Has anyone tried co-sleeping? Do you feel the baby's presence in your sleep? I have had recommendations for both sides - one for getting the baby their own bed and also for co-sleeping.

~~Mamamia

Before our son was born, my husband and I both said, "we're not going to get him started sleeping in the bed with us!" The week after he was home, guess where he was sleeping?

The first week he slept in a co-sleeper bassinet beside our bed and I would sit up in bed to nurse him during the night, then lay him back in his bed. The second week, I had mastitis for a couple of days and didn't feel like sitting up during the night, so I layed him beside me to nurse. We both fell asleep like that, and found out it was a wonderful way to sleep, so we just starting letting him sleep in our bed. Especially if you are breastfeeding, it is great! I would sleep on my side, and he would sleep in the bend of my arm (like a pillow) and that way I didn't move and didn't worry about me or my husband rolling over on him. You, as a mother, are aware of your baby's presence, but you still sleep well. I liked him sleeping beside me, too, because I felt he was safe there. I have read in Dr. Sears' The Baby Book that a mother and baby are "in harmony" with each other when sleeping together.

Only you can decide what's right for you. I believe if both parents are okay with it, there's nothing wrong with it. And there's nothing wrong with not doing it and letting baby sleep in his/her bed. We did move our son when he was 7 months old to his bed in his room. He started getting uncomfortable in our bed because he wanted more room. And we are glad he is in his bed now because that gives us our time together, which is something you have to think about- how you will make time for you and your husband in bed, which is very important in a marriage, so don't let baby come between you and your husband so that you aren't making time for each other. When the baby is little, it doesn't matter that he's in the room, but as he gets older it won't be as easy.

So if you are going to co-sleep, I would recommend moving your baby to his/her bed like I did before he/she is a year old (my opinion). That can take a little work, but I don't regret our son sleeping with us. It wasn't that bad moving him to his bed. But, my brother-in-law and his wife have a 20 month old daughter who refuses to move out of their bed and they are going tomorrow morning to have another baby girl! So that's why I say start moving them out before they're a year old. I hope this helps answer your question; sorry it's so long.

My first child slept with my husband and I, we couldn't get him out of our bed until he was 4, it was a wonder we conceived his sister when he was 9 months old!! They make that nice little bed that pushes right up to your bed, so you can reach other and pat the baby. I will tell you, that you will not get restful sleep because you hear every turn over, grunt they make in their sleep. Much better to teach them to put themselves to sleep in their own crib.

Good luck

i never once had neither of my two daughters sleep in my bed with me and i dont think its something they would have missed out on really, now my 3 year old starts begging me for her bed an hour before bedtime when she does go down i have my whole bed to myself i LOVE it and wouldnt miss having them in my bed at all lol!

my cousin on the other hand, his girlfriend had theyre son sleep in theyre bed hes now 4 and still wont get out, it actually cost them theyre relationship because they didnt have a big bed when the baby started getting bigger my cousin was no longer allowd to sleep in his bed because there was no room!

my opinion people have theyre kids sleep in theyre bed with them so they build a stronger relationship with the child but then it turns into a dependance for the child it may be nice to have ur kids close but it will be hard to get them out! lol but gl with the baby

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Morgann slept next to me in a bassinet. I wasn't comfortable with her sleeping with me. I wouldn't sleep very hard because I was afraid we would forget she was there or the covers or pillow would get to close to her face.

My husband is a police officer and he attended a class on child safety. One of the major issues in the class was the dangers of sleeping with your baby. After he attended the class he absolutely refused to even consider letting Morgann sleeping with us and was very paranoid about me falling asleep while feeding her.

I would say do a lot of research on it and even talk to your OB and Pediatrician about it and than just make the best decision for your family.

Good Luck

I really wanted to do co-sleeping but than one night when I was sleeping my boyfriend rolled over onto me and from that day on I've been freaked that if I ever co-slept he'd rollover on the baby and kill or seriously injure him.