Co-sleeping

I didn't really think about what I was doing actually had a name. I've been co-sleeping with Gracie for almost 9 months now. It really just started out when she was a newborn as a way for me to get sleep. I was a tired & exhausted mom to 4 kids. The very little sleep I got was precious and any way I could find to get a few more minutes of sleep was something I was looking for. Since I was (and still am) breastfeeding Gracie, when she woke up at night I would just lay on my side in bed and she would nurse and we would both drift off to sleep. (I have to say I have LOVED the side laying nursing position with all my kids. It was SO relaxing. That 15-30 minute break was wonderful.) I find that I'm a VERY light sleeper when it comes to my kids. Any sound or movement they make I hear them. I'm not at ALL concerned about rolling over on them. Of course there are some safety steps to take to make co-sleeping safe. It's funny how my co-sleeping has evolved over time with each child. With Jordan I got up thru out the night and sat up in a rocker to nurse him. I remember how tired I felt at night. It almost hurt to just keep my body upright while he nursed. It was so tiring. Once he was sleeping thru the night he slept in his crib. Then Mya came along. The same thing. Nursing her in that rocker was dreadful. Of course I loved that bonding time with my baby, but when it's every 2 hours you have to sit upright in a chair those middle of the night feedings became very tiresome. By the time Mason came along I said FORGET the rocking chair for late night feedings. I spent the first 2 months of his life sleeping in the living room on our recliner. He layed on my chest. When it was time to feed him....I would nurse him and we would both drift back to sleep. I had my feet up, blanket on me, and the chair was reclined. It wasn't my bed, but it was much more comfortable than sitting up in that little rocker/glider. I was sleeping pretty much all night. My neck was a little sore in the morning but at least I felt rested. After about 4 months he wasn't nursing very much at night. He slept in a bed next to mine. If he would get up at night I would bring him in bed with me to nurse him. And there he would sleep the rest of the night. It was a hit or miss as to whether he would spend the whole night in his bed or mine. He STILL comes in my bed at night. As much as I say I want him to stay in his own bed, there is nothing sweeter than my little 2 yr old boy wanting to cuddle up next to me at night. He has this obsession with rubbing our arms...so when he wakes up all he wants to do is lay in bed and rub my arm until he drifts off to sleep. SO sweet! When Gracie came along I started bringing her in my bed at night to nurse and there she would stay all night long. I didn't really have to fully wake up when she needed to nurse. She is almost 9 months old and she still sleeps in my bed. The nice thing is she goes to sleep in her bed around 8:30pm. Then wakes up anywhere around 11pm-1am to nurse and then stays in bed with me. Right now she is nursing as I type this. She'll end up going to bed with me. She does however think I'm an "all night" milk bar! She is still nursing quite a bit at night. However, I don't think it's that much, she just nurses herself back to sleep when she wakes up. I've tried getting her to take a pacifier but it's a no go. She just wants to nurse. So I let her. Maybe that isn't the "right" thing to do in most people's eyes but it's what works for us. I know she wont' do this forever and it doesn't affect me or the rest of us in any negative way. I can definetly say I'm a big fan of "co-sleeping". I wish I would have done it more with the first 2 when they were newborns. Those night time feedings would have so much more of a bonding experience and not so dreadful. When the sun comes up and it's time to wake up my bed usually has 3 or 4 little bodies in it! You will always find Gracie laying close to me, Mason next to me and Mya next to him (she usually sleeps in her bed until early morning. I don't even hear her come in, she just comes in quietly). Every now and then Jordan will wake up and be laying at the end of the bed. Where does Ryan sleep you ask? The poor guy has been camping out on our futon in the living room for well over a year!! We plan on changing that soon. We need to get Mason to go back into his bed (he shares a double bed with Jordan) when he wakes up at night so it's just us and Gracie in our bed. So I would definetly say we are co-sleepers. It's what works for us. We actually started a new bedtime routine when we moved here a few weeks ago. It works out SO much better than what we did before. I put Gracie to bed in her room around 8:30pm. Then I lay in the boys bed with them (in between them to keep Mason from messing with Jordan). Mya has been laying on their floor in there. All 3 of them fall asleep in about 30 minutes. Then I leave their room and put Mya in her bed. That saves me tackling bedtime 3 different times. Jordan always went to bed good, but Mason doens't just lay in his bed if I put him in there awake and Mya likes having me lay with her to. So now I just get all 3 done in a third of the time! So we kinda created a "sibling bed" for them as well. Sleep is such a precious thing and however you can get more of it I say go for it! I've read articles and blogs about how people feel guilty for co-sleeping and how people have said it's "wrong". As long as you make sure you are co-sleeping safely for an infant then there is nothing wrong with it! It's a wonderful bonding experience that I will forever cherish. Plus the extra sleep at night makes everything else fall into place! (the picture I posted with this isn't our actual co-sleeping sleeping arrangement..it's just a picture of the 4 kids one morning in my bed after we woke up. We were all laying there talking and I had to take a picture!)