Am I crazy for wanting to switch back to cosleeping?

[mtbmomma]

DD is 2.5 now and goes to bed easily in her bed and stays there until about 4:30 or 5 AM most nights, then comes into our bed.  She coslept with us until about 15 months, then we switched her to her own bed next to ours, and at about 18 months she started going to bed in her own room, and coming into our bed at some point in the night.  We switched her out of our bed because she seemed to sleep better on her own at that age (I'm not sure if this would still be true). 

I know this all sounds great, and I'm sure many of you are thinking, "don't mess with a good thing", but I really love cosleeping and miss having DD to snuggle up to at bedtime.  She also just recently weaned, mother led though she didn't have a problem with it, and I want the cosleeping as way for me to replace the closeness we had with nursing.  

The third reason may be silly, but I had a lot of nightmares as a child from about 5 to 9 years old.  I would wake up terrified and it would take a long time for me to work up the guts to race downstairs to my parents room.  These are really terrifying memories for me, and some of my fondest memories of my siblings are when they would take care of me when I would wake up screaming in the night.  DD will be an only child and I don't want her to have to feel like that at night.  I want her to feel close and secure when she sleeps, and I know I also will feel more secure having her in the same room.  

I have moved her bed in our room a few times, but she will eventually ask to have it back in her room.  She isn't big on changes around the house, and always wants me to move furniture or anything back to where it "belongs".  So, I am thinking about offering to just put her to bed in our bed from now on and I'm wondering if this would be a bad idea?  She doesn't complain about going to bed in her bed, she has no problem finding our bed when she wakes at night, and may even start sleeping all the way until her wake up now that we are no longer nursing.  I just miss her at night, and I would love to have the closeness of a family bedroom.  Am I just being emotional, would I likely regret messing with a good thing?  Advise please, or even a btdt.  Thanks

[lkvosu]

I'm not btdt, so you might take my advice with a grain of salt...

But, she seems happy with your nighttime arrangement so I wouldn't take that away from her unless you really believe it's the best thing. Is there a way you could find to add some snuggles into your day to make up for not nursing or co-sleeping? If she is still napping maybe you could lay with her then. Maybe at night you could a little back massage or some other bonding activity before sleep or in the morning.

I think many mamas mourn the loss of closeness when their kids grow...I know I will!

[mtbmomma]

Thanks for responding, I think I agree with you.  She is having a hard time with having given up the 5am session, and I am really second guessing my choice to wean her, but that's a whole other thread.  But, I think your right, this is more about me needing something more, and not her.