Just like vaccinations, home births, and politics, there is a lot of debate surrounding this practice. Co sleeping, bed sharing, or sleep sharing as it is occasionally called is the act of sharing sleeping space with parents and children. We are on our fourth child and we have been able to successfully co sleep with our entire family as it grows. From our birth decision to our child rearing we have always faced intense criticism due to our unconventional lifestyle. I’ve enjoyed 10 years of Co Sleeping and here is our story.
DES
Baby #1 was born in a hospital and whisked away to a nursery and placed in an incubator. His first night, we didn’t have the pleasure of sharing sleeping space but we were first time parents. The hospital staff was “educating” us on the societal norms. We were gifted a crib and gave it an honest try. He climbed out as often as he could. In my mind, I felt like he was following his instinct and it’s damn near every parent’s instinct to comfort your child in that situation. The crib laid vacant from that day forward.
Devil Dan
When baby #2 was born, Co sleeping was not a question. We took it like a fish in water. He slept in bed with us for almost 2 years until he started bonding more with his older brother. He started wanting to share sleep space with his older brother who was happy to have an impressionable shadow. Every now and then, he finds his way in bed with us and there is always a spot for him.
Princess Dhara
Baby#3 comes along and she claimed her rightful place in our bed. She was the boss for quite some time. During this time, I slept a lot on the couch. I had an erratic work schedule and none of us wanted to impede on each other’s sleep schedule. There plenty of nights where she shared a space with me on the sectional. My daughter doesn’t care who she co sleeps with. It could be me, mom, or her brothers. It’s been about 1 week since she has taken ownership of her room and bed. She has been waking up in the morning and laying with us for a while.
Deveah
Baby #4 has graced us with her presence and she doesn’t know the feeling of sleeping alone. I can’t speak too much on it because she is only 1 month old. What I can tell you is she is not a crier. Based on our track record, she will co sleep until one of us gets sick of it or she takes ownership of her room whichever comes first.
The irony is that so many people have their opinions on parenting, but none of us have it figured out. All we can do is what works best for us and our family. There is no room for judgement, just improvement. If it works better for you to place your kids in a crib on another floor, then you should do that. From homebirths, not vaccinating, and co sleeping all the way to breastfeeding and using cloth diapers, someone always has something to complain about.
There's Adventure in all of Us
I took you inside our 3rd homebirth experience
I took you gator wrasslin' in Texas
I took you on a day as Urkle
I took you to @ned scott's funeral (RIP)
I took you to #STEEMITGUNCLUB
STEEM ON & I WILL TAKE YOU PLACES
...mostly in Texas LOL
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