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About Mommy Center

Monday, October 19, 2009

Co-Sleeping

Its something we all do right from when our lil ones are born. And I think its a part of our Indian culture to have our babies sleep with us until a certain age when we think they can sleep on their own.

But how and when do you make the transition? Have any of you made your babies sleep alone, separately at night right from the start? Have any of you already transitioned them to sleep themselves? If so when and, more importantly - HOW??

Put in your thoughts on this aspect and lets see what we all would agree on and finally end up doing!!

8 comments:

  1. One of my friends here started putting her lil one in a separate room right from when the baby was just 7 months old! Another friend had her son sleep in his own room right from day 1!

    I know I had similar plans for Maanya before she was born. But now, almost 6 months into cosleeping, I don't feel ready to let sleep alone through the night. I feel like I'm depriving her of something precious by letting her sleep in her crib. Oh, and the selfish side of me, I love those tiny hands and feet that rest on me every now and then, and to wake up watching the innocence, pureness, cuteness, cuddly-ness (and the list goes on!) of a sleeping baby - there can be no greater joy than that! OK, I digressed.

    I don't think there a perfect time to transition the kids to sleep by themselves. One rule of thumb would be: Does the kid sleep through the night, I mean 8-10 hours straight? Also, are you ready for it? Next, how? Well, you would have to make it fun for the little one...maybe set up the room with a theme the kid likes...just my 2 cents. :-)

    Waiting to hear what the others have to say!

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  2. Hmmm yup Anjana the emotional aspect plays a lot of role here. I cannot (yet) imagine waking up not finding my lil one away from me. But then, when I think practically Im like some day when he is bigger he has to sleep alone and for some weird reason I think our kids never cease seem like babies to us. Im sure Ill see him like a tiny lil cuddly sweepea even when he is like a damn 25+ guy with a babe who would hate me!! LOL

    I'm thinking with time they themselves will want rooms and a bed all to themselves. And what if a couple decides to have another baby?? God, this can get pretty complicated, eh?!

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  3. My lil one was in her moses basket from day 1 and in her cot during the day/basket at night from month 3. The big step will be moving her to her own room which is all set and ready already...but I don't see that BIG move happening till she is a yr old. The basket/cot sleeping was an easy choice because of all the reading I had done on how babies cld get smothered and hubby n I were worried we wld roll onto her or put an arm on her by mistake...so felt better with this arrangement. Other BIG plus is when we travel, she goes into her basket and snoozes while we can mingle/chat with ppl in other rooms and dont worry cos she is used to sleeping alone.

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  4. @ Pallavi - Samvit had the same experience too. He slept in his crib for a good 6 months. After which his rolling over and moving around increased and the crib became small for him.

    So we had no choice but to move him out of it and put him with us since he used to wake up at night for at least one feeding. Then, it got cold (and winters here are fierce) and these lil fellas wont sleep with the blanket on them so I had to have him with me to ensure he was warm all night.... and so the trend of his sleeping with us has'nt stopped yet and in another 3 months he will be 2yrs. Im wondering if I should move him to another bed but Im worried that if he wakes up (which he does sometimes, not out of hunger but just like that for a few moments and goes back to sleep) not to find me next to him, what may be the consequence?

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  5. :)

    I remember the night after her 4th birthday party. She had felt all grown up and told me "Mama, I am sleeping in my own room, alone!" And she DID!! I checked on her three times that night, put some soft toys around her to hug and laid awake all night :)

    Well, call me a bad mama, I remained appreciative, but coaxed her into sleeping with me, and finally agreed to let her go when she reaches "10th standard" haha...She still sleeps with me....and I cant think of it any other way!

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  6. LOL!!!!

    LS I can so see my self doing the exact same thing!

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  7. In our case, she is already in her own bed but moving that bed to her room is going to take some effort. But they say better early than late(I moved to my own room when i was 1 yr old, hoping to do the same for Mia) and loved 'my space' :) Mom n Dad's room was a Sunday afternoon treat, we would all bung in and watch a movie together on TV. It was also the 'safe' place I would run too if I had a bad dream. Want Mia to have the same experience of her space and special space...else hubby n I will only end up being mommy n daddy n lose the 'us' time to even just sit n talk before we sleep :)

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  8. Shreyas used to sleep with us from day 1. later, when space was a constraint, we attached a single cot next to our cot. He would sleep on the single cot (which was close to the wall) and us on the big double cot. One day when he turned 3, my hubby and me were having this little chat with shreyas about how he is a big boy now..all grown up...and needs to sleep alone...he really got carried away...and what we did was to move in a side table between our cots...from that day he sleeps along on the single bed (in the same room though)twice he fell from his bed..luckily I had a matress placed below to cushion his fall...

    Now he sleeps alone everyday!!! All this happened so suddenly..It was nevered planned that way...so I guess...when they are ready they will definitely send signs....

    Now my next task is to make him sleep in his own room...which I guess will be at the beginning of next year!!!!

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