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Baby Hints & Tips

Co-sleeping – yes or no?

(Disclaimer: All information provided should be used in conjunction with safety guidelines such as those from SIDS and Kidsafe. The hints and tips listed are from website users not that of the website owner and a doctor should be consulted before relying on the information found here. Go to Sids and Kids for more information on safe sleeping. Refer to Kidsafe for information on household safety and on car restraints. Take this information into consideration in conjunction with the following practical advice from parents.)

co-sleeping experiences
Did you Co-sleep? Why or why not?
 

Yes

No

  • There is a difference between co-sleeping and bed sharing. Co-sleeping is having the baby/child in the room with you in thier own bed. Bed sharing is having the baby/child in the bed with you or side-carred to your bed. Carolyn
  • I co sleep with my 2 year old and have done since she was about 2 months old. It work for us. I initially did it because 1) I lost a lot of sleep worrying if she was still breathing and having her next to me I knew she was :-/ and 2) we both seemed to sleep better doing so. I have nothing against people who don’t as it’s a personal choice but if it works for you I say go for it πŸ™‚ also I did hear all the negative people who are against it say to me that that is how SIDS occurs etc but I gave it a go any way and it was right for me and my daughter don’t let people make you feel bad for something that works for you and your child/family. Jamii
  • A closer bond with your child. The child sleeps longer knowing the are safe and when the sleep better so do the parents πŸ™‚ Tanya
  • I luved co-sleeping with my bub till she was 4 months old. it made breast feeding easier, we slept in the lounge next to the fire (winter baby) and i β™₯ ed the cuddles. it also allowed me to “sleep with one eye open” in relation to SIDS. Leanne
  • We co-sleep with the cot pulled up beside my side of the bed, with one side taken off. When my son wakes during the night I can easily re settle him, it was great when I was breastfeeding because I could easily get to him during night feeds. When he went through growth spurts in the early days and fed hourly, he slept next to me in our bed during the day between feeds, so I could get some much needed sleep also. It makes me feel a lot better having him close and we have both been a lot more relaxed. Elle
  • You’re not as exhausted just waking up next to bub and not getting out of bed, better in winter, closer bond with baby and parents, easier to know bub is still breathing well and breast feeds are a lot easier laying down (were for me anyway!) Lizzie
  • It’s easier/better for breastfeeding mums – bub is right there, so no need to get out of bed. Much easier after a traumatic birt/caesarian. Nicole
  • Closer bond with mum and dad.
  • Bub (and mum) feels more secure – easier to check on them through the night, check that they’re breathing, etc. Nicole
  • Google Dr James McKenna from the Mother-child sleep laboratory and Dr William Sears, respected paediatrician. Also also research up on Attachment Parenting. Mei-Lin
  • I read something on a link another mum on this page posted a loooong time ago (at least 12 months) n it had research showing results for babies breathing when co sleeping n when not. it was very startling to see the dramatic difference! the babies breathing stopped sooo many times when they slept on their own and not once when they were co sleeping =/ unfortunately since it was so long ago i wouldnt have a clue where to find the link again but i do know it was put up when someone started a debate about the whole tizzie hall methods =/ so maybe someone might know where to find it. the main point to the link was showing that her methods are not scientifically proven n can be dangerous =/ (that may help you to find it?) after i saw this research i put our son in bed with us (he was about 3 wks old) as SIDS is one of our greatest fears (as with most parents) but we’ve had it hit close to home just a few years ago so yeah, once i saw this research n the compelling evidence for co sleeping we jumped on board. we have only just now put DS into his own bed 3 weeks ago when he turned 1 (because of the decreased risks of SIDS after the age of 1). Amber
  • We are biologically tuned to our babies. when they sleep with us it helps to regulate their breathing and body temperature. i don’t worry about sids because my babies are within arms reach and i can feel them and hear them breathing. we sleep better while we bedshare. babies often don’t like sleeping alone and i don’t worry about my babies stopping breathing during the night so a good nights sleep for everyone. its nice waking up beside your dear little one and going to sleep beside them every night β™₯ Kitty
  • We co slept . I found it great for establishing breast feeding. MY DD and I shared the same sleep cycles, research shows mums and bub breathing become in sync. I carried my baby for nine months, Imo it only natural to continue having baby close to you. I always new what temperature baby was. I could go on all day. Renee
  • Better opportunity for both parents to bond with child. Child finds comfort in closeness to mum and will sleep and settle better. I found it was easier to just roll over, flip boob out and both of us would fall asleep feeding. Marcia
  • I have co slept (& still am) with my near 2 yo. We all enjoy it, mum & dad one side of the bed & he on the other. He’s fairly well behaved child, always loves helping others out, and enjoys his time playing with us outside or in toy room. We get full nite sleep knowing he is safe, happy & comfortable πŸ™‚ Michelle
  • Mine defineitely slept better as babies when they shared our bed, and so did I. They were easier and faster to settle, and my 2 year old still joins us when he’s not well, and we all sleep better – no getting up 2 or 3 times to soothe him. Nicole
  • There are up and down sides to anything but i co slept with my son and it made me feel alot more at ease and made him feel safer and comfortable. I will happily so it again with my next bub. It makes breast feeding alot easier especially when bubs wakes up every cpl hrs. Jayne
  • We have our DD in a portable sleeper (it gets attached to the bed in the middle so a parent sleeps either side) and she settles and sleeps 10 times better then she does in the cradle. It creates such a close bond between you and Bub and I think as long as you do it safely, it’s the best way to sleep :). Katiee
  • Co sleeping was great for us. The babies & me slept SO much better. I was so anxious when the girl’s were not sleeping with me. Was much easier for feeds and defiantly helped me bond with them. As long as you follow the safety guidelines for co sleeping I think it is awesome and would do it with any future babies. They are so close to you for 9-10 months in utero I personally couldn’t imagine it any other way… On the other hand IF they were happy to sleep in a bassinet by my bed I would be ok with that as well. Just whatever makes them content. Kelly
  • Waking holding my daughter next to my family feels. Just magic. it’s the best part of being a mum. Only down side is that I usually fall asleep feeding with my arm above my head and I get a neck ache. Also when it’s cold I can keep her warm without having the heating on and it saves money. Pia
  • I put my 10 week old dd in her bassinet next to the bed, when she wakes up at around 4 – 5am, I feed her and then let her sleep on my chest until we get up, usually around 8am. I always fall back to sleep, but am always completely conscious of her being there. Its so lovely when she sleeps on my chest, best feeling ever πŸ™‚ Cat
  • You all get sleep. Shell
  • I’ve co-slept with my DS since he was 5 months old and he’s now 19 months. I actually wouldn’t have had it any other way, as he sleeps better, I sleep better and everyone is happier. They grow up too quick these days why rush them on their own? I’m of the opinion you do what works for you ( as you cant really negotiate sleep with a child!) so when we decided to co-sleep we just made sure we did things right and kept ur DS safety in mind as well i.e no pillows or large heavy blankets to cause suffocation, plenty of ventilation, loose clothing etc and that the bed was big enough for the three of us. Tiffany
  • Co-sleep with my 22 month old DD and will co-sleep with new bub when she’s born in 4 weeks time πŸ™‚ we all sleep better (hubby included) it saves heating bills in winter because we all snuggle up 2gether, my DD goes straight to sleep and stays asleep & if she does wake it’s only a case of giving her a cuddle or pat and she’s back asleep. Not sure how we will work it with a newborn in the mix but will probably side-car cot, at the moment DD sleeps between hubby & I. Oh & yes hubby & I still have plenty of other opportunities to be ‘close’ without it being in the bedroom lol. I’m not worried about when DD will move into her own bed, I’m happy to wait until she’s good & ready & in the meantime I’ll enjoy having my baby close to me while she wants to be. I’m sure one day I’ll think back to these days & really miss them πŸ™‚ Louise
  • I occasionally co sleep with my son who is now 4months and I love it. He’s warm and cuddles into me I can hear every sound he makes and can quickly settle him when he wakes. He sleeps better. The only down sides I guess is he’s a bed hog and my partner gets jealous that I sleep in bibs room and not with him lol. Kathryn
  • It’s the biological norm for a baby to want to be close to its mum. And to clarify co sleeping is having the baby in your room which sids recommends for 6-12months. Bed sharing is the same sleep surface. Dr Sears and Dr McKenna have alot of info and how to do it safely. And safe bed sharing decreases sids. Statistics recently released show well over half of babies unexplained deaths are in their cot. If you safely bedshare the risk of sids is next to none. Kylie
  • I found with my daughter we tried co sleeping but would wake every hr it drove us insane so put her in her own room she slept through the whole night had monitor so I can hear her but then tried my son in his own room first would not settle at all so put him in with hubby an I sleep trough the night so I say every baby is totally different in there own way. Jasmine
  • Countries where bed sharing is common there are almost No sids deaths. Bear in mind sids are sudden infant death syndromes, unexplained deaths. Very different to ‘i didnt bed share safely and rolled on my baby’ New parents should be told about safe bed sharing, as sleeping on a couch/chair etc is far more dangerous. Parents are too scared to bring baby to bed and fall asleep in an armchair which is not recommended by anyone who talks of bed sharing. It doesnt impact on couple time, after all there are plenty of other places you can do the deed. Dr Sears who advocates bed sharing has 8kids! Personally i only bring bub to bed when he’s feeding alot or upset but i’ve done alot of research into baby sleep patterns and the amount of incorrect info about bed sharing annoys me. There’s alot of potential risks with cio/cc methods, far more then bed sharing, but ppl get agro if you mention that. Kylie
  • I had my baby girl in a bassinet next to me until 8 months and then struggled to get her into a cot in her own room so we bed shared from then on she is only recently now 16 months beginning to spend the night in her toddler bed in her room not that I have forced her to or pushed her but she is obviously independently ready… We are expecting our next bubba in a few weeks (so clearly for those who said on other post it interferes with sex is incorrect lol) and although I won’t put a little bubba in bed with us as my husband is a deep sleeper I feel my body is in tune with bub being in the bassinet and SIDS guidelines recommend baby being close to parents ie in same room minimum until 6-12 months! There is some interesting articles regarding breast feeding mums being in tune co sleepers as they sub consciously wrap there body a certain way around bub to prevent rolling or slipping down bed and stay like that etc as opposed to formula feeding mums worth doing a literature search on that too! In saying all of that I think it is a personal choice and instead of judging each other as parents we should support each other in the parenting decisions we make as there isnt hard evidence that says one way is absolutely the best way and the other is absolutely the wrong way we just do what feels right to us at the time and hope we raise our children best we can! I have many new friends with babies and we all do things differently but none of us judge each other we just support and I find them a massive source of assistance when needed! Good luck with the study. Melissa
  • I co-slept with my bub till she was about 7 months in a single bed in her room πŸ™‚ I have to agree that the feeling of being able to cuddle her throughout the night and hearing her breathing and waking up to her watching me sleep is the most beautiful feeling! However then she started kicking in her sleep and I started to really miss snuggling my hunny and now she sleeps in her cot every night πŸ™‚ Chantelle
  • I co slept with 4 of my 5 kids….mostly for sleeps sake but mostly started while breastfeeding in bed and both mum & bub falling asleep doing so, lol. I think with my 2Β½ yr old it is now more security for him and quite possibly habit now….but again for sleeps sake. I didn’t hav a problem.getting the others in their own bed before they even started kindy so I am confident I can do the same again πŸ™‚ Beci
  • Easier for feeding at night, don’t have to get up in the cold at night, bonding, if you have a baby that’s really unsettled or not a good sleeper then you both get sleep at night by co-sleeping. The downside is you don’t get your bed to yourself and if your sleep is disturbed theirs is too, harder to get them into their own bed. Aimee
  • my dd sleeps in a bassenet beside the bed during the night as im in a deep sleep but during the day for naps i pop her in bed with me as i no shes there and just napping not in deep sleep. she sleeps fine at night but i love feeling her cuddles. Kaitlyn
  • Sleep deprivation is less as mums not up n down to bub , easy access to the breast and emotionally nice for mum n bub. Emma
  • Bedsharing for me, is a last resort option when my 12wk dd just wants to be cuddled and screams if she is not and I cannot keep my eyes open any longer. In some cases, dh will sleep on the couch as the bed is not bug enough for all three of us. I don’t have to get up in 5degrees of cold to breastfeed or worry about her being cold. When done safely, it reduces the risk of sids. It is also a great bonus to wake up to my gorgeous girl cooing, giggling and smiling rather than my alarm. Skye
  • Bedsharing is a part of cosleeping but co sleeping isnt always bedsharing. people say they’re against co sleeping then go and to say their baby sleeps in a cot or bassinette in their room not realising that is cosleeping. so people are clearly misinformed what cosleeping actually is, and i believe they are also misinformed about bedsharing too. Kitty
  • I co-sleep with my 11 month old. She was in her bassinette until about 3.5 months, but then started waking every 40 minutes and it lasted 5 months. I found the quickest way to get her back to sleep was to breastfeed. Now I have side-carred her cot. Works for us and I wouldn’t have it any other way. As far as I know, as long as the safe co-sleeping guidelines are followed, it can help prevent SIDS πŸ™‚ Sarah
  • I didn’t bed share with my DS who is now 3 years as I was ill informed and believed it to be dangerous, we did co-sleep with him in the bassinette until he was 5 months and grew out of the bassinette, I was very sad the night I left him in his own room and the nightly treks to re-settle were so very tiring. I now know better, my DD is 14 months and she starts the night in her cradle in her room. When I go to bed I wheel her cradle down to our room and usually she will stay asleep until 1.30 or 2 when she will wake and come into bed with me for a feed. Usually we both fall back to sleep for a couple of hours when we will both wake again and she will feed from the other side and either stay in bed with me or I will wait for her to go to sleep then pop her back into her cradle until morning so I can have some space to stretch etc. It works beautifully for me, not sure what I will do when she is too big for the cradle…probably leave her in her room in her cot until she wakes then bring her in with me. But I have learned not to make plans, everything tends to fall into line naturally. I trust in my insticts and firmly believe that baby’s require thier mothers presence to keep them safe and secure. It had also done wonders for my breast feeding relationship with her. She is still going strong and shows no signs of slowing, my DS on the other hand lost interest in breast feeding at 9 months, I believe this to be because I didn’t have him close enough and my hormones were effected by the seperation at night and my fatigue of the treks to his room and rocking in the rocking chair. I hope this as helped πŸ™‚ Carolyn
  • When I fell pregnant I never had any intention of co-sleeping or bed sharing. I was lead to believe babies slept in cots in their own room. It wasn’t until I brought my daughter home that co-sleeping began. I was in hospital for 4 days and bub was in the special care nursery off & on. As soon as I got home (which at the time was my dads, whilst the rental I was moving into had furniture unpacked) I was sleeping on the lounge and had bub in side car arrangement right next to me, with my hand constantly on her to make sure she was ok. When I eventually moved, there was no doubt in my mind that bub was going to stay close by. Bub was straight in bed with us, not in between my partner and I but on one side of me, I actually found she didn’t move/wriggle much, she only woke when hungry. I had pillows around her head and to the outside of the bed, she was in the beginning covered in a wrap, I never swaddled her, nor cover her with my blankets, I only ever slept facing her and at first I would still get out of bed with her to feed her. From approx 3-4 months when she was a lot more mobile I put a bed rail on the bed and started breastfeeding her in bed. I’ll also say I’m a baby wearing mummy most of her day sleeps were spent cuddled in my arms. I’m 36weeks pregnant with #2 and my daughter is 16months and we still bed share. She has her toddler bed set up at the foot of our bed but I choose not to force her to sleep in it. We have an extremely close relationship, she is so loving and caring, yet does play on her own and interacts with other children. Independence will come with age, I enjoy my daughter while she is little as it doesn’t last very long, some days I do pine for a little more room in the bed, then my daughter rolls over and gives me cuddles and kisses and I would not change the decision I’ve made for a foot more bed, in fact I’d much rather get a bigger bed! Those who have come to me with objections / fears about bed sharing especially that I’ll roll over on to her – I have never even come remotely close to doing it not once, I don’t drink or take drugs of any kind, had any of that occurred since bub arrived for that night she would have not been in the same bed as me. It may sound strange however I feel I have developed a “sense” for where my daughter is positioned in bed with me. I certainly don’t look down at parents who choose to put their child/ren to bed in a cot/basinett etc. Each parent decides what works for their family. Bub #2 may not bed share with us, that will be decided after she arrives, there is a cradle with her name on it right beside our bed. Anneliese
  • totally agree with all that’s been said, i didn’t co sleep at 1st and ended up being so tired, physically & mentally. used to only do it when he needed; was sick or wouldn’t settle. when we changed from cot to car bed he was more unsettled & for now he is with me & husband is in his car bed. :-):-):-) what works for you is the best. i was the one who always got up to him & was also try g to get sleep & her to work 3 days / week. πŸ™‚ Katrina
  • I never planned to co-sleep, bubs cot was in my room and she had a secure sleeper in that instead of a bassinet which seemed pointless in a 1 bedroom house. The day I got out of hospital I was so sore and tired I decided to put the secure sleeper on my bed so I wouldn’t have to get out of bed to feed her. It took about 2 weeks til I was fully healed and by that stage if I put her in her cot she would fuss for hours on end yet if she was on my bed she would sleep soundly. A couple more weeks passed and I was falling asleep while feeding her and not re wrapping and putting her back in her sleeper. We moved house when she was 9 weeks and her cot went in her own room and so did she… Until she wakes up for her 2.30am feed coz then it’s too cold to sit in her room for 10 mins and feed her so she’s straight in bed with me for the rest of the night. Co-sleeping is something I do for my own benefit (more sleep for me) she would sleep just as well in her own cot all night most nights. I would however not be comfortable co-sleeping with a partner (men are usually deeper sleepers than women) so probably won’t cosleep when I have another bub. Kate
  • I co-slept with both my sons whilst breast feeding…quite often trying to get them to sleep in their cots, but not worried if we ended up sleeping the whole night together as it meant we all got more sleep. Particularly when they were bewborn, as then i felt more confotBle having them close by being able to tell how their breathing and sleeping was, rather than jumping up every hour when i would expect them to wake and checking theyre still breathing (lol the things we do as patents). Now they are 3 and 2 years old. The 3 year old sleeps through in his own bed, but my 2 year old starts out in his bed and usually ends up in our bed by about 11pm…I love it, especially in winter when it’s just too chilly to be sitting next to his bed trying to get him back to sleep at mid night…although we’re expecting number 3 in feb, so I’m hoping as it warms up we can get him to sleep through a little better, or else we’ll need to upgrade to a king size to fit them all in πŸ˜‰ Camilla
  • We have done all 3 lol! Our first there was no way she was gonna sleep in my bed…ever!! She went into her own room at 3-4 months and she was a nightmare of a sleeper. I look back and I’m mortified by my actions and feel so bad for her, altho she is now a very happy 9 year old lol. Our second stayed in our room until he was 12 months old and on occasions slept in our bed, he slept much better but was still pretty bad. He is 4 now and he climbs into bed with his sister! She has a double bed, I don’t stress too much cos I figure he won’t do it forever. Our third is now 14 months old. She was originally in a cradle next to our bed and then the cot next to our bed but she has bilateral hip dysplasia and is obviously quite uncomfortable in her brace so her sleep is very disrupted. I now have her cot as a toddler bed and it right up in the corner of our room with our bed right next to it. I find she sleeps a whole heap better, she literally stirs and reaches out for me! I touch her arm or head and she goes straight back off to sleep. We are now getting a heap more sleep. I wish I knew of the benefits of co sleeping or bed sharing with my first, I would have done things so differently. Having your baby right there for you to comfort them is fantastic and I figure she won’t sleep with us forever!! Vanessa
  • with my first son, who is turning two in september, i never even knew what bed sharing was… didnt know it was an option, never thought about it at all…. i was so scared of SIDS, i bought an angel care monitor for his bassinet that was beside my bed. (Angel Care monitors have a sensor pad under the mattress, that will set out an alarm if it hasn’t detected a breathing movement after 7 seconds) For the first week, i slept with him on my chest because he absolutely hated going into his bassinet and being out of my arms.. i was literally falling asleep walking him to the bassinet, standing there & trying to sooth him back to sleep, so i’d feed him and fall asleep with him on my chest, when he did sleep in the bassnitte next to the bed, the monitor would beep about three times a night!, so i’d jump up and be totally awake and freaked out! – after about a week i thought, what the hell..i’ll sleep him next to me in the bed, so at least i can be comfortable & get some sleep.. i put a pillow between us, positioned it about my ribcage level, and positioned him so his tummy was about my head level…through the night i instinctively knew he was ok, that he was breathing and warm…i would slightly wake every now and then and check him,he was always fine, and when i woke to check on him, it would disturb him a little…so i learnt that it wasnt necessary for me to be ‘checking on him’ …when he woke for a feed,he wasn’t getting startled and woken so much so that he would have trouble falling back to sleep, he would just feed then go back to sleep next to me.each time that i woke, i had not moved an inch, and it was an automatic thing that i just ‘knew’ he was there…so i knew not to roll over that direction, or move in anyway to disturb him… i was comfortable finally, and he was sleeping long stretches… i kept this up until he was about 18 months… as he got older, we would snuggle into each other and hold hands…at 18 months i bought him his own car bed… and he happily slept in there by himself, he would call out through the night, so i would just go in there, lay down with him to let him know i was there, once he had gone to sleep, id sneak back to my bed, but i was so upset and still am that we cant share the bed anymore. My second son, who is now 3 months old, sleeps very happily in his bassinet next to my bed, wakes for a feed, and goes off to sleep very easily when i put him back in it… but i put him in bed with me at about 5am, when he seems to think its “awake & play time” , i fall asleep, and he falls asleep eventually… we then dont wake up again until about 7.30 – 8am … so every baby and every situation is different… some babies love it, some babies are happy to sleep in their own beds..no ones situation or baby is the same, and every parent has the right to choose what works for them and their familys. My DH, on the other hand, has slept on our couch since i started bed sharing with my children though, as he cant sleep when they are in the bed, because he is too ‘aware’ that they are there, and cannot fall into a deep enough sleep… so i no longer ‘bed share’ with my significant other… thats been my only down side to the whole thing! Jessica
  • These are a good option for co sleeping. https://www.facebook.com/CoSleeperAust
  • i have co-slept with both my babies still am, remember co-sleeping is “within arms reach” in bed and right next to in Arms Reach Co-sleeper….the reality is i never planned to before i had babies but it is what came naturally and instinctively to me, western cultures are very afraid of co-sleeping hangover from cultural beliefs established about 200 years ago….i sleep better when near my children they also get the emotional benefits and yes it is safe if done safely its so misunderstood in western society…..my 3 yr old now sleeps in her own bed in her own room it was such a stress free transition, no controlled crying, no supernanny style back and forth to bed all horrible negative things she just did it in her own time around 2.5yrs old and she was sometimes in our bed and sometimes in her cot…i think if you co-sleep you are a lot more flexible with your night time parenting too many belief that babies need to be independent at night which is biologically incorrect and their needs at night are genuine despite how tiring we all know it is..read anything by Dr James Mckenna or Dr Sears…years of research and how it actually reduces SIDS. Natalie
  • I cosleep as I feel it the safe and secure. I get sleep and so does my bub. Our sleep patterns are in sync I often lightly wake just before he starts wriggling looking for a boob. I love the security and closeness it brings. If he was an only child it would be the perfect option for me, however I have 4 children and our evenings are not working. My bub wants me laying down with boob in his mouth from 6pm at the latest when I have 3 others who’d love more attention! I take a lot of time during the day trying to get him to sleep while the others miss out. So I have pros and cons to cosleeping. Melissa

 

  • While i β™₯ ed co-sleeping the big negative for me was trying to get her to sleep in her own bed/cot. when u wanna have cuddles with the hubby this made it difficult, reason for her going into her own bed at 4 months. Leanne
  • You could roll onto the child. When it’s time for them to go into own bed it’s difficult as the child is dependant on having some one next to them in order to sleep. Tanya
  • They wriggle a lot which can be disturbing to sleep, can roll on them, increases risk of SIDS, no chance to snuggle with partner and makes it hard to transition them to cots or beds. Lizzie
  • How do you know if you’re baby is safe while you’re sound asleep & there’s three of you in the bed? Denelle
  • Too easy for blankets to get pulled up over your baby or rolled onto, arm (or leg!) laid over bubs, they could wriggle themselves under the blanket or under a pillow.
  • Higher risk of SIDS! The baby being so small is at risk as the adult doona is too big and heavy and in turn when a newborn has no mobility it has no way of moving if in a situation of suffocation. Marcia
  • I do not Co sleep and never will simply because my siblings Co slept with my mum and when they became older every bedtime was a fight and they took ages to get to sleep. I’m a firm believer of the child knowing that when its bedtime they are in their bed and there is no other choice. Kelly
  • My daughter hates co-sleeping so it doesn’t happen much for us except for when she is sick, but if she did co-sleep trying to get her into her own bed when ready would be difficult as she would be dependant on sleeping with us. But like I said we don’t have that trouble. Rebeka
  • I personally didn’t do it only occasionally for a quick nap during the day but i was really worried he wouldn’t sleep in his cot and terrified of rolling on him and when my daughter came it wasn’t even an option for a quick nap as my son hasn’t had naps since before she came along and i know people who have co sleeped and had a hard time getting them to sleep in their own bed or even go to sleep with out them. Tash
  • In my anti natal class I was told that in a hospital in Brisbane. A lady co-slept with her baby. In the hospital bed!!!! Rolled on her and smothered her. Another story of the baby rolling out of bed onto the floor. Then again if it’s the only way your baby sleeps I’d be doing it too. Kaila
  • I’m not against it but it’s something myself and my partner have decided together we never want to do, our bed is our space and we feel it’s better for our kids to get a good night sleep in their own bed. We have never co slept nor has our son ever wanted to. Stacey
  • SIDS is increased. My dd is already sleeping in her cot in her room @ 10 weeks. Up until then she was in a bassinet in our room. The transition has been so easy as she doesnt expect to be in bed with us. I have cuddles in the morning in bed when partner goes to work. I wont lie when she was first born I slept with her where ever i could just so we could both get sleep. Not anymore. Kellie
  • I love having a cuddle in bed with my baby, but I would be too worried that I or my husband would roll onto her. Hubby is a heavy sleeper and I think it would be too dangerous. Also I think they need to learn to be on their own to sleep. Tiffany
  • I don’t think it’s a good idea or what’s best for your child, at the very beginning I fell asleep whilst breastfeeding and was mortified when I woke up and realized. Now she is 18mo I will occasionally let her in our bed depending the circumstances. At the end of the day it’s safest to have them in their own bed and also better off for the mother to have a good night sleep as well as the baby used to their own bedroom for when and if baby #2 comes πŸ™‚ Monique
  • I did with my first, or of the worst parenting decisions ive ever made. Took many months and a 5 days stint at QE2 family centre (similar to karitane or tresllian) to get him out of the habit. Not a mistake I made twice. Allison
  • Co slept with my first n it took almost 4 yrs to get him to sleep in his own bed. Was horrible n didn’t make the same mistake with the next one! Kylie
  • sids, u can roll on baby and kill baby, hard to get to sleep in own bed, affects u and partners sex life. Hannah
  • Can get very hard to get kids in their own bed when older also can be dangerous with sids and smothering I guess it depends on that kind of sleeper you and your partner are then you can make your personal preference. Amber
  • SIDS… It’s just not worth the risk!! I have seen first hand the effect sudden infant death syndrome has on a family… And especially when u are a new mum and totally exhausted u can fall into a very deep sleep. My hubby could sleep through an atomic bomb so I would never but my baby in a bed with him. Debbie
  • I co sleep occasionally with mine but i don’t like doing it with them when they are new born in case hubby rolls over and is unaware i put them there. Amanda
  • Haven’t done it yet and are hoping not to get to that stage :). Jorja
  • I found my son settled into home life a lot quicker then little ones same age who co-sleep. He also slept better in his cosy crib alone then in his cosy crib in our bed. I also believe it has helped him sleep thru night and self settle easier and earlier then those babies who co-sleep. Felicity
  • We co slept with our son (now 3.5) and to this day he will still climb into our bed!! It’s harder to get him back into his bed of a night…. Needless to say we haven’t made the same mistake with our 14 mo daughter!! As someone said before it does make it hard to have cuddles etc with hubby/partner. Rhiannon
  • I’ve been sleeping in the same bed as my daughter since she was born. She is 3 now so she only comes into my bed in the mornings! I know I shouldn’t do it but it’s actually me that encourages it..and carries her to my bed when my partner goes to work in the early hours of the morning …i just love cuddles with my baby girl.. She’s happy sleeping in her own bed tho … Kerrin
  • My husband and i did not co-sleep with either of our ds’s (now 3, and 9 months) to be honest it never crossed my mind. from the minute i returned from hospital with them they were in their own room as i feel it is the best way to form healthy sleep habits without outside factors affecting their sleep patterns. both my boys are amazing sleepers (most of the time πŸ™‚ and have learnt to self settle from an early age – i feel this is one of the most important parts of their routine (anyone can put them to bed-husband, grandparents, friends and the odd baby sitter) as much as i love my children to bits it is nice to know they feel safe and secure with the people we entrust with their care. Alysia
  • I am against it for many reasons. The main being sids and suffocation. Babies are ment to have minimal bedding. I’ve never co slept I do how ever have my babies beside my bed in their bassinet, and then usually in a cot. They dont go to rheor own room till about 8 to 10 months. They have both been fantastic little sleepers. Debbie
  • I didn’t co sleep with 4 of my kids due to the fact I was on medication for post natal and I found that this would have been dangerous as I slept very soundly. My children did though sleep right in a bassinet next to the bed. Mel
  • I tried co-sleeping with my first and when she was about 2 years old (pregnant with #2) we still had her in our bed and we found it difficult to transfer her into her own room, so with #2 she was in get own cot from say one, she slept better than my eldest and when it came time for her own room it was easy as… I now have bub #3 and he also slept in his own cot from day one, best choice I made, found it so much easier πŸ™‚ Danique
  • I didnt because we are heavy sleepers and i wriggle waay too much. i didnt want to risk anything going wrong. my daughters been in her own room since 10wks and havent had any issues with sleep. (now 20months) πŸ™‚ Louisa
  • My first went straight into bassinet but was in our room for first three weeks and second went straight into cot in his own room. Yvette
  • We chose not to co sleep. the evidence suggests sharing a sleeping surface increases the risk of sudden unexpected infant death including SIDS and sleeping accidents. check out the Sids website for references. Jane
  • I tried to co sleep with my child but my partner was very jumpy in his sleep even knowing that bub was in bed he would flail around like a fish out of water and I was worried that he may roll onto her or hit her with elbows or knees. Even if I slept in middle I found it to difficult to try and co sleep while in the same bed as him. Thinking that a restless sleeper could accidentally hurt or suffocate our baby was not worth the risk. Renee
  • With the first one I did but had a huge scare one night as I woke to find my arm over her little body stopping her from breathing (she is ok, now 5) but with our second I’ve made a point of putting her to sleep and putting her into her own bed. Xx both are great sleepers. Beth
  • I chose not to co sleep as I thought it was just opening the door to more behaviors I would have to get rid of.. Eg. Bottles dummies Nappies.. I thought it was less traumatic to just go into bassinet near bed.. However after 28 months of no sleep due to waking up every 2hrs our 2.5yr old now climbs into our bed at any point and I’m fine with it.. I also was turned off co sleeping due to a friends mum saying her baby wiggled down and almost suffocated and it just scared me a bit.. Robin
  • I didn’t co-sleep as i was worried about SIDS and rolling on the baby. but we also chose not to co-sleep so that my husband and i could have time alone.and have intimate time together which would be really difficult if bub was in bed with us. we felt that having a baby puts so much extra strain on a relationship that it was important to ensure we had time alone together regularly which is easy when bub is not co-sleeping :). Bethany
  • For me, co-sleeping was never an option. Babies only know what you teach them, they don’t come into the world preprogrammed or with expectations. My first child, from the day he was born, breastfed when he woke from a sleep not breastfed to go to sleep and was never cuddled or rocked to sleep, I just watched for his tired signs, (kicking his legs, ect) swaddled him tight and placed him into his bassinet in our bedroom to start with, then later (around 6 weeks) in his cot still awake and left the room. As he knew no different, he put himself to sleep from the very start of his life he never associated breastfeeding or myself with sleeping. I also woke him up every 3 hours to feed and by the time I was out of hospital, his body clock was on a 3 hourly routine during the day and 6 hourly at night! He has slept 13 hours a night in his own bed since he was 16 weeks old and even now at nearly 4 yrs, he still sleeps that long as well as a 3hr nap in the day and is the most outgoing, confident child anyone would ever meet and has always been happy to go to anyone, he’s never been clingy and he makes me proud every day at what a strong, loving independent little boy we have raised! This way of parenting has worked for both my children and personally, I think my bed is for my husband and I, not my kids if I can help it. Maree
  • My dd is 10 mths and we never co slept as we where worried that we would roll on her or pull the blankets over her head & suffocate her. She was just next to us in her bassinette & now in her cot. It was good for my husband & I to get time together also as that’s important too. Simone
  • after waking up from a 2 hour sleep with my daughter in my arms the night of having a c section in hospital i was mortified. being our first child the emotions of what could have happened went through my mind and even though i fell asleep un intentionally i vowed to never let it happen again. Jo
  • I chose not to co-sleep with my second child due to difficulties I had trying to re-train my first child to sleep alone (who I had co-slept with). After many months of drama and finally having to seek external help at QE2 family centre (a short stay, 5day, centre to assist with sleeping and eating issues) I made the decision not co-sleep with any of my subsequent children. Allison
  • My son is 9.5 months old and we havent co-slept as I dont think we would sleep very well with him in our room or bed same goes for him as as my hubby is really noisy and fidgety in his sleep. I also dont feel its a good habbit to get into and hard to break. I also dont believe its fair to the baby/child that you institute an action or habbit that you have no intentin or way to continue (as you cant really keep it up past a certian age) also I agree with the notion as parents we need our own time and realistically thats in our bed and grabbing what decent sleep we can get and I dont believe we would be as rested with our child in our bed, I also dont think its very safe. Eryn
  • I didn’t cosleep with either of my children, it didnt even come into my mind to. That was my husbands and my time. Peta
  • I have never been comfortable with the idea. My husband and I both sleep heavily, and would hate to hurt my baby. Also I think the bed I share with my husband is the last place left for just the 2 of us as a married couple. I love my child, but I also love my husband, and it’s nice to have just 1 place that is ours together, that doesn’t revolve around or daughter. Terri
  • I have a 10 month old daughter and we have never co-slept. When we came home from the hospital she was put into her own room in a bassinet. I never feed, cuddle or rocked my baby to sleep. I would wake her every 4 hours during the day for a feed but would let her go at night. I believe this taught her day from night very early on. At 9 weeks she slept 12 hours over night and still does. She still has 2 naps a day lasting 1.5-2 hours each. I love the fact that she can self settle and that anyone can put her to bed. She is a very out going happy baby who will go to anyone πŸ™‚ Megan
  • Yes, From what I understand co-sleeping as its true meaning of baby in same room as parents reduces the risk of SIDS. Bed-sharing on the other hand increases risks to the child. I can’t sleep with my baby as I’m just too aware of him and the risks to get restful sleep, on the flip side I sleep a million times better hearing him breathe in the bassinet next to me! Jordana
  • With a husband who commutes and is a restless sleeper also co-sleeping was never an option. Our first was in her own room from day one, although it was only two steps from our bed anyway. Our next bub due at the end of the year will also go straight to her own room. I do co-sleep with my first bub only when she is sick and needs extra cuddles. Katrina
  • I didnt co-sleep when we came home frim hospital, but my dd was in a cot in my roon. Know he is 2 and has his own bed he sleeps in but some nights comes gets in my bed which i dobt mind. Sarah
  • I have two daughters, aged 3 and a half years and two years. We never co-slept. They slept in a bassinet in our room at night for the first two months (but always in their cots during the day). Then when they started sleeping through the night, they went into their cots with no issue (as they’d been sleeping in them during the day from the start). I believe mum and dad’s bed is strictly for mum and dad. Too many babies end up getting squished from co sleeping for my liking. And as they’ve always been independent sleepers, we’ve never had issues with them sleeping in their beds. I did not want to fiddle around with trying to get them into their own beds later. And I like that my partner and I can go to bed together at night without worrying about waking someone. As a result, we have two daughters without any separation anxiety and a very healthy relationship as partners.
  • No I have never co-slept with either of my children, I have many reasons for not wanting to do it but my main reason is that Co-sleeping is not recommended by Sids and Kids as it is dangerous and can increase the risk of sids, I also read a story a few years ago about one very exhausted mum who slept with her baby only to wake up in the morning with her baby cold and lifeless beside her because the doona had crept up over the babies face and suffocated it in it’s sleep. I also think it is unnessacary and the amount of people I see asking the question on here “I have always co-slept with my child but now I want to stop but I can’t get my child to sleep in their own bed” it just seems to me like you’d be creating another problem rather then solving any. I don’t judge anyone who wants to co-sleep with their children cause frankly it has nothing to do with me what they do with their own children but for me I just felt it was unsafe and unnessacary. Casey
  • We also chose not to co-sleep with both our girls. Honestly, I am quite a light sleeper and could not stand every little noise while we were in the same room. This suited my girls both really well as they were straight in their cots and sleeping through happily quite early. We have never had them wanting to be in our bed during the night and we have all been well rested enough to enjoy each others company during the day. I’d never really considered having them in our actual bed, but did consider having them in our room in a bassinet, but that only lasted half a night and we moved her straight out. Stacey
  • I did not choose to co sleep- honestly never thought about co sleeping! I know a lady who co slept with her son he is now 4 and refuses to sleep in his own bed so I guess that helped my decision not too! My dd was next to our bed in a bassinet for 6 weeks though! Meg
  • Co sleeping was never an option for us. Being born is a shock enough … I dont think it is a good thing to allow bubs to sleep with you and then at a certain age of a parents choosing simply being told no more. Bubs will need to sleep on their own at somepoint and we decided some point was birth. Nadine
  • Never thought about co-sleeping, but from what I have read from the “For” posts. I really don’t like the idea. For me the risks of suffocating your child are very high and also, I could not sleep knowing that our little one was in there also. Where is the “Adult” time for the parents if you have a child sharing your bed? Total mood killer if you ask me. My children were in a cot in my room though. I felt it much better to get out of bed and feed them. As soon as they slept through the night they were in their own rooms and they are fantastic sleepers too. Michelle
  • I have 7 children and none of them have shared my bed as I didn’t want a problem with them being in their own bed but I had a bassinet/cot in my room till they were nearly 12 months old Kelly
  • We had our baby in a bassinet in our room, but never bed shared. It’d be a death sentence imo – suffocation, overheating, being squashed, & being seriously hurt by my hubby (I cop kicks or an elbow to the head all the time!). Once she outgrew the bassinet we moved her to the cot in in the nursery without any drama whatsoever. Emma
  • I co-slept with bub in hospital and had her in bed with us a few times in the first month but we found she slept much better swaddled and in her own basinet – she doesn’t like to be patted or cuddled to sleep and still doesn’t like to sleep in our bed at 17mo. My husband found the few times we did co-sleep very stressful and would wake up in a panic. I’m not against it in anyway and believe their are plenty of valid reasons for both co-sleeping and not co-sleeping but it just didnt suit our family πŸ™‚ Jodi
  • We chose not to co sleep for a few reasons. 1. I would not be able to sleep for fear of suffocating her 2. My husband gets up for work at 5:30am and sometimes earlier and I don’t want her waking 3. I wanted my hubby and I to have ‘our’ space still so we can be a couple at least in bed. Our dd now only likes to sleep in her bed or the car, except of extremely sick. She has always been a great sleeper in her own space (other than sickness, teething times of course!). It works well for us and although sleepy cuddles are amazing I didn’t want to have to wean her out of our bed at some stage. Amanda
  • I share my bed with my 8 month old dd. I’m not happy about doing it, Im afraid she’ll roll off the bed, I’ll roll on top of her or that she’ll suffocate under the blanket so I have to sleep in a really uncomfortable position meaning I don’t sleep very well. I’ve only started doing this for the last month as she is a horrible sleeper and is hard to settle, she tends to sleep better in our bed. Liz
  • I chose not to co-sleep, or even to have bub in our room (her room is quite close to ours) as I didnt want to get to the stage where I then had to try get her out of our room. My personal opinion is to start how I plan to continue, and for me I don’t want the problem of having a baby that won’t sleep in her own room or is dependent on feeling our presence in order to sleep. Melissa
  • Tried it but i felt scared, didnt sleep as well, worried i would hurt my baby, felt i was missing the time alone/with husband & above all… After a whole day of being with bub, the seperation was healthy for me! Carissa

 

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