Calling all those bed sharing

GoogleMD

So we are considering bed sharing for a few different reasons. For those of you that do bed share, how do you have your bed set up for you and LO, what are you doing it minimize risk?feel free to add iN anything else you found helpful regarding this.

rachswi

We bought this thing called the snuggle nest. It has a short protective barrier so DH and I don't roll over but it's low enough that LO can still see us. It also has a breathable mattress pad which is helpful for us since he's a belly sleeper.

Since it has the barrier, we put it between us. That way we can both check on him, comfort him, pick him up if he's crying, etc. I never thought we would bed share but I feel a lot better about it since he's more like in a little bed in our bed.

I did try nursing him in bed too so I didn't even need to get out of bed but LO is too messy an eater so I ended up laying in breast milk. He even soaked through burp clothes onto the bed. Also it was easier for me to get him back into the nest when I wasn't lying down

kdoak2015

There is an attachment parenting group that has a tone is bed sharing/cosleeping forums. My DD likes to sleep on her tummy so for the first 6 weeks she slept on me in bed with pillows all around us. I've just started to get her to sleep beside me but she sleeps on her side. I have 1 pillow and a blanket we both share. I also side cared the crib next to the bed and plan on transitioning her into it when she's a bit bigger.
Good luck!

doodleoodle

I bed share. I put her on my side because DH is a deep sleeper. I don't use pillows and I keep our comforter away and completely off of her. I keep her in the crook of my arm so I'm not very comfortable, don't sleep very soundly, and know where she is at all times. I'm also going to be purchasing a mesh toddler rail for our bed just in case.

cbolton19

We have an arms reach co-sleeper that I put her in at the beginning of the night (some nights). Then I pull her into bed. She sleeps on my chest or beside me. We have started side nursing now too. She loves it. She can sleep and nurse as much as she wants. This baby loves her sleep. She also loves our bed. I just keep her nestled up nice and close to me. Once she is a bit bigger and moving around more I'll get a bed rail and probably a pool noodle to keep her from rolling off/getting stuck between the bed and the rail. At this point, I always have contact with her. I love it. We sleep well and get cuddles. I would never do it if I thought I was too tired to be aware of her or if I was impaired. That is why I try the co-sleeper a little too.

Eta: we have a king size bed. So there is more than enough room for all of us.

rubirubi89

Basically this. Also having a king size bed gives all of us enough room. I like to sit up to nurse at night, that way I make sure to lay him back down properly every time.

Pontot31

I sleep in our king sized bed with DS and my husband sleeps in the guest room. He doesn't feel comfortable bed sharing at this age. Once DD was a year old he was ok with being in bed with her.

I keep a blanket only on myself. And I keep DS on one side of the bed and once I'm done feeding him I move a foot or 2 away.
DD used to nurse all night so I kept her in the middle and I would just move from side to side to switch boobs. I would lay with my arm stretched out above her so I couldn't roll.

My husband works until midnight or 1am so I'm on my own most of the night so bed sharing is just easier.

Pontot31

Oh and once he gets bigger we will add bed rails back on our bed. It looks ridiculous but they work to protect him.

GoogleMD

Thanks, going back to work has been rough. I think he is getting up at night niw just for cuddles. I am hoping we both sleep better this way, and it will be shorter wake time when he just wants comfort

Tracyjean22P

Similar to what others have said. We have an arms reach cosleeper. DS will sometimes do his first 4 hour stretch in there if he is really out when I put him down. Then he typically wakes every 2-3 hours so I keep him in bed with me. Usually I have him in the cruck of my arm on his side (though he almost always pees out of the side of the diaper like this). Sometimes I get him to sleep on his back right next to me or between me and DH... We have a queen size bed and no rails or anything extra. We both feel comfortable and the LO is safe... I keep blankets low and pillows away from baby's face. Downside is that I'm very aware of him in bed so I never fall into a deep sleep. I'm trying to transition him to spend more time in the cosleeper.. But he is so grunty when I put him in there. He calms the 2nd he is near me. He is 9 weeks. I'm hoping for longer stretches of sleep soon too!

cbolton19

Oh, like @rubirubi89 posted in the pic, I always braid my hair back every night. It is to my waist and I don't want it to get in her face, or worse, wrap around any part of her.

Pontot31

GoogleMD said:

Thanks, going back to work has been rough. I think he is getting up at night niw just for cuddles. I am hoping we both sleep better this way, and it will be shorter wake time when he just wants comfort

That's how it started with my DD. She reverse cycled when I went back to work and wanted to be with me and eat all night. Cosleeping saved my sanity.

GoogleMD

Pontot31 said:

GoogleMD said:

Thanks, going back to work has been rough. I think he is getting up at night niw just for cuddles. I am hoping we both sleep better this way, and it will be shorter wake time when he just wants comfort

That's how it started with my DD. She reverse cycled when I went back to work and wanted to be with me and eat all night. Cosleeping saved my sanity.

Yes he got up at 1am 3a. 430 and 6 last night, for the last 3 to 4 weeks he was only getting up at 130 taking a to bottle and going back down. The last 3 times he got up he drank maybe half an oz and was asleep once we started rocking. I lay him down and he would kind of fussy in his sleep. I think we will see how he does in bed tonight.

skabanak

I have co slept with all 3 of my babies, I agree with all above ^^
Right now I am able to get my son to sleep the first big chunks of the night in his bassinet (finally4-5.5 hours at 11 weeks yay!!) and the. Depending on how he is when he wakes up I'll either lay down with him in bed or have been trying to transition him back to his own bed. I follow his lead and it just depends on how fussy or awake he is when he's done eating

wulfpackgirl

I have my LO in the cruck of my arm. Don't put blankets above him. I also have his Snuza on him which makes me feel better. He sleeps so good snuggled up to mama!! I think it's harder to get them in a crib or pack n play in the winter bc they must get cold. And you can't put a blanket on them.

loverofnaps

I have DS on my side of the bed, I sleep in between DH and DS and have a co-sleeper/bassinet pulled up to the edge of the bed, so that, in the event he did roll off the bed - he would go straight into the bassinet (it's almost the same height as bed, maybe an inch shorter). I dress him in a fleece onesie and pull the covers up to his waist. He doesn't like to sleep on his back so he sleeps on his side snuggled into my chest so I usually just wear a tank top and avoid heavy material such as sweats since his face is kind of pressed into me.  

VexedMommy

We go back and forth between bed sharing (basically when she refuses to sleep anywhere except on top of a human mattress) her swing/bouncer (Best combo device ever.  She can fall asleep while it's swinging and I can just detach it and bring it into the room when it's my bedtime.) or her pack n play.  At nights I try to keep her in the pack n play which is right next to my side of the bed.  It seemed more practical a purchase than a co-sleeper crib.  If that doesn't work we move either to letting her sleep on top of me or to the swing. 

GoogleMD

Well we tried it out last night and he slept so well. We got a 6 hour stretch, up to eat. I was even able to put him back down awake with his paci, he dozed off within 15 min with just a min or 2 of whining. He didn't make a peep till it was time to leave for work.

MercyC1130

Very similar to what @rubirubi89 posted as well. I keep blankets low, pillows away, and lay in a similar position.
I love sleeping with him next to me, but by the end of the night my body is so sore.
It's really usually the only way he'll sleep for very long.
It's easy right now because he doesn't move much while he sleeps. I put him on his side facing me and he nurses himself to sleep. Usually he'll unlatch and then stretch and swing his head up onto my boob and he is out. I try to roll him on his back, but if I'm wide awake, like watching a movie on the laptop or something, I'll just leave him be.

I know we all know this, but just reiterating, please never bed share if you are really overtired.
A week ago or so, I woke up and had fully turned around in my sleep because I was exhausted. My lo was totally fine, but it scared me shitless, I cried at the thought of what I could have potentially done, and couldn't sleep the rest of the night.

SoFlaMommie1128

Well I bought a co-sleeper today and will be using it tonight. We were using a bassinet next to the bed, but he wakes up so often in it. He also likes to side nurse and falls asleep next to me. I've fallen asleep while he's nursing and it freaks me out. I am hoping to have peace of mind (and more sleep for all of us) by putting him in the cosleeper.

GoogleMD

SoFlaMommie1128 said:

Well I bought a co-sleeper today and will be using it tonight. We were using a bassinet next to the bed, but he wakes up so often in it. He also likes to side nurse and falls asleep next to me. I've fallen asleep while he's nursing and it freaks me out. I am hoping to have peace of mind (and more sleep for all of us) by putting him in the cosleeper.



-------qbf---------
Since letting LO sleep with me he has slept like a champ! He startd to stir around 1 or 130. I let him nurse, and he never really wakes completly. He will nurse in his sleep for awhile and he usually sleeps till around 530 when I have to get him ready so I can go to work.

wulfpackgirl

Mine too! Mine will be four months on Valentine's and he now pretty much sleeps thru the night. He'll get up for a feed between 5-7. And then we go back to bed. Since putting him in the bed we sleep so good. I think he likes the warmth. I'm so happy to be over the feeding every three hours at night.

SoFlaMommie1128

@GoogleMD that's amazing!! I hope we get there soon! Last night was his first night in the cosleeper, and he actually woke up a few more times than usual, but I think he just needs to get used to it. He also was in a different swaddle than usual, which might have also had an effect.

Pontot31

GoogleMD said:

SoFlaMommie1128 said:

Well I bought a co-sleeper today and will be using it tonight. We were using a bassinet next to the bed, but he wakes up so often in it. He also likes to side nurse and falls asleep next to me. I've fallen asleep while he's nursing and it freaks me out. I am hoping to have peace of mind (and more sleep for all of us) by putting him in the cosleeper.



-------qbf---------
Since letting LO sleep with me he has slept like a champ! He startd to stir around 1 or 130. I let him nurse, and he never really wakes completly. He will nurse in his sleep for awhile and he usually sleeps till around 530 when I have to get him ready so I can go to work.

This is exactly how my kids have been. They never fully wake up. And when growth spurts hit they eat all night while I sleep. 
Eventually my daughter just stayed asleep. And I was able to wean her from nursing at about 2 years 3 months and we still bed shared just because it worked for us. She went into her own room just after 3 with no issues 

GoogleMD

Yes we are all sleeping so much better, and honestly I love having him with me. I miss him all day while at work, and I love snuggling him all night! Not to mention he has been so happy during the day since he is sleeping so well