To co-sleep or not to co-sleep?! Hard to wean them off?

[Superslinger]

I just cannot decide. Baby 6 weeks and actually sleeps really well in her own cot. But then the other night we co-slept because she woke up crying with the cold, and I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought I would (thought I'd be awake all night terrified of squishing her!) - it seemed like a lovely bonding thing to do. And I've read so much positive about co-sleeping and how it's the natural thing to do...

But is it ridiculous to start co-sleeping when lone sleeping is doing so well? Essentially my only concern is that once we've started it's going to be difficult to stop - that she'll stop feeling safe on her own if gets used to waking in the night so close? I think I'd only want to do it for the first six months or so.

So my question is at what age did people stop and did baby find it hard? Any advice much appreciated - I feel so torn!

We started at 6 weeks and continued til recently (ahem, 3 and a half) - I would say do it as it's lovely, and you can always make changes later, there will always be a transition period whenever that happens but that's okay, ride it out. I think overall I've loved cosleeping and I know in 10 years time I shall look back tearily on all the snuggles.

We did it from birth as i'm lazy then at 22 weeks I thought we were waking each other up a bit so tried her in her cot and she slept thru! So we had no problem stopping it. I loved co sleeping too. X

Stopped at age 2.5 - probably could have done easily enough at a year or so but I left DS's dad when DS was 13 months so thought it best to carry on in case he was unsettled.

It was very easy to stop, I just bought a bed, he slept in it, the end. Slight transition period where he would come into bed with me in the middle of the night, but it didn't last long.

Also I'm really glad I did it - would do it again.

we do it intermittently and did same with DD1. bed in moses basket into bed and side lie for feeds in night. If we both fall asleep we co-sleep til next feed if I'm awake when she's finished and I can be bothered she goes back in the basket. I'd be wary of full time co-sleeping if it involves you going to bed at 7pm with the baby every night. My DD1 is 3 and still asks to come in with us if she's ill/has a nightmare etc and actually I quite miss her when she sleeps through

We do it! Ds2 is almost 2 and we love it. He often wakes and comes over and cuddles me before nodding back off

I did with my 2nd from birth, stopped at 2 yrs old when he went into his room and a bed.

He would start off evening in cot and then come in with me at whatever time he woke up and then stay in our bed.

It was lovely. I slept whilst he fed - I'm sure it kept me sane. I look back on it as a lovely, close time.

Co-sleeping is one of the best things about having my babies. All those cosy cuddles and no bedtime battles. Loved it

I coslept with DD until she was about 10 months. It was fantastic for night feeds as I could feed her lying down and we were both barely disturbed at all. I was also separated from the DCs dad by the time DD was born so DD and I had a whole massive bed to ourselves which was a bonus

I then moved her to a cot that i fixed to the side of my bed, with the bars on the bed-facing side removed - so she was still right next to me but in her own little space. Once I stopped breastfeeding at about 13 months I put the side on the cot, then when we moved house when she was just 2 she went into her own room and it was fine from the start.

I don't know if the gradual transition helped her, or if she's just not too fussy about being near me .

Thanks all, I have to admit I don't think I'm going to be able to resist, especially if transitioning them out isn't traumatic! MissMilliment, where did you get your cot that attached to the bed?! TIA

Hmm, happy memories - especially of both of them still asleep in big bed in the morning, but have to say we co-slept and continued BFing until aged 4 ! I hope you know what you might be letting yourself in for !

It is lovely.

Google ArmsReach co-sleeper if you want the bees-knees in cots that attach to the bed. Though mine only got used about 3 times - babies preferred being in the bed. It was useful for keeping all my books & reading glasses etc. though.

OP, it was just a normal cot bed (mamas and papas, a good 12 years old as it was DS's before DD had it) that I adapted with the help of a drill and some bolts - fortunately the design of the cot bed and my bed made it pretty easy and I can still use it as a freestanding cot bed now.

I didn't cosleep with DS and I wish I had, as the night feeds would have been much easier I think.

"once we've started it's going to be difficult to stop"

It was me, rather than DD, that found stopping difficult! She slept in our bed until about 3 months, then the bedside crib until a few weeks ago (6mths) when we moved her out as she was too big for the crib and the cot doesn't fit in our room. So far so good, but I keep waking up wondering why I can't hear her breathing! I still bring her in sometimes until she starts kicking me in her sleep and chasing me around the bed

We've gradually transitted. I never intended to co-sleep but DS had other ideas!!

At 14 weeks DS was too big for the moses basket so we moved him into his cot in his own room and he would generally go to bed about 8, then wake at 1 at which point he came in with us for the rest of the night.

He's now nearly 11 months and goes down easily mostly and then wakes anywhere between 5 and half 6, comes in with us for a bit, has a feed and then we get up.

The only problem we have now is that he kicks like a mule, it makes me think whistfully for the early days when he just used to snuggle!!