How do you do it

[memz]

NAK So I've been cosleeping with DD since the beggining so 20 wks. But I always had trouble sleeping well knowing she was right beside me. So we would put her down in between our two pillows with rolled bath towels on each side and she would sleep fairly well. But for the last week or so she is just not sleeping well. She wakes up constantly just a few minutes after I put her down and so I have to get up walk around a bit and she's out within minutes....So last night after 3 bouts of this at 4 am I decided to lay her beside me because even though I don't sleep well while she's next to me, it was better then no sleep at all. So my question is this, how do you sleep next to your LO without pulling the covers to high on him but being able to cover yourself?

Sorry for the long rant...I'm just trying to find a way so that we can all sleep better...

[Adallae]

I either put DD up higher in the bed than me, so the blanket only covers her legs, or I lay her on top of the covers.

[memz]

So that means that when she wakes up you nurse her and then move her after she's done....do you open the lights for that?

[crunchy_mommy]

I used to nurse him and then scoot down so I was at his head level. Required me to stay awake while he nursed but I didn't have to move him (which would've woken him) however he was (is) the type to stay attached all night so I didn't get much sleep. Now he's 16mos & I just roll over & fall back to sleep. I try to wear long-sleeve shirts so it's easier to keep the blankets off my shoulders (and thus, his head).

[memz]

Another question. How do you give both sides without switching your LO for side to side in bed...I mean I know that I can lean over with the breast on top to nurse but it's not really comfortable supporting yourself with the other arm for the whole time they nurse....

[crunchy_mommy]

Well I never switched sides during feedings, only switched every few hours, but I found it easiest to just switch him to the other side of the bed. Is there a reason you don't want to move your LO? I used to worry about DS falling off if he was on the outside but now we have our mattress on the floor so he can roll off harmlessly (though he surprisngly only has maybe twice ever, he seems to send the edge of the mattress).

[Adallae]

I move DD to switch sides, keeps her on top of the covers. By the time she wakes to nurse, she's already up anyway(often sits up in bed). I don't turn on any lights, but our bedroom gets a little bit of a glow all night from our back porch light, which we leave on for security reasons.

I also do what crunchy_mommy does, and wear long sleeves to bed. That way the covers are less of a concern. I have a fan next to the bed in case I get too warm.

[Jayray]

I either fold the covers down and tuck them under my arm (so not fully "covered") or I scoot away from DS a bit, push the covers down over him, but up over me. I don't know if that makes sense. He's older, though (12 mo).

[akind1]

When DS was a little smaller - 3-4 months he often slept on top of our covers, and I was only covered from the rib cage down, my chest and above, out - making bf'ing easy access. then I was often switching him from one side to the other, he was already awake, so I figured, why not?

As the weather has gotten warmer, and he has gotten older, I have switched to just covering up with a sheet. bonus is that it isn't heavy enough for me to really be concerned about him smothering. and he usually only nurses from one side at a time now. I switch sides when he wakes again to nurse. (once he is done, I roll to my tummy, I sleep far better this way)