Co-sleeping - Tucson,AZ

Hi. Bless you for trying to make co-sleeping work. we were in the same position. OUr LO would not sleep in the plastic cribs at the hospital nor at the small one at home. We bought a co-sleeper from arms reach and it was great. The snuggle nest we also had, but he would not sleep in it. Check out books and websites of Dr. Sears, Dr. Jay Gordon and Elizabeth Pantley for more ideas and inspiration.

for the first 2 weeks i slept sitting up on the couch with my son in my arms. then i slept with him in my own bed until he was about 6 weeks old. at 6 weeks i would get him to fall asleep in his crib (next to my bed) then about half way through the night he would want to snuggle again so he would sleep with me the remainder of the night. this continued with him sleeping a little longer each night in his own bed until he was 3 months old then he moved to his own room. and 2-3 times a week he would join me in my bed at 5-6 am and rest for a few more hours by 7 months he was sleeping through the night 12 hours with only a few nightly wake ups every few weeks. i know how you feel but hang in there and enjoy the cuddles while they last, the first year passes so fast :)

Hi and CONGRATS on your baby!! We have a 2yr old and a 2 month old and both have used the snuggle nest (babiesrus)!! Its the best thing ever! My 2month old also would only sleep when we held her at that age, the trick that works for us is I nurse her and then rock her to sleep. After she has been asleep about 15 min. I lay her in the snuggynest and put my hand on her! Works great! Good Luck let me know if I can help in any other way!! xoxo

When my daughter was an infant she slept between her dad and I, not necessary to buy anything. She usually slept snuggled up right against me. Easy for breastfeeding and I actually slept (when I wasn't looking at her: ) Very little crying for her, very little waking on my part. I was still tired, probably from hormones and keeping 1/2 an eye open, and I slept with her in my bed while she napped.

My choice about this is a little different... I didn't transition her to a crib and she still sleeps with me at three. She naps in her twin and sleeps with me at night. I love attachment parenting (see Dr. Sears) and it felt right for my daughter and her temperament. Not right for all kids and families! See how it goes for you and go day by day, if you can, right now. You and your little one will change quickly and what feels right now, may not next week so be careful with purchases. Go with what feels right to you!!!

Jen

Ms. T., I don't know you, but just from your post you seemed stressed. I have 3 kids, so I know the deal. The baby can feel your stess.You have alot of options when putting the little one to bed. If you have them in bed with you, they will know it instantly.. Feed the baby, change the baby, burp.... etc.. and put them in there crib... It will not hurt a baby to cry at that age, it actually builds up the function of their lungs.. It's us parents that can't stand it.. LOL Anyway, at that age I would suggest doing what I said earlier and if she cries more than 10 min.. go in pat her on the back (don't say a word) she will know you are there.. If after a day or two that is not working, run yourself a nice (warm) lavender bath and put the baby on your chest while using a warm washclothe to bath her.. The warm water and the lavender will be calming. After the bath use some lavender lotion. You would be surprised at what the lavender stuff does.. I have 3 children 12,8 and one that just turned 2 yesterday.. The lavender bath "still" works on my 12 yr. old.. Good luck mommy, enjoy. And it's also calming for the mommy to take a bath and relax w/ the baby... :)

I had a great experience using the burrito technique I learned from the lactation specialist at the hospital. I slept on my back with the baby lying on her stomach on her chest. To keep her from sliding off, I wrapped her like a burrito in a light blanket. The skin-to-skin contact and being right up against your heart is good/comforting for the baby and we both slept great!

Like someone else said, you can't do this if you take sleeping pills, drink (a bit too much), or are obese.

Hi T.

First congrats on you daughter. Being a new mom can be a bit overwhelming at times. I have two children that are now 4 and 6 years old. We did a lot attachment parenting with our two including co-sleeping. My husband was a little nervous about co-sleeping with my 6 year old when he was a baby so we got a Snuggle Nest, which made hubby feel more comfortable. We got our at Babies R Us. I loved co-sleeping with my kids when they were babies. It made night time nursing so much easier.

We have never owned a crib so I can't help you with that. With both of our kids they slept with us until they were old enough for a regular bed. Now the two of them sleep together in a queen size bed because they both like having someone with them, they feel more secure that way. I will add my ds and dd are the best of friends and very close; I attribute part of that to the fact that they sleep together and love it.

I slept with all 5 of mine (including the twins) in our queen or king sized bed, very well. Nursed lying on my side, we all slept like logs. Put a beach towel under you both for the leaks. Nighty night!

Hubby was more than happy with it. Do NOT do this if either you or hubby are taking sleeping aids or if hubby ever goes to bed after knocking back a few drinks. Otherwise it's one of life's greatest pleasures and the best way to catch z's with a newborn. Once the baby goes 6+ hours without nursing (for me, between 6 months and 12 months out of preference) into the crib without ceremony. One or two nights of crying and then voila, sleeping babies.

Good luck!

I use a co-sleeper but she also sleeps with me (can't help it. i love waking up to her and her smiles!) our Arm's Reach CO-SLEEPER was a gift, bought online. it has its weight limits to let you know when to transition. She's my first baby too!