I’m going to start this with the question that is the basis for this whole post – just in case you don’t read the whole thing you can still contribute your opinion:
How does one get a baby out of their bed and into their own?
For many reasons I am a huge fan of co-sleeping. I love snuggling with Brady of course, and nothing is easier in the middle of the night than rolling over and pulling up your shirt for a feeding when you feel him start to stir. But I can’t do it anymore. I’m exhausted and I want my bed back.
I never intended to be a co-sleeping kind of mom, never wanted him to even nap in my bed, but when he came home and was 5 pounds with awful acid reflux I changed my mind. I could never lay him down without him spitting up immediately and the new-mom in me thought he would surely die. Seriously.
So the only thing to do for me to get any sleep at all was to just hold him. After I got sick of that and decided, ok I’ll put him down now, he already had developed a habit. Now, the minute that I lay him down he wakes up and either cries immediately or cries within a couple of minutes. If on the rare occasion he does stay asleep, he only lasts about 15 minutes, sometimes 30.
I’ve tried many approaches except for cry it out, which I’m not prepared to do at this moment in time. If I am still working through this unsuccessfully soon I will consider the Ferber method, which if you learn about will realize it is much more than just setting your child in your crib and leaving him to cry. I didn’t realize.
So… Suggestions? Words of encouragement? Offers to babysit? 🙂 I would love to hear how everyone dealt with their babies sleep habits!
Sher Bailey has been a dedicated voice for the Love and Marriage blog for over a decade, sharing practical advice on everything from stretching a grocery budget to finding the best homeschooling resources. She writes from the unique perspective of a full-time traveler, living and working on the road in her motorhome alongside her husband and their two cats. Sher’s diverse body of work is fueled by her belief that with the right tools and a little creativity, any challenge can be turned into an opportunity for growth and adventure.
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