for those who co-sleep

[flowers04]

my lo is 3 months old and we have recently put her in her cot, i am very keen for her to learn to self settle but this just isn't happening

the past few nights she has been waking up after sleeping for an hour so i give her a dummy - she constantly spits this out and starts crying so i end up bringing her in our bed, i then feed her and she goes to sleep

what i wanted to know was those that co sleep or used to co sleep how did you find putting lo into cot afterwards - did it take a long time for them to settle - what problems did you come across?

i enjoy having lo in the bed but i don't want it to become difficult later down the line

even in the day she won't settle to sleep herself, has to breastfeed or rocked to sleep - i know this is a bad habit but i don't know what to do

what is best, should i continue to try putting her in the cot and then bring her to our bed or is it okay to co-sleep and then try put her in the cot from 6 months?

i'd love to hear your experiences - thanks

 

[jms895]

Caine is now nearly 9 months and I am having loads of probs he wont go in his cot and its a nightmare every night

I would advise you to get out of the habit asap if you want it to stop

 

[tinkabells]

i think i must be lucky, i have co slept with hollie on and off since birth, but i stayed at my mums for a whole week and i thought be gonna be hard putting her in her cot, but she slept as normal, as if we were sleeping together, so i dont mind keep putting her in my bed, cos when i do put her in her cot she sleeps fine, dunno if i'll have problems later or not xxx

 

[britt1986]

My LO is 8 weeks old and I co-sleep with my him during the night. But his daytime naps, he sleeps in his bassinet. I don't have much of an issue. He still has to be swaddled to sleep, so I wrap him up and lay him down. He usually crys for a few minutes and then settles himself. On some occasions I have to pick him up and cuddle him for a minute (I don't talk to him or rock him during this time, just hold him) then put him back down when he is calm and repeat if nessesary. This works for me, but there are many ways to help encourage your LO to sleep on her own.

 

[cazza1982]

I had this problem. When Charlie got to 3 months old we decided that he was big enough to sleep in his cot.

Preparation was the key for us! We waited until Friday eve when DH came home from work so there was 2 of us to cope with it and then we were ready for a sleepless weekend in training Charlie to go to sleep!

We bathed him, fed him and waited for him to get sleepy (rubbing his eyes, yawning and starting to nestle his head on our shoulders) tucked him in and gave him a kiss. We then went into the living room with the monitor. We then waited 5 mins of crying and then went back into the room, scooped him up and soothed him (never leaving his room mind as he was to learn that he was there for the eve aside from feeds) and then put him back down and left the room again. We would then wait another 5 mins and do the same again.

This only took about an hour and a half which although sounds a lot, I was thinking that we were in it for the long run and he would never sleep ever!

He doesn't have a dummy but I have used his teddy which he uses as his comforter to help him sleep.

The key for us was to make sure you follow through with it, keep baby in the room for the evening aside from feeding and make sure you go in every 5 mins to soothe as they will know that you are coming back and haven't left them! Also, it's best not to let them get overtired as they get proper cranky and it takes ages for them to calm down!

It does work, it just takes a while for them to adjust.

Good luck!

x

 

[rose_ginger]

we stopped co-sleeping at about this age. We made sure we put him in a grobag as he was very wriggly and always kicked the blankets off. Also he doesn't settle unless he sleeps on his front. Before I get flamed, I know about the increased risk of cot death if they are not asleep on their back, but he literally will not sleep any other way. I would not recommend it to anyone because of the increased risk etc, but we made an informed choice as we could not cope any more with him howling throughout the night

 

[tinkabells]

Rose dont worry, hollie will not sleep on her back, she hates being on her back, she will only play on her back for about 5 mins max then the world knows about it, hollie has been sleeping on her front and side since she was about 4 weeks xxx

 

[cazza1982]

we stopped co-sleeping at about this age. We made sure we put him in a grobag as he was very wriggly and always kicked the blankets off. Also he doesn't settle unless he sleeps on his front. Before I get flamed, I know about the increased risk of cot death if they are not asleep on their back, but he literally will not sleep any other way. I would not recommend it to anyone because of the increased risk etc, but we made an informed choice as we could not cope any more with him howling throughout the night

I don't personally do this with the little guy but people do still do it and as long as you keep an eye on them and you know the risks, it's entirely up to you what you do with your LO. Also, by this age most babies can lift their head up off the floor whilst on their tummies and turn their head to the side which makes the risks slightly lower.

Also, the midwife told me that they prefer to sleep on their front as it is how they were positioned whilst in the womb and it's just a shame that it comes with such great risks.

I still sleep on my front and i'm 27!!!

 

[rose_ginger]

thanks tinkabell, I can't help feeling a little defensive about it, as I don't like doing it myself, but as you say, if he's on his back for more than 5 minutes he's very unhappy about it.

Cazza, It made me laugh about you still sleeping on your front at 27! I'm imagining you really peaceful and zonko'd with your arms out like a baby

 

[cazza1982]

thanks tinkabell, I can't help feeling a little defensive about it, as I don't like doing it myself, but as you say, if he's on his back for more than 5 minutes he's very unhappy about it.

Cazza, It made me laugh about you still sleeping on your front at 27! I'm imagining you really peaceful and zonko'd with your arms out like a baby

Too right! There is no room for husband and he sometimes has to sleep all curled up as I have left him no room! Bless him.

 

[jms895]

They key to getting Caine in his cot is putting him on his tummy xx

 

[Tsia]

I have started to co-sleep-.... simply because it gets him back off to sleep quicker thus us all having more sleep time cos at the moment he is waking every three hours or less!

But when I move back into OH's, we are sorting his nursery.. and come 6 months old he will be sleeping in his own room with monitor on. I know its gonna be tough to get through and will have to make sure I follow it through but I know it will all be worth it in the end.

Mylo wont go on his tummy- even hate tummy time, he lasts about 15 seconds before looking at me thinking 'what the hell you put me like this for??'.. ' thats it.. I'm holding my breath and then I'm gonna cry'

seriously, he hates it. Then again so do I. I felt sorry for women that can only sleep on their front yet went through sheer hell in pregnancy cos they couldnt! lol

 

[cazza1982]

Then again so do I. I felt sorry for women that can only sleep on their front yet went through sheer hell in pregnancy cos they couldnt! lol

I am one of those!! I really missed being able to sleep on my front for 9 months. The first thing I did when I got back from the hospital after giving birth was go for a sleep on my front...blissfull!!!