How did we end up co sleeping?

When the MiniMonkey was born the one thing we were in complete agreement about was the fact that the baby would not sleep with us. I had read so many articles and reports about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and so, for us, co sleeping was out.

And not just bedtime, if we were having a cuddle and getting sleepy MiniMonkey had to go in the Moses basket.

It was so hard
All you want to do is cuddle them a little longer
But we did it (somehow)

And for us it was great up until MiniMonkey went into his regular bed and the gate came off his door.

Maybe the gate came off too early
Maybe we only have ourselves to blame

When he has a rough night he comes in to us
If he's feeling unwell he's in comes in to us
When Daddy goes to work at 4.30am he comes in with me

He climbs in
Demands a snuggle
And will not let us let him go until it is time to wake up

We tried all the techniques of getting him back to bed
Crying it out
Soft voices
Ignoring him

But it is exhausting and so we gave up

I love it
My arm may have no feeling
My shoulders are killing me (currrently on medication as I have actually done a bit of damage!)
As expected; i’m squeezed onto the edge of the empty bed
But i know that this won’t last forever

I guess we don’t co sleep in the truest form, and now he is older and bigger I feel a lot less worried about having him in with us.

Did your opinions change of having the little ones in the bed?
Do you love sleeping with an octopus?

I wouldn’t change it for anything

2 comments

  1. I didn't co sleep with my first for the reason you state, but with my second we've co slept from the start. Part of this is me being more knowledgeable - I now know that the SIDS statistics don't differentiate between planned and unplanned co sleeping, sleeping in bed or on a sofa, or take risk factors into account. I also really didn't want to deal with the same levels of exhaustion a second time!! He sleeps in a cot attached to our bed with the side off and can come and cuddle me any time. I'm still shattered but he's such a bad sleeper I'm glad I don't have to get out of bed to settle him!

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  2. I love the idea of the co sleeping cots and also the peanut pillows where they are cocooned in. I guess hindsight is always great, but I certainly know I wouldn't have slept at all back then (not that you ever sleep much!) being a first time mum with zero baby experience 😀

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