Co-sleeping

I will be brutally honest with you about your situation. It stinks. If your husband would be more supportive of the whole co-sleeping thing I'd say you should stick with it because it is so nice for you and your child. However, it sounds like its taking a toll on your relationship with your husband. Remember that your relationship came before the relationship you have with your baby. We as mothers can sometimes forget that. I know its hard and I'm guilty as charged. My situation is different because my husband wants our daughter near us all night. So what we did was move a futon in instead of our old two twin beds connected and now we have a queen size futon bed next to a twin bed and I sleep on the futon bed with our child and my husband has his twin bed "own space." This works for us but it doesn't for all. If it starts taking a toll on your relationship with your husband you need to talk to him or get someone else trained in cosleeping to talk to him about its importance and benefits and see if he'll comply or you need to move the baby out into its own crib and unfortunately let them cry it out. There are books on this method and it does work however personally it is not my way of parenting. I know its hard and you just want to do what's right for your baby but you're doing your best so take a deep breast and smile and kiss your baby and know you are being a great mother. Don't stress too much about it. You'll look back and laugh. And one last tidbit, do NOT give your husband a guilt trip for having to move your baby out if you end up doing it. Different ppl. have different needs and its ok. in the end.

We dealt with my husbands snoring by having his tonsils removed and getting his deviated septum fixed 2 months prior to baby being born (he had/has sleep apnea). I also require him to sleep on his side or stomach. If he is on his back he snores, still but not nearly as bad. We also co-slept the first 3 months and then as needed until about 7 months. I also follow many of the attachment parenting beliefs. It you want to co-sleep then do it. You don't have to listen to anyone but yourself.

I can help with with the snoring. There is a dental device that you wear at night to help position your jaw and eliminates the snoring!! it is easy and comfortable to use. My patients that use it swear it's a miracle. I saw an article in the Tribune a while ago with a man who had a party to tell his friends all about this device. he went to a "specialist" in NY who got the thing made for him for $1200!! I felt like writing him and telling him he wasted his money because I do the same thing here in Chicago for less than half that. anyway, my husband uses it too. sometimes dental insurance covers it. call my office and ask for Michael, he can tell you all about it ###-###-####
and as far as co-sleeping, we have a king size bed, and when our baby can't sleep alone, we are all fine even though one of us likes to sleep sideways! :)

D.:

it is a LONG time ago but there was a pad that I had that I put under my sheet where the babies slept to protect the bed... I have no idea what it was but it was no intrusive.

as to co - sleeping good book are three in a bed/ and the family bed. i would look on amazon/ these are no "new" books but they can help you both feel more secure in your own descision and help you with the comments from others.

in the final analsyze we each must make the best decision that we can and follow our hearts. it is you child and you must do what you feel is the right thing to do.

P.,RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

what is making dh not want to co-sleep? is the snoring a new problem? is it waking you and dd up? would it wake you up if dd was in another bed?? the issue seems to be snoring not dd in bed!

we got a king size bed when dd #1 was 6 mos. old and that gave us plenty of room. now we've added a twin on to that to accomodate dd #2!

family bed allows you to get your rest, nurse, and be an attentive parent. do you think dh would want her out so bad if he realized he would be getting out of bed to take care of her when she wakes in the middle of the night? ;-)

Snoring can actually mean he may have Sleep Apnea, which is a condition that can eventually cause high blood pressure, etc if not treated. Does he snore and then stop breathing for a few seconds, and then resume? Is he very sleepy during the daytime or wake up in the morning with a headache? It would not hurt to have him see a sleep specialist, a neurologist, and they can do a sleep study on him. If he is found to have apnea, they can fit him with a mask, or do surgery, or suggest many options that will allow him to breath better at night, and thus everyone else can sleep easier too.
I have snored for many years, and everyone thought it was just snoring. My husband grew concerned and urged me to see a sleep specialist, which I did. After a sleep study I had like 40 episodes of apnea in 2-3 hours! I have been fitted with a mask and my sleep quality has improved 200%, and best of all, my husband can sleep peacefully again.

have you tried any of the over-the-counter remedies for the snoring? Those nose strips and such... if he's reluctant to see the doctor, maybe he'd be wiling to try something else instead.