Many parents chose to sleep with their new baby at some point during early parenthood, for many different reasons and for many different lengths of time. I chose to sleep with mine and from experience and practical evidence I can offer the following tips!

o Every family and parent is different from the next, and what works for the goose may not work for the goose!

o Take advice and information for what it is worth to you and do not compare or judge yourself for not fitting in or struggling with a situation where others may not. Things are not always what they seem!

OK, aside from that, let’s take a look at this awesome theme!

Most breastfeeding mothers sleep with their babies as it is much easier to feed them at night while they are there! This saves you from having to get up at night and move to another room when you’re exhausted, and your milk flows much better when you and your baby are relaxed!

So sleeping and nursing seem to coincide, and feeding lying down and curled up is really divine and a great excuse to rest!

Is it safe to sleep with your baby?
Of course, it’s totally unlikely that a new mom, with the most incredible baby radar, would ever throw herself at her child. Of course, you would never co-sleep if you or your partner are sick, under any type of sedation, under the influence of alcohol or any drug. Most co-sleeping parents would be 100% aware of themselves and their baby.

One of the main reasons couples choose this option is for the ease of feeding. The second main reason is to get some sleep! A small baby loves the smell and comfort of her parents and whether she likes it or not, she will wake up at night.

Getting your baby back to sleep can be so much easier when you’re there! This prevents the baby from being further aroused by standing up, screaming and having to make a fuss to get attention!

A new baby will tend to settle down and fall asleep more easily and often longer when their parents are in the same bed. Of course, the baby will only know this if she has gotten used to it! What a baby doesn’t know has no impact on them!

Baby loves and needs constant attention, and it doesn’t stop at night. A small baby needs you, and sleeping with them ensures that need long into their future lives.

When do you stop sleeping with your baby?
The natural attachment way to stop co-sleeping is when the next child goes to bed, or when the child stops breastfeeding, or when the child asks to leave the bed to go to sleep.

One point to add here is that most breastfed infants or toddlers do not sleep through the night. They’ll wake up at some point to snuggle or get some milk! This is normal for them and not something that is wrong or needs to change. You only need to change if you are personally struggling with wakefulness and need to change the situation.

If you are not satisfied, my advice is to make some changes.

How do you stop sleeping with your baby?
This again is different for every family, but one point to keep in mind is that the baby will need time to adjust if the choice is not theirs. If or when they do, the transition will be smooth! The older the baby/toddler, the more time may be needed if he does not volunteer.

When I wrote this article, my baby was 22 months old and still ends up in our bed. I’m still nursing her from time to time, and she wants a hug and some milk sometime between 2am and 7am!

She has her own bed in her own room, we’ve made her beautiful and now we just wait until she’s ready and keep trying. She falls asleep with one of us in her own bed and room, and stays there until she wakes up, then they snuggle her up, feed her if needed (usually a cuddle in daddy’s arms is enough while mom enjoys more sleep) and then put her to bed. back to her cot. If she gets distressed, we bring her to us!

I believe that a child, as I mentioned earlier, only knows what we teach him! Therefore, if they are laid in their bed early on (4 months or more), they don’t know any different and will easily adjust to sleeping in their own bed and room. If you leave later, it can be a very different transition!

Be patient, be kind to yourself and your progress, and take baby steps…
Suppressing emotional crying can lead to closed expression and openness. Be honest and your baby will be happy!