Co-sleeping with back to baby

[teff]

I'm trying to persuade my 6 month DS to spend a little less of the night with my nipple in his mouth. As suggested by Elizabeth Pantley I've started trying to move away from him after he feeds. However he then follows me across the bed so DH and I end up squashed on one edge. If I turn my back he snuggles against me and falls asleep. Is this horribly dangerous or am I being neurotic in worrying about it?

Hi Teff, might be worth posting this in the sleep topic, too.
DS 8.5 months, co sleeping for 6 months.
I know that for me, my instinct makes me uncomfortable when DS is not close to me in bed - when he is close I know where he is IYSWIM?
I have been trying the same process as you (less feeding/more sleeping) - but do it by turning firmly onto my back and pulling my top down. He still tries to get at my nipple, but usually gives up if I stay on my back and feign sleep, and then sleeps in the curve of my arm against my chest.
So I am not sure but for me I would be uncomfortable - might be worth posting in the Sleep topic, lots of other co sleepers post there, and going with what your instinct tells you?

How sleep deprived am I? Thought this was in the parenting topic!
Off to bed now - hope others more able come along soon!

DS has survived quite well with me sleeping with my back to him, he sleeps between DH and I which I know goes against 'guidelines' but it works well for us in our bed - which is enormous!

I had to start turning my back, not because of BF but coz I'd keep myself awake watching him - - this was when he was tiny - but still, how blimin sad!

If he's hot he stays on his own patch in the middle, if he's wriggly he head butts his dad and kicks me and if he's cold, he snuggles up to one of us - normally me.

We've always just done what feels right for us, mostly I guess coz we haven't had family around telling us otherwise, but we're all happy so I guess its OK.

I co-sleep with my 8mo DS and wouldn't feel comfortable with turning my back on him in bed TBH. I always sleep with him in the crook of my arm as I feel more aware of him in the bed when I do this.

I pull my top down after he has finished feeding to stop him from just randomly latching on when he needs to resettle himself, and also sometimes lay on my back so my nipple is a bit further away from him.

Regardless of what anyone else thinks about your way of co-sleeping; you have to do what you (and your DH/DP) feel comfortable with - and to me it sounds like you are quite worried about it.

I almost don't like to say this as it's against official advice, but I turned my back on mine in bed from very early days, because I just can't sleep when I'm facing someone.

Anyway, if he's a robust 6-month-old I doubt any harm will come of it - most co-sleeping advice is written with newborns in mind, I suspect.

Thank you. It's useful to know what some other people do. Co-sleeping seems to be a bit of a "don't ask don't tell" subject to raise in public sometimes. I think yet again I will stop thinking about it so much.