Experiences of moving a co-sleeping baby into a cot before one

[GJ1995]

Has anyone had a baby that sleeps in their bed and has wanted to transfer into the cot themselves before they're 1? My health visitor says they don't recommend sleep training before the age of 1 but says they should be out of my bed before 1. Please only those comment who have had this experience as interested in people's experience with this.

It’s hard I’m not going to lie, I never wanted to co sleep but had no other choice, she wouldn’t settle anywhere else. I had no idea what I was doing and just winged it, I started putting her in her cot with some toys to play just for a while whilst I was getting ready in the morning or putting the washing away etc and then I began naps in there and once she was ok with that I transitioned to night times. It’s hard because I had to start again with self soothing, basically I would give her bottle at bedtime and hold her until she fell asleep and then placed her in the cot, sometimes she would wake every 30 minutes to an hour but I was consistent and eventually she was ok, after a week or two of her accepting her cot I then started putting her down after her bottle and she self soothed. Even now at two when she’s ill or teething she’ll wake and want in my bed but I stay consistent with it and it works

My health visitor says …they should be out of my bed before 1.

This is utter tosh and your HV is talking nonsense! There are no arbitrary age limits on co-sleeping. Some babies never take to the cot and always wake up on transfer etc. Co-sleeping is entirely normal all the world over. In many countries it’s just called ‘sleeping!’ If it works for you and your little one that’s all that matters. 😊

Your health visitor is talking absolute rubbish, and if I were, I’d report them. Cosleeping is only an issue if it’s an issue for you or it’s not working anymore. You don’t ever have to sleep train, at any age. I’d really recommend moving to a floor bed in their own room, that was hugely helpful in the transition for my daughter. Shes 21 months now and sleeps through on her own (still lie with her at bedtime.)

If its working for you why change? We still co sleep at 7 (albeit for lack of space lol)

I co-slept with mine until various different ages, none of my last 3 ever slept in a cot they went straight into a bed. My youngest co-slept until 3 1/2 and went into his own bed, no problem. There's no need to move them out of your bed by 1 yr old if you're happy co-sleeping.

Co sleeping as long as it works for you. DC1 slept with me til almost 2. DC only slept with me til 9 months. DC3 is 1 year and I’m starting to get a bit fed up with hair pulling

I knew we did something wrong. Ours were sleep trained at a few months old.

If you want to sleep train, do it sooner rather than later. The older they are, the more they can hurt themselves. If your baby is almost 1, it might be too late for most sleep training methods already as they can really cry for a long time and they're old enough to understand you are next door. There are ways, just need to do some research.

But if you want to cosleep, continue doing so. I slept with my mum until I was 5 or 6.

"says they should be out of my bed before 1"

For what reason?

We started around 12 months trying to put our son down in the cot at bedtime, which worked for a bit but I generally still find cosleeping easier. (He's 2 now)

He slept with me until 2ish and then was in a toddler bed next to me until age four when he got his own room. A year later he got a big boy loft bed (not the high one) from Ikea. He never liked the Moses basket or the cot.

Thanks everyone - it works for us at the min but it would be nice to have our own space at some point but I can't bear the crying. She just loves being close. The health visiting service all say the same - I think it's something to do with their developing brain and giving them what they need but not 100% on this.

And also I think they mean they will naturally be out of my bed before 1? I don't know!

The health visiting service all say the same - I think it's something to do with their developing brain and giving them what they need

I don’t want to say my profession but let’s just say it’s relevant, my title is Dr, and your HV team are talking absolute nonsense. 😆

She’s crying because that’s the only way they know how to communicate and how to get their needs met at that age (especially as I think yours is much younger than 12 months currently?). You’re doing absolutely nothing wrong by meeting her needs and if that includes co-sleeping right now then that’s lovely. Keep on doing a great job and being a thoughtful and caring mum 😊

Skip the cot, single mattress on the floor of her room, cosleep with her to get to sleep and then for each wake, she'll wake less and less often over time (as it's developmental) and then when she's 2.5/3 put the mattress on a single bed

Still co-sleeping at 18 months and actually loving it because you see them less when they are at nursery so it’s extra bonding time.