co-sleeping in the early days - is it inevitable you'll still be sharing at 2??

[JamieJay]

First baby due in a month, the whole concept of the '4th trimester' makes sense to me and quite keen to consider co-sleeping unless baby is happy in cot (DH also happy with idea).

But, I wouldn't want to be co-sleeping forever more and would want to ideally have baby settled in own cot well before I return to work at 9 months.

Is it inevitable that once you start co-sleeping that you are in it for the long haul??

I know the whole 'rod for own back' thing is balls but can't help but worry (but then I can't stop worrying about anything at the moment )

Thanks for any re-assurances.......

DS slept in with us for around 10 months (never been in a cot)
Once he was night weaned he went into his own bed with minimal fuss

Thanks wuglet, just the type of thing I want to hear

DD moved into her own bed at about 14 months. It worked out fine, but DH had to have her in his bed as a transition period.

Not inevitable at all - DSs 1 & 2 both co-slept with us until we moved them at around 7 months into cots in their own rooms. Both boys were fine with it.
With both times it's felt like a really big deal to move them, and both times once done I wondered what I had been worrying about.
I don't think it's an easy transition to make emotionally, but it's certainly not inevitable that you'll be sharing a bed with a toddler.
And it is lovely having your beautiful baby with you when they are tiny.

Co-slept with both of mine to about 9/10 months, then it took about 3 nights to settle them into their cots.

I would do it all over again if I had a 3rd, without doubt .

I've had 3 that I've co slept with from birth (you get much better sleep once you get the hang of bf lying down, but you do need to make sure there's penty of room for them with no risk of being covered in duvet) and they've all gone into their own cots with no fuss from about 6 months. But to add.. my first was also bfed on demand but was always put back into her cot after every feed. No trouble there either as she slept fine there too - but I didn't

DS2 was in bed with us for the first couple of months but moved to his cot with no trouble when we discovered he slept better swaddled.

So no problems here

Thanks for the re-assurance (DH stole the computer last night so couldn't get back online until now!).

Having got all geared up for co-sleeping what's the betting I get a baby would likes their own space

No it isn't inevitable.

DD slept in bed with us for the first few months. It wasn't meant to be that way, I had the moses basket set up just like I had for her brothers, but she wouldn't sleep in it. Even the midwife said "if you'd spent 9 (or 8 in DD's case) months in a nice warm womb would you want to sleep in a basket?"

By the time she was about 4 months (and so needing feeding less at night) she was sleeping some of the night in the moses basket and some in our bed. She always slept in the moses basket during the day. By the time she was about 8 or 9 months she slept in her cot the whole time.

Mine co-slept until about 7 months when she started rolling around and generally having a hard time settling. We put her in her own bed and that was that. Even now she doesn't like sleeping with someone and will roll around until she gets her 'space'

They're all different, but I can add my voice to the chorus of people saying that they transfer to their own bed more or less without fuss.

We found our DD's need for her own spot at night lined up pretty well with her intake of solid foods. When we ill and off the solids? Back in bed with me. FWIW.

Ugh, When she was ill...

Not inevitable at all - we co-slept with DD on and off and she's great at bedtime (and has been for years - she's 3.6).

Doing a combination with DS (4 months) - he starts off in his cot, but comes in with us wen we go to bed. He'd probably be OK in his cot for longer, but it won't fit in our room and I want to keep him in the same room as us for at least the recommended six months. Besides, sleeping with him is lovely!

Good luck with the baby.

I co-slept for the 6 week growth spurt, then had DS in a cot. Now (6 m.o.) he's on a single mattress next to me so I get the benefits of feeding lying down & dozing through feeds, but with my own space. I get so much more sleep than with him in a separate cot, although like TheOldestCat, he starts the night in his cot, then comes in with me when I go to bed.

I would definitely co-sleep properly with any more DCs, though.

No. i co-slept with ds2 who just needed me a lot. he was in his own cot at 11 months.

I wanted to co-sleep but my partner was worried because he was such a heavy sleeper(not anymore!) So we compromised and bought a 'close to me' cot (with a side which drops down and tucks under,it sits right alongside our bed). Best of both worlds. I can pick up our DS,4 months now,to breastfeed or if he's having trouble settling but he has his own space too. I plan to co-sleep this way for as long as I feel is right for all of us,but with the cot we have we can pull the 4th side up whenever we want to and have a separate cot.

I co-slept with ds2 at first, then moved him to his cot with one side off bungee corded to the side of our bed, then when he started rolling and wriggling we put the side on. He still comes in for a snuggle if he wakes in the early hours, but generally prefers his own space. It really hasn't been a problem, and does make for a much more settled night at first, I found.
Ds1, on the other hand, has never ever slept in our bed - he needs his own space and always has. So don't be disappointed if it doesn't work out the way you expect!