[KariKae]

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?
My daughter is 3.5 yrs. When she was a newborn, she hated to sleep on her own. She had to be touching us. So, we let her sleep on our chests. It was awesome to feel her sweet baby breathe on my face!


2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?
We would try every night to put her into her own bed. If she cried, we picked up and put her in our bed. Eventually, she would sleep one segment in her crib, then two, etc. Now, she is 3 and comes into our room a few times a week if she wakes during the night. We have put a blow-up matress on our floor and she will usually sleep there since the bed is not big enough for us anymore.

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?
As an infant, we would rock her to sleep then TRY to put her in her crib. Now she falls asleep in her own bed.

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?
Naptimes were never a problem. We rocked her to sleep and put her in her crib. She would usually sleep about 3 hours. I don't know what it is about bedtime, but they know bedtime at a very early age.

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?
No, she has spent the night with grandparents and even a friend and did just fine.

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?
Nope, no problems at all! She's a sound sleeper.

One thing I would like to add...We never planned to be co-sleepers. But when exhaustion sets in, you will do what is necessary to sleep. EVERYONE (from my pediatrician to my in-laws) gave me the lecture about how dangerous and terrible it was. We simply had no other choice. People kept telling us, "She will never sleep in her own bed if you start that." SHe is 3.5 and she prefers to be in her own bed, but she knows she is welcome in our bed anytime. I'm trying to say...If if feels right, do it. You know what is best for your child. There is nothing more wonderful than having my snuggly little girl there in the morning.

[JunipersMom]

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?
One 8 1/2 month babe.

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?
She nurses to sleep and I put her in her co-sleeper. When she wakes up (usually at midnight) I lay her next to me and nurse her back to sleep.

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?
Nope. She eats to sleep everytime, even for naps.

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?
She nurses to sleep and then I lay her down. I dont lay down with her. She'll nap wherever I put her, but it's usually on the bed surrounded by pillows. Now that she's getting more mobile, that might change.

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?
OVERNIGHT??!! I havent even left her to go to the store yet!

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?
Nope. Hubby's alarm goes off and she sleeps through it. Our dogs bark, she sleeps through it.

[Lexie]

We are having trouble balancing AP, sleep and our coupledom. The baby used to sleep in his bassinet next to our bed and our 4 year old in his bed. At around 4 mos, the baby outgrew his bassinet and he has been sleeping with us ( baby is now 6 mos). The 4 year old has now discovered that during one of his night visits to the bathroom----and he had a fit. He now climbs into our bed too---around midnight. I can tell you its crowded!!!

Now the 4 year old flings himself about during his sleep, the baby kicks his feet and wakes himself ( and me) up and my DH snores ( which wakes one or both of the kids up). So now DH has been camping in the guest room the last couple nights--which is not a good thing. That said, when the kids are sleeping with us---they look like contented little angels.

To make matters worse, our crib in on the floor in pieces ( dh lost the screws) so I am not sure what to do.

When the 4 year old was a baby we used to let him sleep on a futon in our room and we would lie on the futon with him for at least part of the night. I am thinking it might be time to buy another futon.

Would welcome advice--
thanks,
Lexie