co-sleeping ... not working for anyone?

[wife&mommy]

I was wondering if I am the only one having trouble with co-sleeping? I am miserable at nights and my baby makes noise/moves all night long and I just cannot sleep through it. The best sleep I get is with her on my stomach but I'm worried about her rolling off and also I cannot sleep well on my back and its miserable for me the entire time and I wake up with neck cramps. I try with her on the side of me and she either rolls or is stuck up against me and I can't move.

She doesn't sleep on her own either (not that I would want her to) so I don't really have a choice. I don't remember it being like this with my son though and I'm just wondering if I'm doing something wrong?

Also I can't nurse lying down (never could with DS either) because of my enormous & sensitive boobs so I have sit up and down all night long to nurse and my muscles are SO sore from trying to scoot around.

Anyone have any advice?

[YummyYumYumMama]

hmmmmm. i fall asleep with m while nursing sometimes and i don't sleep as well w/her on my belly and me on my back. we have a sidecarred crib, and i sleep a lot better when she's in it. if i put my hand on her while we sleep she tends not to make many noises/movements. would something like that be feasible for you?

eta - i have to sit up to nurse too and keep a wedge shaped pillow at the head of the bed so that getting comfy is easier. it means i sleep lower in the bed and have to keep my knees bent but that's ok, i'm not a stretch-out sleeper. the wedge is here w/my pillow against it (usually it's closer to the crib) - so i wake up, move my pillow against it, grab baby, & lean back.

[VickV]

I'd second the sidecarred crib (or a cosleeper) idea, or maybe something like the Snuggle Nest if you think she'd sleep in it?

[CowsRock]

Originally Posted by MmeMuffin

the wedge is here w/my pillow against it (usually it's closer to the crib) - so i wake up, move my pillow against it, grab baby, & lean back.

I know this isn't helpful at all, but oh my gosh you two are so cute!

[YummyYumYumMama]

Originally Posted by CowsRock

I know this isn't helpful at all, but oh my gosh you two are so cute!

thanks!

[minsca]

I've been having the same problems for the past week or so, except I can side lay nurse. However when she's bf I don't sleep very well either. Last night I moved to the couch and put her on my tummy on the side that is closest to the back so at least I wouldn't be worried about her falling off. I was finally able to get some decent sleep that way. But I woke up with a major headache. So I'm thinking that option is over. It's like she will only sleep being held, in her sling, or strangely enough in her carseat if she's bundled up in her snowsuit. I don't like the carseat option though, (unless we just came back from an outing) so I end up not getting a lot of sleep, and it's starting to show!
I do remember DD#1 being the same way at this age, difference is, that then I could nap when she was sleeping during the day as well, and she would sleep in her swing.
Oh well, in a year I won't be having this problem.

[look11]

My first daughter would only sleep in her carseat for the 1st 3 or 4 weeks. She wasn't bundled from outdoors, we just swaddled her and put her in it and that's the only way she would sleep even a little. The car seat sat IN the basinette next to me. My in-laws gave me no end of grief, saying "she'll have a bent back!" Needless to say, she's FINE.

My philosophy is "whatever works."

[kathywiehl]

Not in your DDC, but I noticed this and wanted to respond. My friend mentioned the other day that she slept with the baby in a moses basket in her bed. My dd slept in her carseat at first and then her swing because that was the only way she could sleep.

Personally, I'm not great at cosleeping with a newborn. I just can't relax enough with them in bed with me, but I also can't relax enough with them not in my bed either. Two different sets of worries there....I say find what works and do it.

Something else I did to compromise was to have my dh sleep someplace else, then strip my bed of all blankets and lay with the bay in my bed but our bodies made a "T", so I lay normally on the bed and his feet met my side with his head further away from me than his feet. This way I was still right there next to him, but I felt like I wouldn't roll over on him and his head was away from my pillow. I get worried about pillows and blankets with newborns so this was a great solution for me.

[mama2rey]

I have the hardest time co-sleeping. First because I can't for the life of me master the sidelying nursing position. I prefer to nurse sitting up because that's how I can get a half decent latch-but then DS falls asleep on my belly, which terrifies me because I worry about SIDS, or worse rolling over.

It doesn't help that I am sleeping on the outer side of the bed. We had sidecarred the crib next to the wall-then next to the bed-however with my c-section scar, I'm still sore, and it hurts to climb into bed that way. Hopefully as I heal co-sleeping will be easier.