Help don't think I can co-sleep anymore!

[Whirliwig72]

Help please - I've always co-slept with ds2 since the night he was born 9 months ago for all or most of the night and although I still get tired cos he's a bit of a wriggler its been far preferable to me to having to get up to feed him or go down the CIO route to getting him to sleep.

His brother who I co-slept with too decided for
himself to sleep in his own bed at around 18 months so I was hoping things would go the same way this time. However I'm sad to say I had a bad dream the other night and thrashed out in my sleep. Unfortunately I caught ds2 with my arm and I woke up with him howling! My trust in my instincts to protect Ds 2 while co- sleeping have been truly shaken - what if I'd really hurt him or if I have another bad dream and inadvertently sock him one? :(

Just to add I am dreading tonight as I am really knackered from getting up to feed ds2 all night and I'm not looking forward to a repeat performance. Once ds2 wakes feeding and rocking are the only things that get him back to sleep

Anyone?

Maybe I'm just a bit callous but it wouldn't stop me.

Firstly it's not like he's a tiny infant, you'd have to whack him pretty hard to cause him proper damage.
Secondly it's only happened once in nine months.
Thirdly children get hurt all the time, probably worse than that, just by falling over, this isn't major in comparison (although of course you feel more guilty about this).
Fourthly children get hurt in cots too (banging their head on bars, trapping hands, climbing and falling out etc).
Fifthly there are negatives to stopping co-sleeping from his (and your) point of view which probably far outweigh the occasional accidental biff.

Thank you SC you've cheered me up no end I love co-sleeping and have been very sad at the thought of giving it up.

Yup, I've done that too but it hasn't stopped me either. I'd much rather have her near me with an occasional collision :)