Cosleeping + Pregnancy rant

terri_doula2010

This is mostly just a vent unless someone has any advice they'd like to share.

After a year and a half of trying nightly to keep DS in his own bed at least most of the night, night wean (more in the last year), attempt to get any decent amount of sleep, etc, things are so much better!

I'm pregnant and as my milk went away, DS (just turned 2) stopped caring as much about nursing, so we are completely night weaned (mostly weaned, in fact...he has stopped caring much). Yay! Him night nursing meant him being attached to my nipple all night (or screaming) if hew as in bed with us, so night weaning means we were actually sleeping together really nicely. He'd spend half the night cuddling with my  husband, the other half with me, and since we just let DS walk into our room once he wakes up, DH and I were getting better sleep than we've gotten in 2 years.

As I get more pregnant, though, it seems like DS is wanting to sleep with me more. This ends up meaning either he is pushing into the small of my back (OW! Esp since I have sciatica) or else one way or another I end up sleeping on my back to be comfy with a little guy smushed against me. When we move him back to DH, he finds his way back to me within half an hour. I'm ending up so sore by morning and starting to feel a bit panicky about the back sleeping thing since I'm now past 20 weeks.

Also, our plan for after #2 gets here is to sidecar the crib on my side, put the bed rail on DH's side, and DH and DS sleep together while I keep the baby safe. I'm wondering if this will all be impossible, though, if DS is wanting to be all up in my grill at night. 

And I LOVE cuddling with DS, especially now that he isn't nursing, but it is painful and keeps ending up with me on my back.

Anyone have any advice, or just commiseration and hugs? Or virtual back rubs? Or just a reminder that everything will be okay, even if I sleep on my back more (will it??) and after our new daughter (!!!!!!!!) gets here?

Mrs_MBed

My girls are 25 months apart and DD1 ended up back on our bed when DD2 was a few weeks old.  What we ended up doing was having the crib side-car on DH's side and letting DD1 sleep there.  The bed rail was on my side (it was one of those breathable mesh ones) and DD2 slept in between me and the rail. It worked incredibly well for us. 

GL

seanandcallie

While I admit it's not traditional and doesn't work for many people, DD1 starts the night in her room in a full size bed on the floor and when/if she wakes, DH goes in and sleeps with her. We get sleep.

mjcleve

I'm with you!  Our bed seems to be getting smaller and smaller especially since LO loves sleeping sideways between us.  When #3 comes DH is going to have to go sleep in our 2-year-old's bed if he needs to cuddle in the middle of the night.  We won't all fit in our bed!

tlew12778

My solution was to put the body pillow between us. I have the orthobean so I can use one side around front and the other side around back and DD ends up pushing against the pillow instead of me! Hooray!!!!

And her crib is side-carred in toddler form to my side but she never sleeps in it. So newbie will go there... 

terri_doula2010

Hmm I think I'll try the pillow barrier tonight. I haven't gotten a pg pillow only because DS sleeps with us and I hardly get to use my body pillow as it is. We have a queen and I sooo want a king, but I don't think we could fit one up the stairs even if we had the money, so that will have to wait until we move in about a year.

We had DH going to sleep in DS's room on some cushions for a while, but it didn't seem like something that would ever end. We don't have money for a bigger mattress at this point, or the space for it, really.

Last night was mostly a good night. DS didn't wake up and join us until around 5am, so I got to sleep until then! DS of course wanted to snuggle with me and slowly pushed me over til he was laying sideways on my side of the bed and I was sleeping on DH's pillow with him.

Oh, toddlers.