How long will you/did you cosleep?

[Canuckgal]

Anya is 6.5 months and we're still cosleeping. I feel like I'm the only one in my playgroup doing this. We tried to put her in a PnP in our bedroom, but that only lasts half the night. Everyone around says that we're on the 'road to hell' and will have major problems later, so DH and I are a little freaked...

How long did other people do it for? Was it terrible txing them afterwards? How did you do it?

TIA

Dee

[sheila]

Maggie coslept off & on for her first year. Then, she would go to sleep in her bed and crawl into ours sometime during the night... or one of us would crawl in with her. Now she's been in our bed for about 3 months full time, and I don't know when she'll move out.

[chefkath]

I'd say you are SO FAR from the "road to hell" that it isn't even on your map. :) Cosleeping just gets better and better as the kids get older. I always say it's like being at a slumber party every night - we cuddle, tell stories, talk about our day, dream about our future, work out our problems, and go to sleep curled up together as a family. It's wonderful. :heart: I recommend extended cosleeping to EVERYONE - it's such an amazing gift from parent to child (and vice-versa!) It has such a positive impact on every aspect of the parent-child relationship.

We've been co-sleeping with Brigit since birth - she's 2 years 9 months now. We also cosleep with Ciaran, who's 10 months. (And yes, we have a king sized bed! :lol: ) We love the family bed and see no rush to force the kids into their own beds. We're planning to let the transition be completely child-directed. Brigit currently has no desire to move out, and I don't really see it happening any time soon. But kids can move from stage to stage so fast - so who knows? It could happen tomorrow, it could happen in 5 years.

My niece coslept until age 3 and then suddenly decided she was ready for her own bed - and went from the family bed to her bed practically overnight, with no problems. But I also know about a dozen 3-year-olds, two 5-year-olds and a 6-year-old who still cosleep. So there's no real predicting when a child will be ready for the transition. I'd say if you plan to cosleep, be sure you're in it for the long haul. And know that it will be worth it! :)

[Cortney]

I'd say you are SO FAR from the "road to hell" that it isn't even on your map. :)
:nod: I totally agree.

Morgan is 2 years 6 months right now and still co-sleeps 90% of nights- and the 10% she comes in at about 4am. We only have a queen sized bed (but we did co-sleep for a while in a double!!!) so I think -at least for a little- the new baby will sleep in his/her bassinet next to the bed to avoid being "trampled" by Morgan because she's SUCH an active sleeper.

It's so nice to wake up snuggling with Morgan AND DH in the morning. I think Josh really likes it too because I normally get up before him and Morgan do and then they get the additional time to snuggle together before he heads off to work.

[MelissaM]

Jacob is 2 and a half and he co-sleeps half the night with us. He can keep doing that as long as he is happy...

Of course, when my 9 year old is sick he crawls into bed with me as well...and when my 15 year old has a bad day or is upset, there is nothing better than snuggling and talking with me in bed....so co-sleeping for us is working out wonderfully!

[Jillian]

We plan on letting them decide when to stop co-sleeping, Janelle is currently 22 months and Caid is 3 months.

[Carla]

We still are at just over two years and are looking forward to the baby joining us soon :) . I figure when they're ready, they'll go. Ethan has his own bed and room, but has no intrest in sleeping there and I have no intrest in him waking every hour when we try to get him to sleep in there so it works for us :lol: .

[Kris]

Anya is 6.5 months and we're still cosleeping. I feel like I'm the only one in my playgroup doing this. We tried to put her in a PnP in our bedroom, but that only lasts half the night. Everyone around says that we're on the 'road to hell' and will have major problems later, so DH and I are a little freaked...

How long did other people do it for? Was it terrible txing them afterwards? How did you do it?

TIA

Dee
I am in your playgroup and I am cosleeping.

itis just w/my 2 year old and not Adam

[AahRee]

We just (4 nights ago) stopped co-sleeping with my DD, who is just over 2. We really enjoyed co-sleeping (for the most part) but felt ready to have our bed back. Also, we just moved into a new house about a month ago, and felt that this would be a good time to make the move. So far (please don't let this jinx us!), it has gone AMAZINGLY well.

We told her, before we moved in, that at *Katie's New House* (as she calls it), she'll have her very own room, and her very own, big girl bed. We really built it up for her.

When we moved in, we told her she could sleep in her big girl bed ONLY IF she was really, really good for a few weeks. We made it a treat, and a goal for her to work towards, rather than a punishment or a bad thing.

The night we first put her in the bed, I made sure she was really tired. She skipped her nap that day, and was exhausted. I told her that she was going to get to sleep in her big girl bed, and asked her if she was excited. Almost immediately, tears sprung into her eyes at the thought, but she also said she was excited. I think she was both excited and scared. I showed her where her favorite toys were, we turned her nightlight on together, I gave her a little massage with lotion to calm her down, and we read a few stories together. I crawled in with her, and cuddled with her until she fell asleep. When she did, I got up to straighten up her room a bit before leaving it (bad idea) and she woke up. I told her that she was going to get to sleep in here, and we'd be back later to check on her, and we'd see her in the morning. That satisfied her, and she went back to sleep. That was around 8:20p.m. We didn't hear from her again until almost 10:00a.m. the next day! And we had to wake her up - she didn't get up on her own at all. We made a HUGE production of it the next day - applause, dancing around, singing songs, telling her how proud we were and what a big girl she was, etc. And we had a special treat planned for that day, anyway, so we told her it was a reward for her first night in her big girl bed.

That was Tuesday night, and this is Saturday morning, and she's slept in her own bed, all night, every night since then. She will ask to sleep with us, but when we tell her she *gets* to sleep in her big girl bed, she gets excited about that (or, IMO, about our enthusiasm for it), and since we ALL sleep better this way, it seems like it was the right time for the transition for her. :)

[Brandi]

We co-slept with Carter until he was 20 months. Then he moved to his own bed in our room and then on Mother's Day, he moved to his own room (he was around 26 months then). It has been just fine for him - very easy transition. I say do what feels right to you no matter what other people tell you!

[Brandi]

Oh, I've also read many times that people "say" that kids who co-sleep are much more insecure! BUT, I've also read that studies show that kids who co-sleep are actually much more secure with themselves! Now, I know you can get a "study" to show just about anything, but it sounds reasonable to me!

[mommyLil]

We've been co-sleeping less and less now. Nick is 10 months old. He's such an active sleeper and sleeps better in his crib (Which is in our room ) He seems to prefer to go there.

[MtBikeLover]

Cameron decided at 13 months that he didn't want to sleep with us anymore, much to my dismay. I cried the first few nights he slept alone. He likes to have his own space and we only had a queen bed which made it very snug.

[Kimberly]

Ali will be 20 months on Saturday and we have co-slept since birth. She would spend some time in her pnp bassinet, but mostly she co-slept so I could nurse at night. I love co-sleeping with her. DH is getting to the point of being ready to have our bed back because Ali is such a rough sleeper - she loves to sleep horizontally with her feet in his ribs. I would love for her to decide when she goes into her own bed by herself, but I have a feeling we will be making the move before her 2nd birthday.

[Martian Lullaby]

We coslept with Maya until she was nine weeks old. We're not AP, but I had to go back to work when she was six weeks old and we got more sleep that way! :lol:

[Demetria06]

We co-slept with our oldest until he was 2, with our daughter until she was 3 and Simeon is still in our bed :) We didnt have any problems making transitions, we just made sure the were comfortable and that they knew if they were ever scared they could always come get in the bed with us until they felt better...lol yes we have had a few "thunderstorm" nights with 3 kids in the bed :lol:

[SarahK]

There are a number of people in your (our) playgroup who co-sleep. Caurie and Ally come to mind. I wanted to co-sleep with Katie but she doesn't have much interest in it. Sometimes I can get her to come into bed with me in the mornings though. :)

[Stacey]

Dee, I'm another in your group who co-sleeps. You're not alone! And I agree that you're a long, long way from any road to hell.

My kids just don't like cribs. Period. Maia slept in the crib for a few months, but one day she just decided that it was awful, and we listened. She co-slept from about 7 months old until she was about 16 or 17 months old. Then she moved into a twin-sized bed in her own room with no problems whatsoever. She likes her room a lot. Sometimes one of us sleeps part of the night in there with her (she has a daybed/trundle set-up). That doesn't happen too often, but when it does, we're OK with it. I'm so glad that we totally ignored those who warned us against co-sleeping with Maia.

Cole's never slept a night in a crib or the bassinet. He just won't do it. We think Maia definitely tipped him off about the joys of co-sleeping. :lol: He sleeps next to me all night... well, he doesn't actually sleep all night, but that's another story. Wherever Cole needs to sleep is where he'll be. Right now, that's with us. :)

[Michele]

We co-slept with Jackson from about 1 month to 4 months. I didn't really mean to transition him, but one night we had some friends over for dinner, and Jackson fell asleep in my arms. I wanted my arms free so I put him in his crib around 9pm. I never thought he'd stay there, but he did all night. The next night we put him in his crib just to see what would happen and he slept all night in it again. Since he wasn't sleeping all night in our bed, we thought that it may be better for him to be on his own.

He still sleeps with us every once in a while, particularly if he wakes up in the middle of the night. I love snuggling with him, but we all sleep better with him in his crib...

So I too think you are far from the road to hell, she'll sleep on her own eventually when she is ready...she's only little for a short time so enjoy your snuggle time!

[Canuckgal]

Thank you all so much for your responses - as well as everyone from my plagroup - I had no idea!

Validation is so important when you feel you're swimming against the current. CS *feels* right, it's working for us, we missed her when we put her in the PnP...so why fight it? And she nurses better, and we sleep better. That can't be all wrong...

Dee

[mama2jackson]

We have been co-sleeping with Jackson for 17 months now with no end in site and I'm thrilled! I LOVE co-sleeping and it's funny because I never intended to co-sleep, it just happened that way.

As for people telling you there's trouble ahead, well, I seriously keep the co-sleeping thing quiet (well, other than here :lol: ). It's none of anyone's business and I got sick and tired of the comments. YOU need to do what is right for YOUR family, not anyone elses family.

[Karri]

We coslept with Aidan till he was 3 months, and then on & off after that. He is now 27 months and we decided to quit fighting it and are cosleeping with him again.

[Mandi]

We've been co-sleeping with Micayla off and on for almost 27 months now.

[Caurie]

Anya is 6.5 months and we're still cosleeping. I feel like I'm the only one in my playgroup doing this.
DeeYou're not the only one Dee :supergrin Brice and I are still co-sleeping at 7.5 months. I love it and so does he. I never planned to co-sleep, but with my c-section it was easier the first week to keep him in bed with me and it just stuck! It just seems soooo natural - like he's my little bear cub. He has never slept in a crib or anywhere else besides me. It feels so right to us and since he is still nursing it allows me to get as much sleep as possible. Unfortunately I get a lot of negativity about it from my parents and sisters - so I don't really talk about it. They think it is very weird and that Brice is too spoiled :rolleyes: We are all going on a family vacation in a few weeks and I am so nervous because I know they are really going to be on my case. Luckily Art is very supportive and - as he says - the fact it works for us is evident in Brice's personality (he is such a happy baby and loves people - very secure) I know that what Art and I think matters the most, but it is so hard when the extended family is not supportive.

[Sandy]

We co-slept w/ Rayna until I went back to work at 12 weeks. I was just not getting enough quality sleep and it was really really hard at work. We moved her to her crib w/out a whole lot of problems. My sleep quality improved and now, at 7.5 months I feel more like I am back to my old self. The first two months back at work I was really a zombie b/c she was still nursing so frequently during the night. But, even with that, I was sleeping better than I was when she slept with us.

As to what Caurie said about supportive people, I remember people telling us not to pick Rayna up all the time b/c we would spoil her. They were telling us this when she was about a month old!!!! Unbelievable. Even the nurse at our doctor's office told us that Rayna "would just have to get used to it" when we told them we were going to transition her to the crib. She apparently didn't agree w/ co-sleeping. I just have the attitude that we are going to do what works for us and screw everyone else!!!!

Sandy

[Bobbie]

I am so glad this thread is here. It's nice to feel reassured about our situation. :) We started co-sleeping with K when she was 10 months old; now at 19 months she shows no signs of leaving.

[Isaiah's Momma]

Isaiah co slept untill he was about 8 months old. Now If I try to get him to Co speep he just wants to play with the stuff on our head board or kick at me (he has some sharp toe nails!). Plus Im glad he isn't co sleeping any more since our bed is only a full size bed and I want to co sleep with the new baby when she gets here. I think you just have to do what works for you and your child.

[Bonnie]

Caroline is 2 and is sleeping in my bed as I type :) Courtney's cradle is right next to the bed... Caroline loves sleeping with us, and for now, it is working... she sleeps well, sleeps all night and is happy... Courtney is not with us for a lot of reasons, the main one being she has a feeding tube, but she sleeps well in her cradle, and I'm glad. I never thought I'd be co-sleeping, but it works for us for now... I do hope to get Caroline into her own bed at least part of the time by the time she is 3, but we'll see.

[JessPearl]

I'm another co-sleeper in your playgroup Dee :) We have tried the crib but he is not having it at all, and I won't let him CIO. We like him sleeping with us , our problem right now is weaning him off the swing for naps ....

[Snurple]

We have been co-sleeping since day 1 and and after 17 1/2 months we still absolutely love it. Dh and I both know that we would really miss having her in our bed and plan on letting her stay as long as she likes.

Michele

[AllyRae]

Bran's 7 months old and we still co-sleep. We have no intentions on stopping until Bran says so. I actually just did a research paper for one of my grad school classes on co-sleeping...it's actually very beneficial! (And, the US is one of the only countries that doesn't co-sleep regularly...some Japanese co-sleep until age 15 though!)

[Shanna]

Well, I co-sleep off and on. DH works nights, so when it was just Jacob and I, he slept in a co-sleeper until he was around 7 months old, then with me off and on until the girls were born. I moved him into his crib then b/c I was afraid he would keep the girls up and vice-versa. Well, turned out that I lived on the couch the first 2-3 months the girls were here b/c it was just alot easier that way with nursing two and all. When I finally transitioned back to the bedroom, I put the girls in the PnP in the living room and Jacob in bed wiht me. Things went GREAT for a few weeks. I ended up with all three in bed wiht me, and I didn't sleep well at all. I think it was because Jacob is such a wild sleeper, and there wasn't anyone to sleep on the other side of the girls or him to keep him or them from rolling off the bed. I moved the girls to Jacob's crib, and they slept together there for the past 2 months, I guess. Just this past weekend, I re-arranged our bedroom and shoved the bed in a corner up against the wall, and put up the second baby bed for the girls and got Jacob's big boy bed all ready for him. That lasted a week, and I've had at least 2 kids in bed with me when I wake up every morning :lol: I do fine with two of them but adding that third just kinda freaks me out. When Jacob and just oen of the girls are sleeping with me, the two kids curl up together and it is SOOOO sweet... :love: Jacob loves his sissies. I woke up the other day, and Jacob had crawled into one of teh baby beds with his sissy.. :lol: