cooeeee, co-sleeping people - just how big a rod have I made for my own back?!

[funnypeculiar]

DD1 (just 10 mths) normally wakes around 1/2am ish & comes into bed with us ... wakes again sometime round 4/5 has a bit of milk, settles back down. This is fine, in fact, lovely. Was too scaredy-cat to co-sleep with ds1 - plus he never co-slept, more co-screamed.

BUT I have a couple of qus:

She's always been fab at settling herself to sleep, but in last few weeks is starting to let rip at bedtime. Could of course be a number of things ... but just checking, not all co-sleepers demand mummy to go to bed with them, do they?

How much of a nightmare will I have when we decide its time to end this fun? Are there any 'good ages' to do this? DO they ever just sleep through the night of their own volition?

Ta muchly

as soon as i hear 'rod for own back' i always think o good child is being given what they want and need.

in my case as soon as ds stopped needing me to go to bed with him full co-sleeping was more or less over - but i had had 6 months of feeding every 2 hours. he 20m still gets into bed for a feed at some point between 2 and 6 but usually settles back to cot.

don't worry everything sounds fine, you are all happy. time to make a new plan when you're not

My ds will be 2 in a few months, we co-sleep (once I have gone to bed) and he still needs me to go to sleep. He has gone through phases of being restless at bedtime, but they haven't lasted too long. Whenever this has happened I have tried to make sure he is really tired at bedtime - so taking him out during the day, physical activities, not letting him nap too late etc.. Although it can be hard to do before they're walking.

It's impossible to know when your lo will grow out of these things, but I am convinced that they do, with some gentle encouragement from you, when they are ready.

Sorry, it is all lovely and soft focussed when they're babies and toddlers but we are in the position that our dd (4) still joins us at least twice a week in bed because she can't settle back to sleep without being close to us. (she comes in every morning around 6 for a cuddle anyway, which is fine. Of course we always said we'd never get into that, then, we'd cut it out when she was 2,3,4....

She's truly diabolical to have in bed. Thrashes, kicks, fidgets and slaps us both in her sleep. Usually ends up my dh going off to spare room and me having my ribs strummed by her feet all night. She literally sticks her toes between them then goes up and down really hard. Hellish. Enjoy it whilst it's lovely but make a deadline and stick with it or you may end up the same way.

Sorry for the , it is lovely when they're cuddly

No problem Crozzer - it is sooo lovely now (she likes to lie with her hand on my cheek, and hardly stirs - except when she wakes up, of course ) - but am feeling I should start thinking NOW about how happy I am to do it forever - so that's useful.
Fishie/Tatties - nice to know things are still working well for you [smile}