Co-sleepers please vote in my Poll

There are plenty of babes who don't co-sleep and who wake more than once during the night. So, it seems to me the major difference is whether you prefer to have to get out of bed or not.

Certainly each child is different and you will find some mamas who have children who sleep through the night and some that don't. But keep in mind nursing children tend to eat more frequently than formula-fed anyway. Who knows if the child is nursing several times a night because the free meal is there all night long, for comfort, or because of hunger (or a combination). As my DD got older and began eating solid food, she would wake up less during the night to nurse, but still 2-3 times after age 1. I think it became a comfort thing and a habit to nurse if she woke up. She may not have been hungry, but wanted to nurse - usually she would fall back asleep in less than a minute! And by the time she was between 2 and 3 years old, she didn't wake for a nursing at all and slept right through.

I think if your child is waking several times a night to nurse, the best place for the sweetie pie is in bed with you anyway so you don't have to get up and down all night long! There's no evidence that putting the child into his or her own bed will reduce those frequent wake-ups. Baby wants to be close. And just remember, it's not forever. Yeah, you might have to just live with it for a while if that's the path your on, but when those nursing days are over (as are mine now - boo hoo) you'll look back on them fondly and won't even remember the lack of sleep.

I voted "Not that I know of" only because I don't know anyone else personally who co-sleeps and practices complete demand-feeding and both my children are and have been frequent nightwakers who nurse more than once or twice a night. So, . My ds eventually stopped nursing at night with a little gentle pushing from me. But that wasn't until he was over 2 years old. Probably not what you're wanting to hear

Yes, the thing about babies and sleeping (at least for all of mine) is that it changes over the first 3 years, even longer. They will go weeks or months with one pattern, and then it changes, sometimes better and sometimes worse. Overall, they will progress

If any kid under 3 hits a period of sleeping long stretches, I think it's a big mistake to assume it will stay that way. No use setting yourself up for frustration.

Quote:
I second this, although I did vote and said yes, we have one that is more than 1 yr old. Dd most of the time nurse once a night now, but sometimes it's more than that. I have to say though, I cant imagine having her out of our bed. We love snuggling with her and I just cant even bear the idea of having to get out of bed when she does want to nurse. I would much rather sleepily pull her close to my breast and go back to snoozing right away.

Yep it's possible but not probable.

My girls were never consistent in how many times they'd wake up during the night when we co-slept. Some nights they'd sleep through, some nights they'd be up 12 times.

My little boy is the same way as his sisters - he's 5 weeks old and sometimes sleeps 4-5 hours (2 nights ago he slept 7 hours in a row!!!) and sometimes, like last night, he was up wanting to nurse every hour!

I voted, 'Yes, after year 1" because it has happened that way for us...occasionally. Ds is 3 and still wakes in the night (around 3-4 AM). Sometimes he wants to nurse, sometimes Dh can comfort him back to sleep. It's also not every night. As a few previous posters have said, it doesn't last forever, but it may last a few years and I'd rather not have to get out of bed!!

On those tiring nights when both kids are waking frequently, I just remember that even though we're awake, we're all still warm and snuggled in bed, and after all, this is what I "Signed up for!"

FWIW, your baby won't be keeping you up to nurse when she's in college (but you might still be up, worrying and wondering what she's doing!)

Quote:
I agree with that. My friend with a 1 yr old is still getting up 2x a night... and has to get out of bed, and go to another room, to get her baby and feed her. Her DH is opposed to cosleeping. We semi co-sleep... (DS, 10 mos, starts in a crib every night then winds up with us around midnight usually) but FF (long story) on demand... but generally doesn't need to eat a night. Probably on average once/twice every other week he does still want to eat at night though.

I cosleep and breastfeed on demand. Sometimes my daughter sleeps through the night, but usually she needs to eat a couple times. However, neither of us actually even wakes up all the way. She never cries or opens her eyes, and I often have no memory of feeding her- I just find the cloth for my letdown on my breast in the morning.
I know four moms who breastfeed on demand and have their babies crib-sleep- and they ALL wake up multiple times every night. And those moms have to actually wake up and get out of bed!