Co- Sleeping - Ogdensburg,NY

Updated on April 27, 2011
S.F. asks from Ogdensburg, NY
23 answers

This is totally out of curiosity and I know that everyone has their own opinion towards co-sleeping but while reading other questions I noticed that many Moms say that they co-sleep and it got me thinking about the after math. What I mean by that is, when your baby is ready to sleep alone in their own bed how does that work? Also do the Mommies that are pro co-sleeping doing it because you breastfeed and it is easier or is it a comfort thing? I personally am against it but if it works for others thats great. I was just curious as to how you pro co sleepers tackle getting your little ones used to sleeping in their own rooms once you are ready to stop with the co-sleeping. I guess I am curious because I know how difficult it can be at times just to get your baby to sleep in their own crib in their own room even when that is what you did from the start so I would imagine that co -sleeping could/would cause even more issues around this

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A.G.

answers from Houston on

No cribs for me, from my bed then onto a queen size, or full. I start them off in their room at 2 1/2, with my first it took about a year of work to completely switch her over, with my second i imagine it might be tougher. I love to co-sleep. We are a very bonded force.

I dont understand why you'd be "against it" and not just 'not using this method". Co sleeping lowers the risk of s.i.d.s. DRAMATICALLY. But to each their own.

I want my kids to cuddle up next to me anytime they feel scared, not cry on their pillow. That is the reality of my decision. A little inconvenience at bed time is a o.k. with me and points to the greater good.

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A.S.

answers from Detroit on

Where the fuzziness lies is people thinking that co-sleeping and bed sharing are the same thing. They aren't necessarily. Co-sleeping can be just in the same room. Not all parents co-sleep/bed-share.

I co-slept with both of my kids for awhile, but never bed-shared. There was never an issue with them going to their own room when I felt it wasn't necessary to co-sleep anymore.

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M.C.

answers from Dallas on

I just waited until my guys were ready, and it was no big deal. Kind of how potty training can be a real struggle if the child isn't ready, and a piece of cake when they are.

It was never a struggle for us- we just made sure they had a sleeping space of their own when they were ready to sleep there. And eventually, they do.

I don't get being "against" other people's sleeping arrangments. I'm on favor of whatever gets everyone in a family the best night's sleep. For us, when we've had small babies, that's been cosleeping.

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J.A.

answers from San Francisco on

we co-sleep. My mom did with all 4 of her kids and we all just at some point wanted our own space and she got us a little bed first next to the big bed, then in our own room. There was nothing really difficult about it because it happened when everyone was ready. My daughter is 2.5 and that is our plan too, i love her in our bed! When she is ready to have her own bed though, she will get one!

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S.C.

answers from Milwaukee on

I co-slept because it was the only way my daughter would go to sleep. I don't agree w/ cio, at all. Your kiddo has no idea why you're not coming to them when they are crying. I told myself when she was old enough to understand why she needed to sleep by herself then I would put her in her own bed. At 3yrs old, I did it. It was an adjustment, but she never cried about it.

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S.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I guess it all depends on what you think of an issue. I do co-sleep....love having my kids (not all of them) in my bed. Especially since my husband is gone most nights. It did start off with it being so much easier to breastfeed and went from there. I will stay I transitioned my kids late to their own bed.

My take on this- Do you enjoy sleeping in the same bed with your husband? Does this comfort you? When he is away is harder to sleep? What makes you think that it would not be any different for a baby/toddler/kid?

I personally don't think it of an issue to transition my child into their own bed. We do it when we are both ready....and no, I don't have any highschoolers in my bed (or middle school for that matter). Its only an issue if you make it one.

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S.H.

answers from Dallas on

My baby will only sleep if she is co-sleeping with us. We tried the crib but she would wake up crying. our number one goal for our baby is to keep her safe and happy. She is happy cosleeping with us and we love having her close. Studies have shown that babies that cosleep have less or no episodes of sleep apnea. my dd has had feeding issuses since birth so if this is what makes her happy and sleep good when her tummy is ok then i am all for it. oru dog and 2 cats also sleep in our bed. If our dd want to sleep with us every night until she is a teenager that is not a problem. If we want to do mommy and daddy stuff, we just do it before bedtime.

after reading a coment about father not wanting to co-sleeping, i had to edit my answer. My husband loves the fact that our baby, doggie and cats co- sleep with us. He enjoys waking up to her beautiful smile every morning. He would not change a thing.

Updated

My baby will only sleep if she is co-sleeping with us. We tried the crib but she would wake up crying. our number one goal for our baby is to keep her safe and happy. She is happy cosleeping with us and we love having her close. Studies have shown that babies that cosleep have less or no episodes of sleep apnea. my dd has had feeding issuses since birth so if this is what makes her happy and sleep good when her tummy is ok then i am all for it. oru dog and 2 cats also sleep in our bed. If our dd want to sleep with us every night until she is a teenager that is not a problem. If we want to do mommy and daddy stuff, we just do it before bedtime.

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J.B.

answers from Reading on

I co-sleep with my in two year old daughter and we love it. I didn't plan on co-sleeping but when I was breastfeeding it was just much easier having her next to me. I got a ton more sleep like that and then we got used to it. We all feel much safer sleeping in the same bed and its great waking up the our happy little girl, wouldn't change it for the world. Im not concerned at all about her sleeping in her own bed that will happen when she is ready. Were also expecting baby number two in december and we plan on co-sleeping with both babies :]

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E.S.

answers from Dayton on

I don't think I could be a mom and not co-sleep. This is to say, I like to sleep.
When DD was 2 she started the whole "have to put my legs on mommy" thing so we moved her to a mattress on the floor. Worked great. Winter came...DH, YES, DH let her come back to our bed. Spring, back to the floor...winter, back to our bed. And over this time she got better about her legs. Lol. By 4 she was on the floor for good. (Maybe even sooner-don't remember.)
4.5, new baby, moved into her big girl bed.

All in all transitioning has not been that horrible in our house.
Much easier than I imagine sleep training a baby would be.

DH is always a little nervous to have a new baby in bed w/ us but once they get a little bigger he loves it too.

FWIW you probably won't find me on this site recommending co-sleeping (bed sharing) simply because I don't know you and I don't know if it would be safe for you. It is a very personal decision, IMO.
I will share my experiences, but that's all.
Likewise, if you are NOT nursing I think bed sharing is a really bad idea.

Hope this helps you "get it" a little more.
My babies were a part of me for over 9mths, why would I bring them home and force them to sleep on their own. I don't "get" that.

Here is a good article you might find interesting: http://www.drmomma.org/search?q=co+sleeping&updated-m...

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C.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

I loved co-sleeping, and so did my husband, because we both got A LOT more sleep. Neither of us had to get up to a crying baby because I could nurse right there in bed and go right back to sleep. I slept with my daughter in the same bed until she was two, then we transitioned her to a toddler bed that was next to our bed so she was in her own bed but still in our room, then when she was almost three we transitioned her to her own bed. The transition wasn't easy and took time, but it was MUCH easier than having to deal with the tears of getting a baby to sleep in a crib. My daughter learned to sleep in her own room and understood that we were in the other room if she needed us; I think this made it easier. My son transitioned to his own bed even more easily because he shared a room with his sister and this made him less scared (he was also almost three).

It made perfect sense to us (my husband even doesn't understand why more people don't cosleep). But it's a personal choice for everyone.

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J.S.

answers from Austin on

It has always been my belief that at some point I can explain things to my daughter including sleeping in her own bed. I had other mother's/friends tell me I was living in fantasy and that she would be in my bed for years. Well, I converted her crib to a toddler bed when she was around 18 months and she loved it enough to take her naps in the bed. She did not love it enough to sleep in it at night. We would talk about it from time to time but I could tell she wasn’t ready. Well at 2 ½ years she had a little sister on the way and we talked about it again. At that point she was more receptive at the idea and would sleep in her own bed a couple nights a week (her bed is in our room). When her sister arrived and slept in her own rocker we had the talk again. I was able to use her sister as an example of being able to sleep in her own bed and from that moment on my daughter started to sleep in her own bed 99% of the time. The only time she has a relapse is when she is feeling more emotional about something but she usually always sleeps by herself now. She is looking forward to when her little sister is big enough to share her bed with… I do miss the snuggles though… from both my girls as my second isn’t into the co-sleeping as much.

Oh and co-sleeping wasn’t my initial plan. It just happened because my first just slept better with me than in her crib and it was more trouble waking up ever couple of hours to sooth her than it was just to let her sleep next to me.

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J.Y.

answers from Chicago on

I am pro co-sleeping. I found it very easy for breastfeeding and comfort during the night. It was partially due to my not wanting to get up and partly because I wanted my babies close to me. My daughter slept with me for almost 2 years. One day I asked her if she would like her own big girl bed, and she was excited about it. I had no problems transitiioning her. From the first night she eagerly went to bed and slept well. My son was in my bed until he was about 8 months old. He started being disturbed by my movements during the night. Transitioning him wasn't difficult, but it took several nights because I didn't want him to cry at all. I sat on the floor in his room holding his hand through the rails until he fell into a deep sleep. After a few nights all I had to do was rub his back for a few minutes. After that, he was fine. He is a great sleeper (13-14 hours/night) and loves his crib. He climbs into it himself, and I leave immediately after saying good night.

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P.M.

answers from Tampa on

My daughter is almost 6 y/o and is finally transitioning into her own bed... not fully due to personal choice - which I feel is very important for a child to make on their own, but because by early August I will be having a new baby and 4 will not fit in our bed. Also, children WILL want their own privacy - everyone eventually does.

Truthfully, I've never felt the need to push her out before she felt ready, tho my husband has been harping on that the last year. He knew I was a co-sleeping, breastfeeding attachment Momma before we married, so I remind him he knew what he was getting. I also remind him this time is very short compared to the rest of the life of a parent, and as an adult he should be able to cope with not always getting to snuggle his wife.

Obviously - sex is not an issue - hellooo... I'm pregnant LOL - but many non co-sleeping Moms tend to think it would be an issue but it never is.

As for breastfeeding and co-sleeping... it's for many reasons.
1) COmfort level is so much better because you don't have to worry how baby is doing while sleeping. You can hear, see and comfort baby when needed.

2) You barely have to wake in order to feed your baby, breast is right there, baby is right there - latch on then back to the needed sleep.

3) I feel safer knowing my child is RIGHT there. Fires, break ins, storms, you never know what may happen and when the baby or child is on another room, it may be harder to reach them in time.

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

We co-slept with our son until he was 12 months old. At first it was becuase of the breastfeeding - that seemed to be all the time. Then it got to a point where I wasn't sleeping anymore and niether was the baby becuase he could smell my milk. One night - we just put him in his room and he slept for about 3 hours then woke up. We let him cry for about 20 minutes, then he fell back asleep for the rest of the night. OH and about the intimate time with hubby while co-sleeping? It can be done - you just have to be creative.

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C.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Never planned on cosleeping with my first born but it just ended up working out that way when I went back to work at 12 weeks old. She was in her own room by then and my husband took care of her during the day. He also worked 2nd shift so he didn't get home until 1130pm. She was on a schedule where she'd sleep later if I put her in bed with him after the morning feeding before I left for work. We moved when she was about 9 months old and she had a few months where she slept great in her crib. When I was a few months pregnant with my son, she decided she wanted to wake up all hours of the night and it was easier for me to just put her into bed with me (at this time hubby was still working 2nd shift and sometimes getting home as late as 3am). We moved her to a toddler bed around 20 months and kept the door closed. Still would wake up and sleep in our bed because of the convenience (also why I would never recommend getting a toddler bed - I could have laid with her from the start!). When my son was born, we put him in a cosleeper playpen for the first few months. He has always been a noisy sleeper, though! We moved him to his sister's bedroom and started leaving the door open (at her request) but she still wakes up on average 5-6 nights a week and comes into our room. Sometimes it's 5am, other times it's midnight. Usually if it's before midnight, I lay back down with her to try and get her to sleep longer in her bed. If it's once we're in bed, she climbs in and goes right to sleep. It helps now that my husband is on the weekend shift so the kids sleep longer if they are in bed with him each morning! So I don't really have an answer for how it'll work out in the future but I do know that they won't want to sleep with us forever! I also do not mind the cuddling as hubby and I have our alone time before the kids come into our room at night. Since my kids share a room, I'm hopeful that once my son is in a twin bed, they will just want to sleep with each other instead of us! We'll see though!

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L.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

We loved it and we'd do it all over again. Our daughter slept with us since I breastfed and it was so comforting and easy to nighttime parent that way for us. Around 18 months we bought her a big girl bed and she began taking her naps in it in her room. Around 2.5 years old, she asked to sleep in her own bed at night -- we couldn't believe it! We'd have to lay down w/ her a little bit initially, then around 3 years old we told her that she needed to put herself to sleep (after stories and the nighttime ritual) and that mommy and daddy weren't going to lay down w/ her. It was as easy as that. Our daughter has always been a great sleeper and sleeps through the night.

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K.B.

answers from Melbourne on

It can be very difficult all around... BUT it is the best thing for us right now... I didnt plan on doing it with my 3.5 mo old, but that is the only way he will sleep, is in the bed next to me and when he want to nurse I am there... my hubby is actually sleeping in the spare bedroom right now so he wont roll on him... I dont know what I will do when it is time to get him in his crib... he is my last baby (got tubes tied) so im enjoying every minute of our cuddle time.. :)

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J.R.

answers from Sacramento on

the only time I co slept was when the baby needed nursing, after I was done, he would be put in the bassinet by my bedside or later on back in his crib in HIS room, for 1 thing I had a fear of rolling over on him and another thing I just don't agree with it, it is a hard habit to break for them, doesn't everyone deserve a good nights sleep, they are with you all the time. What about the husband and being intimate, I think that is one of the reasons why a lot of times the husband ends up feeling left out and it can cause problems within the marraige, so I VOTE NOT!

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T.V.

answers from San Francisco on

I suggest a basenette in your room right next to your bed for their first six weeks. Transfer to the nursery and their own crib after six weeks. Try to keep on a schedule for feeding, bathing, naps, fresh air walks, and bed times.

I believe co-sleeping can cause problems for all concerned. I know many mama's feel differently and respect their right to feel this way. The papas I spoken to regarding co-sleeping are either against it or just go along to keep the peace.

Blessings.....

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D.G.

answers from Lincoln on

I always swore I wouldn't cosleep. then my daughter was born 11 weeks early and by the time she came home from the hospital I was 3 months sleep deprived and had to set an alarm every 3 hours overnight to feed her (or more often if she woke before) and I was a single mom so no one there to help with feedings or anything else! we started cosleeping on accident when i kept almost dropping her from the couch where i went to sit and try to stay awake. there were times over the years she would try her bed (never took to her crib. slept in it maybe 7 times so at about 15 months finally sold it to pay my rent!) but never got out of it completely until about a year and a half ago at 11 years because she got tired of her baby sister crying all night! and yes she ended up cosleeping too. She did do better in her crib _ which i kept right up to my bed so I'd feed her then put her back in her crib. but she was born a month early and had issues gaining weight after too big of a drop those first days so we had to do the every 3 hours overnight thing again and I was alone again. Then she got H1N1 at 6 weeks and after 5 completely sleepless nights & 3 of those in hospital and only very few very brief catnaps I was so tired and when I got her home and dropped her 2ce the first night home trying to stay up to feed her that I gave up and she's been with me since!
We were given a Toddler bed 2 weekends ago. She's had one nap in it and one night she slept 4 hours in it. She's on 2 hours in it now! Wish us luck!!

...jinxed myself. she just walked in!

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M.B.

answers from Lancaster on

I didn't plan on co sleeping, but my first daughter wouldn't sleep any other way. At around 12 weeks, I moved her to her crib because she kept kicking me in her sleep. We never had any problems moving her to her crib, but I think if we had waited longer, there would have been issues.

M.L.

answers from Houston on

It's easy. You teach them to self soothe and they also have naps. It's not that hard. Also, not overextending the co-sleeping helps with any habits.

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I never wanted to co-sleep. I was scared I would roll on her, she would roll off the bed, she would suffocate etc. I also did want to breastfeed, and tried for three months (but couldn't), but I still didn't want to co-sleep because of that. I actually tried laying down to breastfeed and I wasn't comfortable.
I fell into co-sleeping. My mom was sick and lived 6 hours away from me. I was constantly away from home, and when I would take off to go visit her, my baby and I slept together. She slept on top of me on a couch, next to me on a bed, in the curve of my arm on a chair...where ever I could sleep, she slept right with me. When we would come home, she would sleep in her crib some times, but only a few hours at a time, and still wanted to be with me. So my bf was kicked to the couch and the baby and me got the bed.
When she was 8 months my mom died. Even though we didn't travel anymore, she still wanted to be next to me. So we kept co-sleeping. When she turned one, and was walking steady we put her in her own bed with no problems what so ever. She will still take a nap with me every once in a while, or wake up after daddy leaves for work and wants to cuddle...and thats fine, but for the most part she sleeps in her own bed in her own room. Everyone thought/thinks we were crazy because she was so young, but it was the best thing we could have ever done. She doesn't roam the house, she likes her bed, it fits her perfectly, when she would/does wake up she comes straight to our room (right across the hallway). I thought she would get up a bunch of times, but didn't. I guess I lucked out.
We are talking about when we want to try for number 2, and we both agree that we don't want to co-sleep again (unless its an every once in a while thing).

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