co sleeping - positive stories??

[Rachski]

DD has been waking up at about 1am every day wide awake (shes 8mo). I can't put her down again in her cot as she gets all realxed, waits until I've crept all the way to the door then starts to cry out. We did try controlled crying a couple of months ago when her sleeping was beyond awful but I am a complete wuss and was unable to keep up with this. Anyway, I have been bringing her to bed with us and she sleeps right through to 7am which is lovely! Am I making a horrible mistake? Has anyone had similar and found it to work ok for them? We don't have too much problem with her in the bed with us but will she still be there at 10yo?? Am I overthinking the matter?

We did that with dd2 - awful sleeper - while we could (around that age too). Now (13 mths) she doesn't fall asleep anymore even with us and we pine for the days when we had the option to put her to bed with us.
I would say, if you've found a method for your child to sleep, enjoy it while you can!
I think there are good sleepers and bad sleepers (I've got one of each) and good periods and bad periods, so do what works best at the time.

I have been co sleeping on and off (more on than off) since DS was about 9 mo.
I was talking to someone with a 2yo about it, she said she had always done it and the 2yo now spent most nights in her own bed, and slept through with no 'sleep training' by her parents
Made me feel much better

She sleeps through and it's lovely? There's your answer!

All mine have co slept and the older two haven't been in for years. My 16 month old still comes in during the night but that's fine, he starts off in his cot.

It's not for everyone but if it works then great, more sleep for everyone. I think it's lovely being all cosy with them when they're small.

DS is almost 2 and I've been cosleeping with him since 9 months. It's not perfect - I get woken up quite a lot by him pulling my hair - but it's the best option for us. I couldn't go through controlled crying with him and at least this way I feel like a normal person during the day. I never thought I would cosleep, but I really like having ds with us now. The whole family is safe and snug and loved together.

Dd has co-slept since 4 months, but I have found her less and less willing to go to sleep without me there as time has gone on. She's 13mo now, and I am at my wits end with her sleeping.

Everyone has different experiences, you have to just do what's right for you all.

seize on anything that works, is what I did.

When the time comes for a change, you'll get stronger about CCrying: could be now, could be farther down the road -- or never, if you want. whatever works.

Its good to know that it can work, thanks for making me feel better. I need my sleep too much to be fannying about the house with a playful baby in the middle of the night.

Agree its a very personal choice. I love having dd in our bed, but after 13 months of blissful co-sleeping now starting to unravel, am starting to think maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.

My dd won't entertain her cot at all now. I think you need to be prepared to accept that it may be a short term fix, it certainly has been for us.

I am now having to go to bed at 8pm because she won't go to bed without me, and I really feel that co-sleeping has put off the inevitable pain barrier for us.

Having said all that, clearly there are some wonderfully positive stories on here as well, and I know that's what you asked for. Sorry to be a kiljoy.

Rachski, pretty much the same story here.
We co slept with both our dds....got a lot of stick for it too.

DDs are now aged 9 and 8 and both creep in with us every now and then.

TBH we just did what we did to get a good night sleep.

It was good for us

Sorry to hijack a bit so for all those that successfully co-sleep or slept, how did you get your LOs to go to bed without you in the evening?

Pinkjenny have you tried

PolarBear's Patented Pillow Procedure?

My DD coslept with us and now she doesn't want to she's 10 months old and prefers her cot. Enjoy it while you can, I loved it! Sleeping until 7am sounds like heaven!

PPPP!

Thanks Stealth - but she's not BF or fed to sleep. I can only imagine her face if I tried to get her to sleep on a pillow!

If it works for now, go with it . Co-sleeping saved my sanity when DS was waking 2-hourly all night. When it got to be a problem (none of us getting any sleep because NO ROOM) we dealt with it.

PinkJenny

I have three children,13,10 and 1 and all have co slept. The oldest child slept in with me till just b4 his younger brother,he was about 2 1/2. the next liked more room and slept on his own from 6 months but came in for cuddles in morning. Now starting all over again with my 1 year old, just see how it goes i guess. But all still like to came in to my room in the morning. Its really nice to feel close, some times its the only time you get cuddles as they get older. What ever you do it just goes so quick, i cant believe i now have a teenager.

Í have a friend whose dd still sleeps with them age 10!

ds2 co-slept but he always started off in his cot. I just brought him in with us when he woke about midnight (actually with me as I kicked dh out )

He stayed all night in his bed from around 2ish. Just did it naturally. NOw of the 3 he's the one who appears in our bed least often strangely enough.

same as jimsjams
with both of 'em

Mmm, not my dd. She won't go in her cot without hysteria now.

Oh well, we're obviously an exception!