co-sleeping 4 month old - I can't bear it any more!

[tummytime]

My lovely 4 mo DS has been in a bedside cot co-sleeping since about 14 weeks when he started rolling. He has recently had a chest infection and a bad cold so has been feeding pretty frequently, but it seems better now.

Last night he went to bed at 9 after sleeping on me for an hour. He woke at 10.30, 11.15, 12.45, 2.30 (stayed awake until 5) and then woke for the day at 6.45. I'm absolutely shattered and it has been a similar pattern for the last week or so. He does tend to have a good nap in the day but I also have a 2.9yo DD at home who doesn't so it is difficult to catch up when she is around.

I don't enormously like co-sleeping and would prefer DS to be in his own bed in my room although it is easier for bf. The main problem seems to be that DS and I wake each other up every time we move but he also likes to hold onto me - either pyjamas or little claws on the boob.

I've thought of moving the bedside cot away and putting the side up, putting him in his own room, giving a bottle of formula or swapping places with DH so there isn't the food option immediately.

Probably, I'll either move the cot or swap with DH to try ad get him to go longer between feeds. Has anyone else had this problem and how have you dealt with it. Please tell me it will pass...

I have a similar problem... We've moved the cot a bit further away from the bed but kept the side down (the mattress is below the bars just enough to stop him falling out). Not worked so far!

He does wake up with a lot of wind at about 2-4am and it takes ages to get it out (bottom wind - pumping his legs etc). Then he can be rocked back to sleep for a bit.

I think he might be teething and wants to be close to me so just riding it out. But I am SO tired. To cope, me and DH do shifts so I can get some sleep and DH will try and resettle. Tonight we're going to try and get him to go 3 hours between feeds as he can do it in the day!

Oh and it will pass! (I hope - I have no experience so guessing )

Co-sleeping was the only way I got through with ds2. I'd just change sides every time I woke up and had no idea how long he'd been feeding, just felt like all night for at least 6 months ... Good luck.

I don't have a solution for you, but just thought I'd let you know you are not alone. My DS is 20weeks and also in a sidecar cot. He goes down really well at 7pm and is OK until about 11ish when we go to bed. After that he does NOT want to go back in his cot and protests loudly when I try and sneak him back in - the cold sheets don't help. As he feeds about 3 times in the night I often wake up to find I'm still cradling him and my back is aching like mad. I only sleep well when he is in the cot.

I also have an almost 3 year old who probably comes through twice a night. I rarely get more than two hours together. I have had nights where I've had barely any sleep going between the two of them . I just have to keep repeating 'this too shall pass', it will only be a few years, then they will be teenagers and I won't be able to get them out of bed!!

Well done for making it to 4 months. I lasted 2 weeks, every snuffle and grunt I was wide awake and dd fast asleep, the next dc lasted 3 nights the youngest I didn't even bother to try!!!!!

Each baby ended up in the nursery in their cot and there was also a single bed and I would breastfeed them lying down on that - pillow at each end depending on which boob we were onto. We do live in a very small un sound proof house, didn't even need a baby monitor first cry I was wideawake!

Give it a try and see how it goes? Sounds like you need dh to commit to helping you for a week or so, can he take some time off work or enlist some help in the daytime so you can nap until you get to grips with the change?

Thanks all. DH has been very good this weekend, letting DS howl sleep on him until DH is ready to come to bed - usually a couple of hours after me. DS has also been a bit better so I think some of it was down to cold. Its just going to be tricky finding a patch where no colds/teething/getting a bit lonely/ etc to start moving him into his own room. I just long to sleep on my front again!

Have no advice, just wanted to sympathise, as we are having a similar problem with DS2. DS1, normally a good sleeper, has taken to getting up in the moddle of the night and wandering round the flat too. I know one day I will sleep all night again...one day....