Co-sleeping: is it possible with two kids?

[Jane054848]

Hi all - I've just joined the site and this is my first post.

I am newly pregnant for the second time. My 18 month old sleeps in the bed with us.

I will want the new baby next to our bed for at least the first 6 months, so my plan is to move my toddler into his own room soonish, to avoid him associating the move with the new baby and feeling jealous.

However, we both love co-sleeping. I was wondering whether it's at all feasible to have all of us in the same room. Has anyone done this? I expect it's impractical because they'd just wake each other up the whole time, but if anyone has direct experience I'd love to hear it.

Thanks very much.

Firstly welcome to MN, and congrats on your pg

We don't co sleep but when DS is ill he comes in with us. DD is 4 weeks old and DSS 21 months had D&V when she was first home (3/4 days I think).

Because he was ill he was sleeping really lightly but every little noise she made (she is a really noisy sleeper) he was awake and snuggling into me. When I had to feed her putting the light on woke him up as well.

Personally I love having him snuggling up with me but could not have both of them in with me as she does disturb him.

In addition DH works 4 nights a week so it isn't like DS can snuggle in to him instead of me.

Having said all that someone will be along who probably has done it and I am just unfortunate with a light sleeper and a noisy sleeper?

Thanks very much, very helpful.

We did it, but ex h was away for long periods, and also slept on the sofa!
I always had the baby on the outside of the bed, not between us. you can push a chair, or 2 chairs up to the bed so that theres no risk of him/her falling out. Then Id give the baby their own set of blankets, not the same duvet as us.

I finally shoved 2 toddlers out, to make way for baby#3!

2yo DS still comes in with me when he's ill or if he wakes in the night (about once a week or so at the moment) and I'm due in June.

Its just me in bed, but I've got a bedside cot for the new DC anyway, just for a bit more separation, and I will be on the outside.

I will probably keep a nightlight on so I don't have to create more light to feed the baby, but I don't predict any problems more serious than me not being able to move for children

Thanks both of you. Nighbynight, did you find that when the baby woke and cried, your older child slept through it? That's my only real concern, I'm sure we can take the necessary safety precautions re covers etc.

No, they slept like logs!

I have a 3 year old and a 9 month old. The father no longer lives with us. Both babies has slept in the same bed/room as me since they were born,although older one now has her own bedroom and will happily sleep all night in her own bed if I physically carry her into it once she's fallen asleep. I also have a cot for the younger baby in my room, but after being breastfeed once or twice during the night, he invariably falls asleep next to me in bed so stays there rest of the night.

They've never woken eachother up, although older child sleeps like a log anyway and does so right through baby's crying!

I think it's comforting for them both hearing eachother's breathing and snuffles in the night.

We have a superking size bed which takes up most of the space in our bedroom - specifically so we can all fit in if necessary. I try to keep our youngest between me and the wall as I did worry about the others squashing him or being less aware of him than I was, especially when he was tiny.

I moved ds2 into his own bedroom when he was approx 18m but at 5 1/2 he still regularly comes into the 'family bed'. He usually goes straight back to sleep as soon as he's in our bed, and stays asleep until the morning. ds1 does the same occasionally, but only when he's ill or something has woken him up. Ds3 (21 m) has a bed in our room but usually ends up in ours as still breastfeeds through the night. He doesn't wake up the other boys.

The only thing that I took me a bit of getting used to was that I couldn't curl myself around all of them! Sometimes I have ds3 lying on my outstretched arm and can still reach ds2's head with my hand. He seems happy enough with that. If dp is in bed with us he will cuddle ds2 or ds3 if they are in as well.

Yep, My two still sleep with their father atb ages 9 and 11

Though he no lomger sleeps with me.

This might be somethign you wish to consider in the future should you wish to have morew sex.

GOL

My DS1 slept in his cot next to my bed then when old enough he wouldjust climb over and into the bed with me.

DS2 did the same thing. Nothing beats turning over in bed at night and getting a lovely wee foot in your jaw or an elbow in your ear. I usually sleep in the middle of the bed and the boys end up either on top of me or across my head on the pillows......

Thanks very much all of you. Sorry not to respond for ages, have just come back from holidays, but this is very helpful.

We cosleep with both our 2. In answer to your question about the baby waking the older one up, yes, I have sleep-addled memories of sitting up in bed half the night trying to get the screaming baby to latch on (we didn't crack bfing for a couple of weeks) while poor ds1 sat up in bed smiling away, trying to show he was worthy of love and attention too. He was like a little lost puppy.

After about a week though, he could sleep through anything, and I think the bonus of having them both in bed means they can be quite (suprisingly) tender towards eachother.