I never intended to co-sleep with my baby. In fact, I was hyperfocused on the perfect crib, mattress, and bedding throughout my pregnancy. I mean, my baby would spend 12-plus hours there a day, right? In our case, that plan was very much wrong.
From the beginning, I wanted my baby close. It just seemed so foreign to have held her in me for nine months and then not have her in my arms. She seemed to equally adore being close, snuggled next to me with frequent access to milk. Co-sleeping might not be for everyone, but it was for us — the good, the bad, and the ugly of it.
So if you’re a co-sleeping parent like me, I’m guessing you’ve thought some of these very things in the middle of the night:
Stop sleeping so crooked!
Most adults sleep up and down in their bed. But babies and toddlers? No way! Sideways and starfish seem to be the preferred resting position. Which leads to …
I’m so squished!
We had a king-size bed before we had kids and it always felt like plenty of space. Even enough to add a little person in the middle. But no, I cling to my side of the bed every single night. The edge of the mattress and I are very close friends.
I’m so happy I don’t have to get up when you need me
When I hear parents talk about their little one crying in the monitor and their sleepy stupor as they rise to walk to another room, scoop up their baby, and rock them back to sleep — forcing them to fully wake in the middle of the night — I can’t help but think that I love having my baby right next to me. I hear the first whimper and almost always dream feed them back to sleep before either of us crack our eyelids.
I wish I could snuggle my spouse
Seeing that I have a little buddy glued to my side at night, I often wish I could have just one night off for just my husband and I. Sometimes I’ll wiggle to the middle, but inevitably my baby will sense that they are no longer the snuggle priority.
I miss cozy blankets
Co-sleeping on purpose means you take certain precautions to make sleep safe for everyone. That means no plush mattresses, extra pillows, or cozy blankets — and it’s the blankets I miss most of all. Instead, we dress warm for bed. It’s just not the same as a heavy quilt, though.
You make so much noise!
If you think your spouse snores, just wait until you have a co-sleeping infant or toddler inches from your ear. They snort and breathe loud, and then eventually talk. Truly though, I love the peace of hearing those deep breaths of sleep and being close enough to rest my hand on their tummy, feeling it go up and down, up and down.
That was the rudest awakening ever!
I have been punched in the nose, kicked in the kidneys, and slapped in the eye while dead asleep. The culprit? Baby hands and feet! What on earth are they dreaming about?
Where should we have sex tonight?
When your bed is occupied by a little one, it begs the question, do we shift them to the far side and hope they’re sound asleep or head to the couch, kitchen, shower, or walk-in closet?
Move over!
I love holding my kids close, especially when they’re in that perfectly sweet state of sleep, but holy moly — sometimes I REALLY want to be alone. Can you please just move over? Just for a few hours?
Nothing is sweeter than this
The reality is, I won’t have a baby in bed with me forever, and when I sneak to my side after a rare Mom-only bath and see my husband and baby soundly resting next to one another, I can’t help but think that there is nothing sweeter than this — baby resting well, Dad instinctively protecting while he sleeps, Mama’s snuggle turn coming soon.
