When was the last time
you got a full 8 hours of sleep?
If you’re drawing
a blank, let me paint the scene.
You get into bed with
your husband, or alone, close your eyes, and don't wake up until your alarm
goes off.
No interruptions. No
hungry babies, knobby toddler toes digging into you back, monsters in
the closet, or sudden bouts of thirst requiring sippy cups.
I mean a real, good ole’
fashioned snooze-fest. The kind where you wake up in the morning, feeling
revived and refreshed!
If you are pregnant with
your first child, you’re probably already experiencing a lack of good quality sleep,
due to your growing belly.
But if you’re already a
mom, this vision of a peaceful night, is more like a mirage, than reality.
Co-sleeping can suck the life out of you!
Never fear! I'm here to
make sure you go into this whole bed-sharing thang without
delusions of grandeur.
More on that in a
minute...
Parents choose to have
their children sleep in the same room as them, or in our case, the same bed,
for many reasons.
For most of us it's a
matter convenience, especially if you're nursing your baby. Just roll on over,
slap a boob in their mouth, and you're both back in dreamland within minutes.
Who wants to stumble in
the middle of the night to change diapers or soothe a restless baby?
Not me, if I don’t have
to!
Even if you don't breast
feed, there is something primal or instinctual about keeping our
children near us at night.
Every mammal does it. It’s
the only way to ensure the survival of their offspring. In the wild you're toast if
you're an infant left without the protection of your mother.
I've slept in the same
room, if not the same bed as all of my boys until they were about 4 years old.
They always had a crib,
but most of the time it was filled with stuffed animals NOT sleeping babies.
 |
| Get me the F**K out of here! |
It was the perfect
height and even had a drop down side to make it easy for me to watch him.
But, even though this
was the third time around, I would constantly check to see if he was breathing. I just felt like he was always safest in
my arms.
That bassinet was used,
maybe twice, before Nolan moved into our bed.
The truth is there’s
something magical about watching your children sleep (and husbands too)!
Be warned, it's damn
near addicting. Especially when you know it won't last forever.
We're now on the
tail-end of our co-sleeping time.
After months of false
starts and caving into my two-year-old's adorable demands, he is finally in a
big boy bed.
Nolan now shares a room
with his 7 year old brother, which has made the transition
much easier.
While there were nights
I wish I could've put him in his old crib, closed the door and ignored the
cries for mommy, I'm glad we got that special time together.
I've always known the
awesome benefits of co-sleeping, even for children past infancy:
- the whole family sleeps better, with less night-time disturbances when your baby doesn't have to wake up fully to get your attention
- there is a decreased risk of SIDS compared to those solo-sleeping
- your baby gets more bonding time with both parents
- it helps to regulate your infant's sleep cycle to be the same as yours
- breast feeding is SO much easier
However, looking back,
there are a few things I wish someone had told me...
Like how you will manage
to make due sleeping on the very precipice of your bed, just taunting the floor
with the possibility of your face hitting it.
Or how you forget what
it's like to actually sleep next to your husband who is now being co*k-blocked
by a sweet smelling child.
 |
| There ain't NO WAY my husband is getting near me! |
I wish someone had told
me how deep my son's knees could actually dig into my back before prompting me
to turn over and face him.
Or how a 30 (ish) pound baby likes to pretend he's making snow angels in the sheets. (See an awesome
depiction of that move below)
I wasn't prepared for
projectile vomit being hurled in my direction during a nasty bout of the stomach flu.
Or that if ones in your bed, the other wants in too !
Nor was I ready to be molested
night after night by a kid who was told we are done nursing until the sun
comes up.
I really wish
someone had explained that it's nearly impossible to get comfortable when your
kid kicks the blanket so far off your bed you're only left with the right upper
corner to snuggle with.
Mostly, I wish someone
had told me that I would secretly love that time, somewhere between 2
and 5 am, when my little one climbs out of his race car bed, staggers down the
hall, crawls into my bed and cuddles up next to me.
I really do hope that
never ends.
Got any tips for mamas
considering co-sleeping? Share them below!
If you're looking for attachment parenting tips or practical ways to balance your needs with your family's, let me know!
To learn more about my holistic lifestyle coaching practice, take a peek at Soul Fueled Living!
And for doula services & birth education for mamas-to-be, check out Soul Fueled Mama
If you liked this post, sign up for our newsletter.
3 comments:
OMG my 3 year old staggers out of his race car bed too at 3 in the morning. Thanks for that validation. :) Liz
I would never (and have never) have (had) my kids in the same bed as me, thats my bed.
My kids dont go away just cause they sleep in their own bed. We have a different bond to what other parents have who have been "latched" on to their kids to the hip.
http://mumsndads.highbb.com/
Jessica, so glad you and family do what works for you. That's exactly what parents with "latched" on kids are doing.
Post a Comment
Leave us some crunchy goodness...