Parent Moments: A Family That Shares Sleep

My daughter slept with us for a while after she was born. She wouldn't sleep on her back which was recommended at the time . For my sanity she slept with us on her tummy. I honestly can say that my husband and I bonded with our daughter more than if she didn't sleep with us. To this day she loves to snuggle with us, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

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My daughter is a single mom and she has let my grandson sleep with her since he was three months old. At first I didn't think it was a good idea. She slept in her crib every night and did fine. I watch him often and he sleeps with me too and I enjoy it. I guess you can teach an old dog some new tricks!

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We're a co-sleeping family, and it's great to read an article about it on a mainstream site :) We have faced some flack from my mother, confusion from my mother-in-law, and acceptance from friends who share our family bed ideals. Our kids are happy and great sleepers. Not one has ever spent a night in the crib we got when I was pregnant with #1. We have three kids and the only time we experienced the classic sleepless nights came when they were sick, not on an every night basis.

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I believe that all parents go through a co-sleeping stage at some point whether or not they admit it. It can be difficult to do what feels right when it goes against what "experts" advise-especially for new parents.
My boys started to sneak into bed with us at around 3 years old only after we transitioned them from the crib to a bed. They are 5 & 4 now and I wake up almost every morning in the middle of them. My husband eventually moves into the guest room to escape twenty little toes in his face and this is what I see as the drawback to co-sleeping. I find it very comforting to have them near me though and they must feel the same way. Soon enough they will be sleeping in their own rooms all night long and I'll wait to hear their doors open and their little feet shuffling down the hallway and I'll be disappointed when it doesn't happen. As long as everyone is sleeping well and happy, then I don't see how it can be considered a bad thing.

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It appears she has the right attitude and has done her research. She is right...it's not for everyone. Personally, I would have trouble getting to sleep.

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My eldest daughter and I did sleep in the guest room for the first two months of her life together! She loved the sound of my heartbeat and cried and cried when I tried to put her in her crib. As my first baby, and my dream come true daughter, I gave in to her whims probably way too early, looking back! I loved lying in bed with my sweet girl on my chest just sleeping away. I still remember how good it felt and it has been 8 years! My Jessica knows that she's got that special place in my heart and she relishes hearing me talk about her sleeping on my chest to hear my heartbeat. Every time we talk about it, she lays her head on my shoulder so she can still hear my heart beat. We smile our secret smile and hug and she bops along on her way, but I know it will only be a few weeks before she'll come back and ask me to share our special story again.

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Unlike what Wendy tells to John and Michael about children that never grow up, my children will. I love the reassurance of hearing them breathe when they are infants, in my room, and if they need my security as toddlers or even older, I want them to know that they can always climb into bed with me and that I will comfort their fears, and help them to find their way back to slumber land. Hook may not exist in real life, but in a childs fantasies, there will always be a villian to worry about. I want them to grow up knowing that when they were children, I didn't discount those fears, and was willing to help them learn to become strong and independant people. They will have enough troubles to deal with as adults, this is one thing I can offer them, while, for only a moment in life, they are still children.

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With my oldest son I wanted to co-sleep and was worried about what people would think. Eventually I realized I didn't have to share my family's sleeping arrangements with anyone I didn't want to. I bought a bed rail, like the ones you put on a toddler's bed, and when my babies were tiny, had them sleep between me and the rail. Then I didn't need to worry about my husband rolling over on anyone.

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I put my daughter in a bassinet right next to my bed until she outgrew it & I sadly moved her into a crib in her own room. My husband was such a sound sleeper that it was risky for her to sleep in the same bed with him. If she was sick or teething I often slept with her in the guest bed in her room, so I certainly understand the comfort of co-sleeping. A downside to co-sleeping is that many of the co-sleeping families I know have trouble getting their kids to move along to their own beds. My brother & his wife have an 8 & 5 yo who still spend most nights with their parents. My brother is sleep deprived, since there just isn't enough room, and he's the lightest sleeper!

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