Co-sleeping

When I was pregnant with my son, R.J., my husband shared some advice that he had been given: Don't let the baby sleep with you!! When he told me what a couple had shared with him, I wrinkled up my face in confusion, thinking, why in the world would I let the baby sleep with us? The idea seemed ludicrous. He went on to say that the couple he talked to said they had started out letting the baby sleep with them, and now it's hard for the baby to sleep by himself.

I began to understand about co-sleeping after the baby was born. I had a c-section, and for about a month afterward, I was in a lot of pain, and walked around like a disabled woman. My loathing for c-sections grew after having one, but that's another story. Anyways, it took me about five minutes to get out of bed with no help. It was a struggle, to say the least, to get out of bed through the night to get him when he cried, nurse him, then return him to his crib. After a couple of nights of this I wised up.

Thus, my journey into co-sleeping. The baby would start out in his crib, but then around 2 or 3 in the morning when he would wake up, I would get him, nurse him, and we would sleep side by side for the rest of the morning. He woke up off and on, but since he was right beside me, all I had to do was scoot him closer to me and nurse him.

In my eyes it was a beautiful arrangement. I guess you could call it laziness in some ways, but, it was SOOOO much easier. After I got stronger, I eventually put him back in his crib.

Now, he basically sleeps in his crib through the night, which he's been doing for a couple of months now. Occasionally, he sleeps with me when he wakes through the night, when I'm too tired to return him to his crib.

But, I have to say, that it is an incredibly sweet and relaxing feeling to snuggle up with him and just glance down to make sure that he is okay through the night.

I personally find nothing wrong with co-sleeping, and think it can be a wonderful way to bond with baby, and help mommy get some much needed sleep!:)