Co-sleeping - any opinions?!

[waiting4bambino]

My four month old baby has the odd nap in her cot, but doesnt sleep for any length of time in there! Whilst we're happy for her to be in with us now, i'd like to know if anyone has done this and then had terrible problems in the future etc...

My mother says i'm spoiling my baby, but i love having her close to me, and some of the books i've read say that this is a good thing! Dh says that tribes do it all the time, but they don't have to get up for work etc!!! What are your experiences?

I loved co-sleeping with DD - we did it for first 6 months and then got a bedside cot to ease her out, although she was still with us until 8 months really.
She's now 14 m and LOVES her cot - infact its quite sad as she really doesn't like snuggling up in bed with us in the morning any more, she's just up and off!
She'll occasionally have a daytime nap with me in bed though. It was excellent for her to grasp night time sleeping and slept really well from birth. I'm sure its why she's such a peaceful sleeper on the whole now.
If it feel right, go for it! I would def. do it again.

Co-slept with both of mine. DS went into his own room, in a cot, at 7 months, and although had some sleep issues these were to do with using BFing as a comforter whenever he woke, naturally in light sleep, 3+ times per night! Once that was sorted (thanks to the No Cry Sleep Solution, which I can't recommend enough) he was a great sleeper, and slept through 90% of nights. DD went into a cot in her own room at 6 months, but still co-slept with us about half the time...However we decided enough was enough when she became a big wriggler and she now aged 12 months sleeps through on her own most nights (or only wakes once).

PS. I went back to work full-time when DS was 7 months (hence him being booted into his own room then) and been working part-time with DD since 4.5 months (and found in those early days co-sleeping = more sleep for all of us!)

I coslept every night with my DS till he was about 6 months and now he's 16 months still do occasionally if he's ill, when we're camping or if he is having a bad night. He is very happy in his own cot but wiggly as you like when he's in with me or I'd still be sleeping with him every night.

There is nothing nicer than having a snuggly sleeping baby next to you

Is co-slept with both DCs and loved it. DC1 until he was about 2 years and DC1 until he was 6 months old.

DC2 (3 years) will still creep in about once a week. DC1 (7years) never comes in now. I would say they are great sleepers in their own beds and happy and confident in general.

We did the cot by the bed thing as well, but he would come into bed with us for night-time feeds and often stay there.

Still really enjoys a cuddle first thing in the morning and we have been known to all sleep until 10ish on the weekends, if he is sick or scared he comes and gets into bed with us. But we do kick him out if he is just stuffing around (i.e. wriggling kicking etc).

He has his own room and bed which he plays in and goes to bed in there but I would say 3 nights out of 7 he comes and cuddles up at around 5:00am - we like it.

We are doing the co-sleeping thing and it just feels natural. We tried putting our ds is the crib but by this time 3.5 months he is now too big and is trapping himself in the bars!!
I'm quite happy and so is my other half but the problem I have is daytime napping, he just wants to sleep with me, on me or near me! What to do about that? Any ideas??

Read a good book while he sleeps. Or watch a DVD with headphones on. Or sleep yourself.

Daytime naps with babies are bliss!