4 MO waking every ...

[Sappholit]

help!

I haven't had more than 3 consecutive hours' sleep since my LO was born in February.

She started off waking every two hours, and this has gradually become less and less and she is now waking every hour, sometimes every 45 mins.

I am exclusively breastfeeding and usually feed her to sleep, but am now trying to put her down when she's drowsy so she learns o settle herself.

The only thing that makes her sleep longer is if she comes into our bed. She goes down at 7 and I do the hourly thing until I start losing the plot around 2am, at whihc point I bring her into our bed and we sleep much better.

But when I talk abot this with others, I'm told in no uncertain terms that she'll still be in our bed when she's 45.

Has anyone else doen similar and had it all turn out ok in the end?

Hundreds and hundreds and thousands and thousands of people cosleep. And their 45yr olds are well adjusted and even living in different houses sometimes.

I coslept, still do sometimes. DD is 3. Happy, well adjusted, can sleep in her own bed happily.

Honestly, it was a matter of survival. DD fed, I snoozed. Better all round.

As long as you do it safely, it's probably the way we should sleep with our babies.

Our dds didnt sleep hardly at all and we had to sit up with them or co-sleep. They are all in their beds and sleep well now, if for short periods of time.

Dd3 stayed in our bed the longest but would spend some time in her bed. She is now 4 and in her bed most nights unless ill or scared.

Personally I love them in our bed and dh often gets shoved into their beds in the night if they want to come in. There is nothing nicer to me than sleeping with my daughters.

But it doesnt happen much now even though I love it - they get so they want their bed and space.

I think it is a lovely natural thing to do - and you wont have them in your bed for very long.

i am in exactly the same boat with my 4 month old the only reason i can function is because we co-sleep and even then i get woken every 2 hours if i am lucky.
Don't beat yourself up do what works rested mummy's are more important than worrying about 45year olds sharign your bed.

I spent many nights trying to get dd to sleep in her cot and we always ended up with her in bed with us. She usually sleeps beautifully tucked in between us.

I had an epiphany one night when I asked myself exactly whom I was doing this for: the opinion of other people?

Stuff 'em. I bought an adult sized cotton cellular blanket so I didn't need to worry so much about her getting tangled in the duvet, and put her straight to bed next to me.

When she's old enough we will persuade her to sleep in her cot, but none of us are ready for that.

My DD is 14weeks today, we hace co-lept from week 2. We spent many nights feeding, putting her down and settling her to sleep, only for her to wake almost instantly. Sleep deprived and near giving up breastfeeding, I rang our local BF counsellor who advised me to pop her in bed with me and feed led down. It works and they are still so very young, I yhink just go with it. DD wakes anywhere between 1 an d 3 hrs, but it is managable. It will not be forever, cerish the extra cuddles and th secure attachment x

just co sleep
ignore twatty people saying stupid things like still sleeing with you when they're 45

its fine and imo the best way

If you look at what the rest of the world does, it's clear that co-sleeping and sleepy, lying-down breast feeding is the norm in a huge number of cultures and it seems parents who operate this system are far less likely to feel their babies are having "sleep problems" and they themselves are often better rested as a result. Just because we in Europe and the U.S. etc. have come to the conclusion babies should sleep in their own cage cot and after six months in their own room alone, doesn't make it the only acceptable way.

That said, we're all products of this culture and personally I find bed-sharing/co-sleeping difficult because I am used to having my own space for sleep and am not particularly comfortable sharing - I don't tend to sleep better and that's true of a lot of people.

Anyway, in summary, do what works best for your family and provided you co-sleep following the safety guidelines, it should be fine. Many co-sleeping parents find their children ultimately choose to sleep independently eventually, anyway.