third and it's lovely :) avoided it until he was around 4 months and a bit stronger and more mobile.

Didn't have the nerve to do it with my other 2 properly and I regret that now!

Oh and we will also stop as soon as they are able to go into their own bed.

I co-sleep/slept with each of my 3. Personally I love it and know that it helps me get a lot more sleepy than I otherwise would if I was having to sit up feeding in a chair and then settle the baby in the cot. This way when she wakes I literally pop the breast out, latch her on and fall back to sleep.

I wouldn't say I'm a light sleeper as such but I am super aware of my baby's movements at night. A few weeks ago when my 5 year old was in with me, I woke up and caught her just as she went to roll off the bed. I'm strict on the height of the covers and the number of pillows and I don't drink or take drugs. Never had any cause for concern. I know some peoples babies are noisy sleepers but my husband snores much louder than the kids ever have so that doesn't bother me either.

No. Mine need peace and quiet to sleep or they don't settle at all. Same as babies they woke at the slightest noise.

The only exception was a brief period where my oldest had really bad nightmares and would come in during the night but it only lasted a few weeks.

@LolaLollypop

Also something I’ve always puzzled about with co sleeping.. maybe someone can advise. If you’re breastfeeding, do you just use one boob all night? So do you wear a pad and a bra on the other side? Otherwise where does all your let down milk go?

I used to use one side, then try to remember which side it was and swap the following night

We don't, however ds (1) has been sleeping in bed with me and dh for the past 3 nights, he keeps waking up at stupid hours as he's got a horrible cold and cuddles are the only way to get him back to sleep. As soon as we try to move him into his cot he wakes up, so it's been easier to have him with us, although we aren't sleeping as he's the biggest fidget bum I've ever met.

I do, she's 8 now and spends some time in her room and some time with me. It's a bit musical beds here!

I always laugh at the idea that cosleeping means they don’t have a “good routine”

I can’t sleep through breastfeeding, even lying down. Cosleeping doesn’t get me a great deal more sleep but it does mean I don’t have to get up

Yes, my 2 year old gets in with us every night when she wakes. We all get more sleep that way.
She slept in her own cot for the first year (aside from all the time she spent breastfeeding with me) but gradually over time has co-slept more and more. Now that I don’t breastfeed anymore and therefore am not being continually badgered and molested, I love co-sleeping.

As a child, being able to get into my parents bed was always a huge comfort. I’m also mindful that DD has 4 long days at nursery each week, and that extra connection time feels important for us all.

I co-sleep with 12-week-old DD. We start the night in bed with DH, then when I need to turn over to feed her from the other boob at about 2am, I take her into the spare room and we spend the rest of the night in there.

“ Also something I’ve always puzzled about with co sleeping.. maybe someone can advise. If you’re breastfeeding, do you just use one boob all night? So do you wear a pad and a bra on the other side? Otherwise where does all your let down milk go?”

I don’t leak at all this time round. We’re all different. With my first I swapped him each side - I had the bed against the wall and I used to change which end of the bed I put my head!

I was too scared to keep trying to stay awake with my newborn babies when they wouldn’t sleep alone - the risk of falling asleep on the sofa/chair was worse than any risks associated with a safe cosleeping setup

@LolaLollypop I feed about 4-5 times a night. When one side feels noticeably fuller I will swap her over. Don't do it every time, but maybe I do two feeds one side then swap for the third.

We have a king size bed so I just pop a wall of pillows in between her and the edge of swapping places my baby on the outside.

Never co-slept, i knew i never wanted to and have been strict at keeping dd in her own bed. She has always slept brilliantly which helped

No but I don’t have anything against it - just not for me.

I have brought her into bed twice as a toddler when she’s been poorly and I would do it again, but she’s generally a really good sleeper and so there’s been no need.

You see, I don’t know anyone who says “my children slept well on their own but I brought them into bed with me because I preferred it that way”

I mean, I’m sure there are a handful of people who do do that, but it’s not the norm (in the U.K. anyway)

I’m not a natural cosleeper but my children had other ideas

We don’t which was our choice, but actually the times we’ve tried (when DS is ill etc and we think he might just want a cuddle and some help) he hates it and wriggles around relentlessly until we put him back in his bed 🤷‍♀️

Only occasionally co-slept with DD (9) when she was a baby. As she’s got older she’s developed a fear of being on her own. My OH goes to sleep very early and it made much more sense for DD to be in with me and OH to sleep alone. So that’s what happens!

Currently co sleeping with 2 Year old. His decision; not mine!!

Us! DD is 2y3m. She sleeps through, so do we and i will never look back and regret cuddles with my baby

What @Sitt said. We do it for our sanity, then grow to love it (or not)

I held out for 9 months with dc1, waking every 2 hours, before I gave in. I read loads of research, and coslept with all the rest except the preemie when she was tiny.

You’re not going to get an unbiased sample from reading this thread though.

I can’t deal with it so try to avoid it. Both of my children are massive fidgets who seem to prefer sleeping horizontally. We’ve always started the day in our bed though so we can watch tv and snooze a bit. My 4yo would jump into our bed given the chance but I’ve been quite firm as while she loves it, I really can’t deal with co-sleeping. Seemingly my 1yo isn’t interested. We tried co-sleeping last week when she was poorly and she got fed up and asked to go back in her cot.

Absolutely loved co-sleeping with my babies. It was a bit like musical beds for a few years but such fun and very lovely. Also if you are BF then you just roll over, latch the baby on, nod back off and nobody is disturbed. I understand it horrifies some people but it worked for me.

Some of the time with DC1 (waited til he got a bit older/stronger), from birth with DC2. We only have a regular double bed though so not loads of space. DC2 still gets in with us most nights though, wanders in with her teddy - she’s 3.

I didn't until my daughter was 15 months. She then got 8 teeth in a month and the only way anyone got sleep was to put her in our bed. She's now 18 months and still in our bed. I actually enjoy it. She sleeps through the night if she's with us so we all get more sleep.

Question for those who bed share(d) with older babies/ toddlers:

At what age can children get in with you under the covers rather than in their own sleeping bag with duvet/pillows removed from the bed?

I want to be a bit more prepared the next time my daughter is ill and needs to come in with us (she's17 months). Last time she was ill it was hot weather so I slept without a duvet anyway but I'm not sure what happens in winter. Sorry if that seems like a stupid question!