Tried CC now trying part co-sleeping - any other co-sleepers out there?

[Jinty123]

Well as you know the CC didn't really work for us. but just after I posted my last topic we tried another bedtime routine which involves: Bathing at 6.30, then cream, nappy and pj's then on her doughnut in her room with a soft nightlight on and cuddle with teddy while I tell her a bedtime story or 2 and she has her bottle. Then off to bed and for about a week now she's been lights out by 7.15pm without a single moan or crying session - bliss!! (touch wood).

Then when she wakes in the middle of the night we take her into the big bed until morning. So far we're not doing to badly although she's starting with another cold so things could be a bit up and down for a few days.

At least we are all getting waaaaay more sleep than before - so who's complaining, not me!!

I'd be more concerned about the cat blackduck. They seem to like sleeping on heads which is why it's advised against.

Not quite co-sleeping, but ds2 has his cot on our room. He's 14 months now. Since he wakes at 5.30 every morning, much easier to just take him into the bed, and he normally drops off again for an hour. Our bedroom is downstairs, so it's much easier for him to be in with us than upstairs in his own bedroom. Actually, he hasn't got a bedroom yet. We use 'his' bedroom as a television room since dh is very against the idea of a television in the main living room.

We are in this situation too. Ds2 age 2.8 goes off to his bed quite happily at 7:30 ish but always wakes in the night. He doesn't get upset just calls us to collect him or he comes up to us (we are in the converted loft) and then we sleep together. He tends to sleep later in our bed so at least this way we all get more sleep.

Last night we also had ds1 with us too as his first tooth fell out at 4:00am. We did end up with ds1 and dh in ds2's bed at about 5:30 as 4 in our bed is just not comfortable.

Rushingaround, everythig i've read from psychologists are por co sleeping although i'm sure there are some who aren't.

example

Another happy co-sleeper here!

dd now 26 months and goes to sleep in her bed, joining us in the night. ds 6 months. dh often works nights so I just put a child either side of me; no getting up and we all sleep fine. We did get a 6ft bed though, which helped.

I had never considered co-sleeping until dd came along but have found it one of the most unexpected positive experiences, I just love the snuggles and ability to bf lying down. dh loves it as he feels he gets to spends more time with dd/ds than if they slept by themselves.

I've had loads of negative comments from friends/our HV but I don't see it's any of their business, it works for us, it's not like we make anyone else do it.

We bought a super kingsize bed from Ikea and very happily all sleep together - dd1 (2years 9 months) dd2 (7months) dh and me. I love it! But I hate it that I feel I can't really admit to it in real life because people will disapprove. Would never tell the HV about it! I don't understand why people can't be more tolerant about it. After all, what business of other people is it? Have just read 'Three in a bed' by Deborah Jackson, by the way - anybody know it? Very interesting and informative!

Jinty123: we tried CC, too, for over a year. It was so miserable, that's what turned us all into co-sleepers. I would never say CC was wrong for everybody, but it just didn't work for us.

Though, must confess, a child that walked to heel would be WONDERFUL, in my book.
Said she, who had to bribe her 2 with sweets to get them to not run wild in Boots, today.

We kind of fell into co-sleeping rather than making a decision to do it. I fed ds lying down because of a back problem and invariably would fall asleep with him. He still goes to bed in his own cot and sometimes, sometimes not ends up with us.
His sleeping got appalling a while back and I decided to try controlled crying. But before I started it, his sleeping got much better so we didn't need to.
emkaren - I read 3 in a bed. Thought it was fantastic and stopped me feeling like I was doing something wrong.

Three in a bed is a good book for sure.
If anyone asks I always tell them we cosleep and often find that that person does as well!

BTW Zebra what's wrong with bribing with sweets?

Actually think I'm going to start a thread along those lines.

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No idea if this is true but according to Three in a bed you're likely to sleep badly if you only sleep with you children occasionally, but if you co-sleep regularly you're sort of tuned into it and sleep quite well. I must say I feel a lot less shattered now with dd2 (7 months) next to me than I did with dd1 as a baby, sleeping apart.

I'm sure that's right, emkana. I co-slept with ds for ages, from when he was 9 months until he was about 2.5 (he had one of those bed-side cots that joined onto ours). I didn't make a rational choice to do it, he was just an appalling sleeper and it was the only way of keeping sane. Anyway, I got very used to it and slept far better. My dd co-slept with us when she was tiny but went into her cot at 4 months and never had any problems. If either of them ever comes into bed with us now because of illness or nightmares it's really hard to sleep, because I'm not used to it. I guess that's the answer bloss

I get a great night's sleep, I guess it's just a personal thing? Me & dd often wake up all tangled up but I don't seem to realise that happening overnight and it never disturbs me so maybe I'm used to it.

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It depends on what you're comparing it with, Bloss. If I compare co-sleeping with a child sleeping in its own cot, then yes, I probably do get a better night's sleep on my own. Otoh, if I compare co-sleeping with a child howling for hours in its cot, then I get more rest by co-sleeping.

Ds1 would sleep very peacefully with us (though he mostly slept in his cot) so I was very shocked to find that ds2 didn't like co-sleeping at all - he much preferred his own bed.

Co-sleeping at night is fine, but what do you do if your baby won't sleep alone during the day?

My dd sleeps in her moses basket during the day and evening until we go to bed.

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It's not good for their teeth, Hercules, and I don't like using bribes of any sort, tbh, I would prefer to be the perfect parent who didn't have to (HAHAAAA!)

Perfect parent ???
How boring that would be and not a good example to your ds/dd as difficult and unrealistic to live up to and if you're a bad example then you're not perfect.

The book I read on co-sleeping is called Good Nights by Doctor Jay Gordon and Maria Goodavage. I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't already read it and is considering co-sleeping but needs some goot tips and advice on how to go about it safely.

I now have some great ideas for when baby #2 comes along (if and whenever that is

For two

Hi there

I co-slept on and off with DD1 and wish I had done it all the way through! She always slept better with me, although she was transferred to a cot at about 3 months and only woke a couple of times per night. I would stroke her head and she would kick and grumble but then gradulally go back to sleep. Over time she would wake only briefly. But when I got pregnant again, she came back into bed with me and started to sleep right through reliably (at 13months). Then at about 19 months I got her a junior bed and she loved it. My father is an artist and ghe painted it (v easy to do) with little deisgns and put her name on it. So when no 2 was born, she was already used to being in her own bed. She sleeps through. No 2 sleeps with me and stopped waking at about 4.5 months when I stopped feeding her in night and just cuddled her back. It can be done with 2! Just prepare no1 for transition well in advance!

J