[Sweet Peak]

Both DH and I really want to co-sleep. The problem is: I wake up at night with night terrors that I have rolled over on my LO.

My DH is a very deep sleeper, and he is HUGE (6'6" and just big).

Any advice?

Is it too late to start to co-sleep with an almost 8 month old?

What do you do about blankets? Pillows? How do you nurse while asleep?

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[beebalmmama]

I was only nervous when we first started to co-sleep and ds was only a few weeks old. Once he got bigger I really wasn't worried, although sometimes when half awake I would check to see that the blanket wasn't on his face.
If you're worried about your dh can you sleep in the middle and baby on the edge, either with a side car crib or push the bed against the wall? We had our bed off of the frame and that brought us a little lower to the floor.
Nursing was the reason I started to co-sleep. Side lying while half asleep allowed me to sleep more during the night.

 

[Harmony08]

Yes I was really scared. I am a very light sleeper though. DH is a very heavy sleeper. I think I would still be scared if I woke up on top of my baby. We didn't start cosleeping at all until 4 mos and then only part time. DS slept in a crib pushed against the side of our bed with all of the sides on it. This was fine until the 4 month sleep regression. We just gradually spent more and more of the night together until now we bought a king and put it on the floor. DS snuggles against me and I am able to sleep through a lot of the nursing.

I am very very careful. I keep him away from DH. We have a hard shoe in our bed next to DH which reminds him that the baby is in the bed and keeps him contained. Strange I know. It works for us. I use a pilow but keep it away from him. I use a light waffle blanket up to my ribs, and a quilt on my lower legs. I always place ds on top of the blanket so it can't go over him.

Using a night light helped me feel better. It helps you see the baby for one thing and two it sort of kept me subconsciously aware that he was in the bed.

I wouldn't push the bed against the wall. It is my understanding (from James McKenna) that this is how babies become entrapped and suffocate. I would put it on the floor or get a tres tria or something. It sounds like a side car crib would be safest for you with your night terrors but if you are planning on falling asleep while nursing it wouldn't really matter if you had the extra safe space for the baby. Good luck. It's hard I know.

 

[Chloe'sMama]

We were scared at first, but dd has slept with us from day 1. I have night terrors all the time (did before dd was born too.) We bought a king bed and keep the blankets pretty low (no higher than her chest). She is now 10 months and does perfectly!

 

[readytobedone]

nak

i was scared before DD was born and when she was quite young...once she was 4-5 months, i felt she was sturdy enough not to worry about smothering

--we went to co-sleeping full-time around 9 months, IIRC.

with an 8 month old, i really wouldn't worry.

 

[mamazee]

I was until I did. But I'm a really light sleeper. I woke up once when I started to roll over a pacifier. I can't imagine rolling over a baby. I don't think it's possible for me to, because of how I sleep.

I have something called bed bug bumpers that were relatively cheap and seem very safe, as far issues other than overlying go.