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Sleep

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Original poster

Those of you whose babies would only sleep on you...

11 replies

SheilaTakeABow · 08/10/2015 10:06

...when did it end? Did you just go with it or did you have to 'train' them out of it?
DS2 is four months. After a decent start of sleeping in his cot (one side off, pushed up to our bed), waking twice a night for feeds but then going back in his cot, after the first feed of the night at about 1.30am he won't settle again in his cot and we end up with him on us.
I'm not particularly worried at the moment, after doing everything 'wrong' (feeding to sleep, staying with him to drop off etc) with DS1, he now sleeps like a log with no issues, so I don't believe in the whole rod-for-your-own-back stuff.
I suppose I'm just interested in how many people have babies like this and how it pans out. And to hear we're not the only soft-arses doing anything for an easy life

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FanSpamTastic · 08/10/2015 10:12

I did this with dc1 - it wasn't that long (she is now 13!). I think it was around 6 months when she started settling by herself in the cot. I didn't really train - just started trying to settle her in her cot. If she did then left her to it - if she didn't then cuddled her until she was in a deep sleep then tried again. Eventually there were more times she settled than she didn't.

PosterEh · 08/10/2015 10:12

At about 4months he seemed happy to go in the Moses basket. But I think he mainly wanted to sleep on us because he likes being upright and on his tummy because of wind pain and that was about the time his digestion matured a bit. He ended up a really good sleeper after that unlike my more "independent" newborn who was happy to be put down but didn't sleep through until 2.5yrs!

Original poster

SheilaTakeABow · 08/10/2015 10:37

Thanks for replies.
Fan ,that's pretty much what we do, try every time, so glad to hear your DD obviously just clicked when she was ready. And Poster that's the same as DS1, dreadful to start with but now brilliant, which is why we're just going with it at the moment.

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Branleuse · 08/10/2015 10:42

my eldest who is now 14, slept with me for 2 years, and then went into his own room fine.

The other two, spent maybe the first few months in with me, and then in their own bed, gradually.

Acorncat · 08/10/2015 16:42

For naps he slept on me until 7 months then he slept in my bed. At night he slept upright on me until his reflux was under control about 4 months then slept tucked up next to me until 7 months when he started rolling away from me to sleep after a feed. We still co sleep at 13 months but he's not a cuddly sleeper. So in my case he just grew out of it. Of course, there's no way he'd sleep in a cot now so there would be some training involved if I was so inclined. But I'm not

MrsDeathOfRats · 08/10/2015 16:47

DS is 1 (about 4 weeks ago) and often a ends up I my bed when he wont settle back in his cot if he wakes during the night multiple times a night every night and I don't care much.

I wish I had been this relaxed with dd. I was so wary of all the things you stated and wish I had listened less to everyone and just cuddled her more!!

middlings · 08/10/2015 16:52

About 6 months.

Although saying that, she was poorly a couple of weeks ago and DH came into the room to find me pinned to the bed while she lay on top of me with her arms wrapped around my neck and her face buried in it. She's 2 .

DH did point out that it was unlikely I would get much sleep and that any chance I had of avoiding her cold had sailed.

Luckily enough an hour later she decided she was too hot and went back to her own bed!

In all seriousness, I did encourage her out of it at about 6-7 months. Took a while but by 8 months she was a great sleeper and hates being mithered and wants to be left when she's tired now.

Original poster

SheilaTakeABow · 08/10/2015 21:16

Thanks all. I think that's it MrsDeath - I'm more concerned about the fact I'm not worried IYSWIM. We waited ages to have him and he's so squidgy and cuddly, I'm not sure I'll ever want to force him out .

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Allyoucaneat · 08/10/2015 21:29

My 12month old is asleep on me now. Dp and I take the night in shifts. It is utter he'll. Break the habit before it gets this bad.

My 5yr old slept on us as a newborn and then sometimes for naps whilst he was a toddler, from 7months old he slept 7-7. My ds2 wakes every hour on a good night.

StylishDuck · 08/10/2015 21:34

My DD slept no problem in her basket/cot at night from a young age and that was with feeding to sleep most nights. Daytime was another matter altogether. She wouldn't sleep anywhere but on me unless we were out and she slept in the pram/car seat. I kept trying to put her down in the cot for naps every so often and all of a sudden she just stayed asleep. Now she sleeps in her cot for every nap when we're in the house.
I don't think there was a specific trick, just perseverance. All babies are different though. I wouldn't worry too much about it just now.

Devonicity · 09/10/2015 08:01

I kept trying with the cot for bedtime. Once we cracked that I worked on middle of the night, and then naps. But if she yelled for more time than it took me to go the the loo then I just cuddled her and tried again in a few days.

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