Before you read any further please do make sure you do your own research and consult your physician to understand the dangers of co-sleeping with a baby especially a newborn. I'm only sharing my own situation and what I personally did. What works for me may not necessarily work for you. Use your own judgement and you know what's best for your child.
Just a little back story - way before I was pregnant, I've known about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). And nothing could be more horrifying to a parent than to know that you can have a perfectly healthy baby - but Sudden Infant Death can happen out of nowhere. While pregnant, I have read and researched on all the best ways to prevent SIDS and made sure I was well prepared to have my baby sleep in the safest way possible and that's in her own bassinet right next to my bed. But sometimes when reality hits, not everything can go according to plan.
The first month after Little C came home with us, it was hard but still manageable between me and Big C. We had to feed her every 2-3 hours around the clock, but between us two, we were able to take shifts and naps so we slept for longer than 2 hour intervals (especially important for me to recover!). But then Big C returned to work and that's when my journey to sleep deprivation began. Those were the nights when she would be up at 2 AM for a feeding and refused to go back to sleep til 3-4 AM (sometimes 5-6AM) and there I would be - cradling, walking, soothing for 2-3 hours in zombie mode. And if I was lucky enough for her to pass out in my arms, the moment I attempt to transfer her back to her Halo Swivel Bassinet next to my bed, she'll wake and the cycle repeats. So while she's sleeping soundly in my arms (again) is when I'm desperately googling "why does my baby fight sleep", "baby startling in sleep", "baby crying in sleep", "how to get baby to sleep in the halo".
When all those forums didn't yield a real solution for me and Little C, I stumbled on this article from
KellyMom. While everything I've been taught about babies and co-sleeping were taboo, this showed me some light at the end of the tunnel. At this point in time, my supply was also showing no signs of improvement and sleep deprivation was contributing negatively. This article showed me an answer to both my problems. So bed-sharing it is!
The safety of bed-sharing relies on the natural alertness that a mother has for the well-being of their child. Think of how many times you woke up the second your little one made a peep. So first thing I did, was kick Big C out of our queen sized bed and then thereafter every night for the next six weeks, when Little C woke up in the middle of the night (2AM/6AM), she'll be nursed back to sleep. Blankets and pillows were only on me and kept away from Little C. Her bassinet became the perfect barrier to prevent her from rolling over (not like she was rolling at 2 months anyway).
And soon after it was a win-win situation for everybody. As Little C got older, her sleep pattern started following a set schedule. And she was sleeping better - she doesn't wake up from her startle reflexes since the reflex slaps are instead blocked by my face. These sleep nursing sessions helped replaced pumping sessions that I had planned for the morning. And I saw an increase from the previous ~1 oz to ~4 oz in later pumping sessions. And most importantly, I was able to sleep and get the rest that I need!
As mentioned earlier, this co-sleeping routine that we had only lasted six weeks. During her 4-month checkup, our pediatrician advised us to let her sleep through the night by offering a bottle of water (about 1 oz) if she woke up in the middle of the night. We tried it immediately when we got home that night. And after 1 night of water offering and a second night of a light cradle and rock, our little princess was sleeping through the night!! She was still waking up early every morning around 5-6 AM so I'd continue to nurse just to get a little more shuteye but I was still getting a longer stretch of sleep.
I know co-sleeping is #momguilt for some - but sleep is important for a recovering mother and a caretaker. Definitely something I'm advocating for now hence sharing my experiences. What are your thoughts? Would you try to co-sleep? Let me know down below!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only review products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Additional info can be found here.
 |
| Little Baby - Big Bed |
Just a little back story - way before I was pregnant, I've known about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). And nothing could be more horrifying to a parent than to know that you can have a perfectly healthy baby - but Sudden Infant Death can happen out of nowhere. While pregnant, I have read and researched on all the best ways to prevent SIDS and made sure I was well prepared to have my baby sleep in the safest way possible and that's in her own bassinet right next to my bed. But sometimes when reality hits, not everything can go according to plan.
The first month after Little C came home with us, it was hard but still manageable between me and Big C. We had to feed her every 2-3 hours around the clock, but between us two, we were able to take shifts and naps so we slept for longer than 2 hour intervals (especially important for me to recover!). But then Big C returned to work and that's when my journey to sleep deprivation began. Those were the nights when she would be up at 2 AM for a feeding and refused to go back to sleep til 3-4 AM (sometimes 5-6AM) and there I would be - cradling, walking, soothing for 2-3 hours in zombie mode. And if I was lucky enough for her to pass out in my arms, the moment I attempt to transfer her back to her Halo Swivel Bassinet next to my bed, she'll wake and the cycle repeats. So while she's sleeping soundly in my arms (again) is when I'm desperately googling "why does my baby fight sleep", "baby startling in sleep", "baby crying in sleep", "how to get baby to sleep in the halo".
When all those forums didn't yield a real solution for me and Little C, I stumbled on this article from
KellyMom. While everything I've been taught about babies and co-sleeping were taboo, this showed me some light at the end of the tunnel. At this point in time, my supply was also showing no signs of improvement and sleep deprivation was contributing negatively. This article showed me an answer to both my problems. So bed-sharing it is!
The safety of bed-sharing relies on the natural alertness that a mother has for the well-being of their child. Think of how many times you woke up the second your little one made a peep. So first thing I did, was kick Big C out of our queen sized bed and then thereafter every night for the next six weeks, when Little C woke up in the middle of the night (2AM/6AM), she'll be nursed back to sleep. Blankets and pillows were only on me and kept away from Little C. Her bassinet became the perfect barrier to prevent her from rolling over (not like she was rolling at 2 months anyway).
And soon after it was a win-win situation for everybody. As Little C got older, her sleep pattern started following a set schedule. And she was sleeping better - she doesn't wake up from her startle reflexes since the reflex slaps are instead blocked by my face. These sleep nursing sessions helped replaced pumping sessions that I had planned for the morning. And I saw an increase from the previous ~1 oz to ~4 oz in later pumping sessions. And most importantly, I was able to sleep and get the rest that I need!
As mentioned earlier, this co-sleeping routine that we had only lasted six weeks. During her 4-month checkup, our pediatrician advised us to let her sleep through the night by offering a bottle of water (about 1 oz) if she woke up in the middle of the night. We tried it immediately when we got home that night. And after 1 night of water offering and a second night of a light cradle and rock, our little princess was sleeping through the night!! She was still waking up early every morning around 5-6 AM so I'd continue to nurse just to get a little more shuteye but I was still getting a longer stretch of sleep.
I know co-sleeping is #momguilt for some - but sleep is important for a recovering mother and a caretaker. Definitely something I'm advocating for now hence sharing my experiences. What are your thoughts? Would you try to co-sleep? Let me know down below!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only review products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Additional info can be found here.
Comments
Post a Comment