Co-Sleeping
Alex and I sat down, coffee in one hand, legal pad and pen in the other to discuss and diagram what the logical statistics were of averaging a solid 8 hours of sleep every single night if we decided to co-sleep with Noah. We did the math, figured in 2 diaper changes a night {taking turns of course}, as well as feeding times. We calculated realistic bedtimes for the 3 of us..........................That's what I'm wishing I could write to you all. All the mathematical figures, the "we-had-our-eyes-open-wide-before-we-jumped-off-the-bridge" talk is lovely to my type A, OCD riddled brain.
In the cold, blinding light of reality however, we didn't make an executive decision to co-sleep as a family. We just did it. It's what came natural to us. Co-sleeping obviously has it's ups and downs, and it certainly isn't for everyone. But just like a family of bears hibernates in the cold, winter snow we found that collectively it works for us.
I hear a lot of reasons to not co-sleep with your child these days. {Even though my Mama-in-Law says that it's so much more socially acceptable to do it since she was a parent.} There's always the you will roll onto your child and crush them and kill them argument. Trust me, that one definitely kept me wide awake the first few nights, holding my breath, curled up into a ball, afraid to move a muscle. But Noah is plenty big enough at 5 months of age to be aware of in the sleepy nighttime {unless of course you are a heavy sleeper}. And of course if that's not the you will coddle him for the rest of his life and he will never leave your bed again excuse. Yeah, well guess what: I love him insanely too much so if he wants to sleep with me until the age of 7 that's my problem not yours. For real, go sit on your tempur-pedic mattress and judge me.
Since we have been co-sleeping every night for the past 60 days and I think I am qualified to give a well rounded review on it. If there were no upsides to this co-sleeping thing it would be an absolute torturous experience. My neck is killing me. I have dark circles that have developed underneath my eyes and will most likely stay there until he is safely married and has his mortgage paid off. There are scratches down my side from him kicking me. I have washed my sheets 37/60 of the mornings that we have slept together due to either vomit or pee. No seriously, we had an accident again this morning and when I told my husband to get up so I could strip the sheets, he just laid there and made some unearthly sounding moans. Right there with you, darling. Right there with you. Also the past two weeks we have received 4 am wake up calls because, you know, that's when little man gets up to play.
Ok, for those of you who are still reading and haven't closed your app right now, thank you and here is a list of sugar sweet reasons why I love co-sleeping with Noah:
In the cold, blinding light of reality however, we didn't make an executive decision to co-sleep as a family. We just did it. It's what came natural to us. Co-sleeping obviously has it's ups and downs, and it certainly isn't for everyone. But just like a family of bears hibernates in the cold, winter snow we found that collectively it works for us.
I hear a lot of reasons to not co-sleep with your child these days. {Even though my Mama-in-Law says that it's so much more socially acceptable to do it since she was a parent.} There's always the you will roll onto your child and crush them and kill them argument. Trust me, that one definitely kept me wide awake the first few nights, holding my breath, curled up into a ball, afraid to move a muscle. But Noah is plenty big enough at 5 months of age to be aware of in the sleepy nighttime {unless of course you are a heavy sleeper}. And of course if that's not the you will coddle him for the rest of his life and he will never leave your bed again excuse. Yeah, well guess what: I love him insanely too much so if he wants to sleep with me until the age of 7 that's my problem not yours. For real, go sit on your tempur-pedic mattress and judge me.
Since we have been co-sleeping every night for the past 60 days and I think I am qualified to give a well rounded review on it. If there were no upsides to this co-sleeping thing it would be an absolute torturous experience. My neck is killing me. I have dark circles that have developed underneath my eyes and will most likely stay there until he is safely married and has his mortgage paid off. There are scratches down my side from him kicking me. I have washed my sheets 37/60 of the mornings that we have slept together due to either vomit or pee. No seriously, we had an accident again this morning and when I told my husband to get up so I could strip the sheets, he just laid there and made some unearthly sounding moans. Right there with you, darling. Right there with you. Also the past two weeks we have received 4 am wake up calls because, you know, that's when little man gets up to play.Ok, for those of you who are still reading and haven't closed your app right now, thank you and here is a list of sugar sweet reasons why I love co-sleeping with Noah:
- He is SUCH a cuddle bug! He loves any and everything to do with snuggling, burrowing, and nuzzling. As do I! He is always down to be held and wrapped in a fuzzy blanket while we read or just chillax and talk/coo about our day!
- Alex and I are really really really good about waking up at his slightest whimper and neither of us roll in our sleep ergo, we are comfortable about having him in between us or on one side of us {usually me, cause nursing!}.
- 6:30 wake up calls are so much nicer when they are coming from a wiggling, cooing real-life baby laying next to you. Laying in bed we slowly wake up and have deep conversations with our Bear Cub, until one of us caves and goes to make a pot of coffee {usually Alex}
- I feel like we have bonded so much better having slept together. I know of very few moms who say co-sleeping was disastrous for their mother-child relationship.
- I get more sleep, and so does he! According to research, mothers and babies who sleep together tend to get on the same cycle. A little creepy but true.
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