co-sleeping: how to YOU do it?

[MacMomo]

Seems there are as many variations as there are co-sleepers.

For example, all night or after the first waking? With DP/DH or in a separate bed? Is DC under a blanket with you or a duvet to your waist? Or is DC in a separate area with her own blankets? What does your DC wear to sleep in - just a nappy or a sleep suit, too? What do you wear?

I am so curious, because a when a friend described how she co-slept to another friend, she was told, 'that's not co-sleeping'. But it seems everyone does it differently.

So, how are you doing it?

We started off co-sleeping, all three in a bed, with DD in her nappy and sleepsuit and me in a nightie with mahoosive nursing bra. It was winter and cold.

After about six weeks we moved DD to a cot beside me with the side removed and a rolled-up towel over the join between the two mattresses - sharing the same bed was doing my back in. Although we often ended falling asleep while she fed anyway.

No idea whether the second is 'proper' co-sleeping but does it really matter? As long as everyone does what suits them... :)

started co-sleeping when baby was new born, she slept on my chest. at 4 weeks moved her to moses basket. now if she sleeps in our bed which is rare we move the pillows and she sleeps in between us with her head flat between our pillows

but now as she's discovered standing she likes to stand in our bed and wave laughing. so she better off in her cot and so are we

my friends co-sleep and it works for them their son moved to his own bed at 2 years old

sproutpudding yes, I understand your comment about being cold in winter - I am co-sleeping in PJ bottoms and a jumper! DD and I are in a separate double bed in a separate bedroom from DH. Works well at the moment, but not sure about it as a long term arrangement...

dd starts night in her cot pushed up against my side of the bed with the side down. then after first feed or two she sleeps between me and her cot up by my pillow in her swaddle, me in pjs and my blanket. I don't trust dh not to wack her in his sleep which is why she sleeps between me and the cot.

DD (5 months) has a cot attached to our bed - DH has converted it with extra feet and bolts to be 3 sided and to be at the same level as our bed. Rolled up towels down the far side of the cot so that the two mattresses are up against each other. I take DD to bed at about 6.30 and once she is asleep - usually falling asleep propped on me - I put her down in her bit and leave. I go to bed at about 11.30 - pick her up, dream feed (though sometimes she wakes) and put her back down in her bit. She then might sleep through in her bit till 8am (very rare) or wake up for more milk at any time between 4.30 and 7.30 am. At this point she usually ends up asleep with me on our bed - her head on my arm & pillow and the duvet carefully tucked around me and not her. She then sleeps until 8 or 9am (touchwood). She sleeps in a growbag with a romper on. She has had a cold recently so she has spent a lot more time asleep with me as she doesn't lie flat then which helps her cold.

I think I would define anything where you don't have to get out of bed to get your DC as cosleeping - probably as this seems to be the main advantage to me.

Started with dd1 in a moses basket,in the bed inbetween us (wide bed with sides as we were in a bunk on a narrowboat the full width of the boat)after about 3 weeks took her out of the basket and had her inbetween us ,where she stayed until dd2-who at first was in a crib next to the wall,in the bed,then she kept waking dd1,so DH slept on the sofa with dd2 next to him in the crib,me in the bunk with dd1,for a few weeks until dd1 adjusted to the noise and then we all slept in the bed,dd2 in her crib (crib in the bed)for a bit longer.We moved to a house when dd2 was 6m and then had a mattress on the floor,dd2 against the wall,then me,then dd1 then DH .We are still like that,although DH gets shunted off the side and onto a little extra mattress (meant for dd1),or goes off to sleep in the bed in the girl's room.They go to sleep in the bed with me inbetween them,then when they are asleep I go down and have supper etc,then we go to bed and creep in with them.Sounds complicated,but is actually easy.(they are 3 and 6)