Co-Sleeping with Your Baby, Yes or No?

Co-sleep
(Photo source taken from Alternative Mama)

If you ask me this question 2 years back, I would still hesitate in my answer. But now, I can confidently tell you it is definitely a YES from me and my hubby. Co-sleeping with our daughter is the best decision we've made as parents!*

...make sure that our bedding is light and minimal. We had our pillows lower than hers...
When we were still new parents, we do not know what is best for our baby. We did a lot of reading and highlighted all the dangers in co-sleeping with baby, especially baby under 6 months old. We make sure that our bedding is light and minimal. Our daughter sleeps in between us. We had our pillows lower than hers so that our comforter will not cover her face and make sure we do not 'release' our breath on her causing more carbon dioxide than oxygen. Our elderly also warned us that if we co-sleep with our baby, she will always stick to you and will not be able to learn to be independent. We were worried about that too but it seems that we do not have a choice back then.

How we started to co-sleep with our daughter?

Well, our lil' princess was the most colicky baby ever! Every night (from birth), she would cry non-stop. No matter what you do, she will still cry. We have tried ALL the methods - going up and down the staircase, walking around, on the radio and tv for white noise, on the shower, swaddle, singing lullaby, changing position of holding her, baby massage, giving her tummy rub, doing the 'bicycle' with her legs, giving her colic drops and the list goes on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It was really a nightmare for new parents like us!

Then one night, out of tiredness, I put my baby to sleep on our bed. We thought that altho' she still cries, she was more quiet/ calm sleeping with us. And it is also easier for feeding. So, we let it be. She was a real colicky baby, crying every night. But thankfully she did not cry much after midnight (from 3 months old onwards), that's when we have our few hours of beauty sleep. Her crying subside as she grows. She stopped her night crying around 5-6 months old.

Our now 27 months old daughter has been sleeping with us ever since she's 2 months old. We don't see any threat in co-sleeping with her. But I can't tell you what is the pros and cons of this co-sleeping because I don't have enough data to compare.

However, I can tell you why I said "Co-sleeping with our daughter is the best decision we've made as parents!" :-
● I really enjoyed the bonding time we spend together on the bed, before sleep and after waking up in the morning.
● I loved to watch how she would play with her daddy on the bed before sleeps and giggles away. (Her daddy is her favourite play mate. She will only comes to me when she wants to sleep. Mommy is her favourite comforter.)
● I loved it when she plays with my ears and caresses my face before she sleeps and when she wakes up in the morning but still in the 'lazying around' mood.
● I loved it when she wishes me 'Goodnight Mommy', follow by a kiss on my lips before she sleeps. She does that to her daddy too.
● I loved it when she hugs me to sleep every night.
● I loved it when I can lean on her tiny shoulder and smell her pyjamas [when I awake in the middle of the night].

If anyone is saying that those babies that co-sleep with parents will not be able to learn independence, they are WRONG! Our daughter is very independent.

● At 6 months old, she doesn't need me to be around her all the time. She lets other peoples carry her and play with her. And she enjoyed making friends with others. (But now at 27 months old, she knows how to be shy. So she needs some time to warm up with other peoples before playing with them).
● At 16 months old, she was cleaning up her own toys after playing.
● At 17 months old, she has started being our little helper around the house ~ taking stuff, throwing rubbish to the bin.
● At 18 months old, she was feeding herself.
● At 23 months old, she was potty trained (daytime includes nap time). She will take her own potty to us and tell us that she wanted to pee or poo.
● At 25 months old, she was taking her own bowl to the table during meal time.

Our little ones are not going to be 'little' for a very long time. She will grows up and soon she would not want to sleep with us anymore. Soon she will have her own things to do. And that is why me & my hubby, we will treasure every moments we can spend with her now. Co-sleeping is just another great idea because it allows more time together.

How about you? What's your stories of co-sleeping with your little ones? Or what's your stories of not co-sleeping with your little ones? I would love to hear both!

*This post is entirely based on my own experience. It does not conclude that co-sleeping with your baby is the best decision for all parents. Before deciding whether to co-sleep with your baby or not, you can read up more on the safety guidelines in the internet, or HERE.



Other Related Contents:
The difference between being there for the kids and letting them to be independent
How well do you know about your kids?
Saying too many NO(s) to a child will create a helpless and dependent child. #SayYestoExperiences

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