Co-sleeping, will I regret it?

[AnaKristina]

My baby has been co-sleeping since 3 weeks old. Now he is 7 weeks old. Would not settle in his next to me crib and I gave in. Those mum's that have experience in co-sleeping could you share your opinions? I think this will be for 1 or 2 years and may not be such a sacrifice if he is happy as it's time limited. Daddy has moved out to a second bedroom. Not sure should I try training him back to his cot which he seems to hate. Should I try Moses basket as it's cosier as opposed to the large and cold next to me crib. He is bottle-fed.

7 months in it's the best thing ever. I'd never have done it before she was born, but my husband and I LOVE bringing her into bed now (first wake up). She will go into her own bed when she's ready x

My dd hated to sleep anywhere except on me at 7 weeks. We had a snuzpod with sleepyhead in and she did at some point, possibly around 3 months) spend most of the night in there. At six months we put the sleepyhead in her cot in her room. Took us quite a few weeks to wean the sleepyhead away from her though. I decided to move her at six months as otherwise we might not want to ever do it. It's a personal choice but if you don't want to co-sleep long term then you don't have to, but you might need to put quite a bit of effort sleepless nights in.

I've co slept with my four children, longest was until just before dd's 3rd Birthday. I loved it, we all got some sleep!

I bottle fed and had a king size bed, DH slept in the bed too.

OP, you said I'm like crazy to be able to sleep cuddled to my partner again! I have next to me crib from Chicco but the LO cries as soon as I put him there. Has a need to be close to my or my partner's body and gets alarmed if left alone on the bed after 3 minutes at this point....

Your baby is 7 weeks old and has only known your uterus, literally attached to you for 9 months. He knows no better and you think at 7 weeks he should settle by himself? Or that he needs 'training'? I despair. Seriously despair.

I hope he will grow out of this need to be in touch with the human body all the time. It's my first baby
Google the 4th trimester. At 7 weeks your baby should actually still be inside you (human babies should gestate for 12 months but we wouldn't be able to birth them if they did die to the shape our pelvises need to be to walk upright). Doesn't make his needs seem that odd when you know that, does it?

I'm like crazy to be able to sleep cuddled to my partner again!

So you adults get to have closeness and contact but tiny, should-still-be-in-your-womb baby should be independent?

Titty - exactly.

Taken out of the context. Adults have needs too. Pointless to participate in a forum with hostile women who are waiting to attack taking things out of the context. I'm at the point that I don't eat in order to prioritize my babies needs. Some babies need such presence of their parent that never settle sleeping independently, I was not referring to 7 weeks old babies. I hope you will not teach your children hostility towards others however children learn from what they see and it's probably a hopeless situation.

The two of you do you read posts to contribute constructively to the threads or just looking for the opportunity to be hostile?I did not notice any constructive contribution that may be of interest to others.

Have a look up '4th trimester' it helped me understand why little babies are the way they are and what can help.
We coslept on and off and mixed fed. Baby was in own bed 100% from 5months ish. No training. Doesn't have to be for years if you don't want it to be.
Gentle sleep book may also help x

No reason for your partner not to be in bed with you OP mine has coslept since about 2 weeks old and my husband has been in bed with us the whole time. On rough nights I send him down to the couch so he can get some more sleep for work (as I breastfeed so he can't help in the night anyway) but other than that we all snuggle together! Tiny baby such as yours should just be on your side for now, but our 7 month old sleeps in the middle of us - we all cuddle to sleep xx

i did not notice any constructive contribution that may be of interest to others.

Did you google the 4th trimester?

I'm at the point that I don't eat in order to prioritize my babies needs.

That's just ridiculous.

Why oh why can't mothers just be supportive towards each other.

Hope your okay op

What's more supportive than pointing someone in the right direction?!

Try a Moses basket. It's safer and it worked pretty well for us at least.

I did a fair bit of research and could find no link with sheepskins and SIDS. So DD slept in her Chicco NTM on top of a sheepskin. We covered the sheepskin with a muslin to stop it feeling too furry (and for hygiene).

Much like a sleepyhead, it made her feel comforted and cosy.

Yes I am selling next to me crib and getting a Moses basket to have a go. I will try to use something that smells of me inside like my T-shirt. I can see from the replies that babies in many cases guide the parents in terms of sleeping arrangements and move to their crib once they are ready. That is useful to know. I don't plan to do any intensive sleep training but see how he responds. There is obviously a safety concern when it comes to co sleeping. On the other hands it does have benefits for the child.

SIDS is uncommon but we are constantly being reminded of it that I am scared of using any sleep aids, and even co-sleeping...

I'm 14 months in and don't regret it. After our boy is asleep, my husband and I get some "us time" then get into our bed for the first part of the night. Once our boy wakes, one or other of us will move to his room for the rest of the night. It works well for us!

There's a massive difference between SIDS (unexplained death) and suffocation. Bedsharing safely reduces the SIDS risk while unplanned bedsharing increases the risk of suffocation.

I've noticed some moves towards quoting SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infancy) data alongside SIDS data, including the Lulkaby Trust. I wonder if this is in order to encompass wider unexpected deaths not covered by SIDS (like suffocation and asphyxiation). Given SIDS on a clear downward trajectory, seems sensible policy to broaden the net, as it were, to offer advice to lower all avoidable infant deaths.

could find no link with sheepskins and SIDS

While research doesn't focus in on specific materials used, this would be covered under two specific areas of SIDS recommendations, that I can think of.

This would not adhere to the Clear Cot recommendations or the that baby should sleep in a "firm, flat" matresss. Both mentioned here:

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/clear-cot/

I am scared of using any sleep aids

Some sleep aids lower SIDS risk. Dummies, for example.

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/dummies-and-sids/

Bedsharing safely reduces the SIDS risk

A meta-analysis published in 2012 found that not a single study published since January 1970 showed a reduced
risk of SIDS in bed sharing infants; all studies found an increased risk.

Source: Lullaby Trust Evidence Base

Bed sharing most definitely does not reduce the risk of sids.

The best place for a under 6 months old to sleep is in a clear cot with a firm mattress in the same room as the parents/mother/father

There is some evidence to suggest a baby being near the mother responds to temperature changes and the mothers breathing which can be said to reduce the risk of SIDS - having said that I think if the cot is right next to the parents bed it has the same affect. Although there's definitely a safe way to bedshare do what you feel comfortable with x

What's more supportive than pointing someone in the right direction?!

I don't imagine that's what Time was referring to:

"I despair. Seriously despair"

"That's just ridiculous"