I forgot how much newborns sleep! Goodness, Aaron is a sleeper (which is okay)! Nicholas and Celia get excited when they see his eyes are open. ha haAaron sleeps in a co-sleeper next to my side of the bed. Nicholas and Celia did the same thing when they were infants. I believe they stayed in our room until they were 5 or 6 months old. While some parents find its tough to sleep with a newborn in their room, I find it easier. I can wake up when Aaron is beginning to wake up. He never even cries because I'm able to get him before he gets that awake. He is a quiet sleeper unless he has a burp bothering him to come out or is waking up. I'm a fan of safe co-sleeping anyway, so I'm happy with this sleeping situation.
Sometimes in the afternoon I'll swaddle Aaron and have him nap in his co-sleeper while Nicholas and Celia are napping (gives me some time to nap too).
I will admit that often Aaron ends up sleeping next to me. I did this with Nicholas and Celia too. It seems as though it is a taboo thing to do in our culture, but its more common than you'd think. Recently there have been too many infant deaths with co-sleeping in our area, but in all cases the mother was intoxicated, there were blankets involved and unsafe situations to co-sleep. When I sleep with our baby, I don't move. I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in. There is no way I would roll onto our baby - just like we don't roll onto our spouses or fall off the bed. If I am too tired then I leave him in his co-sleeper. If I need room to stretch out, then he stays in the co-sleeper as well. I think we all get more sleep this way. Also, a mother produces more breastmilk when she sleeps with her infant - seems as though nature intended it that way if that occurs. Safe co-sleeping also lowers the incidence of SIDS. Nicholas and Celia also transitioned to sleeping in their own beds when the time came. I'm not interested in sleep sharing until the child is very old - just in these infant months. Nicholas and Celia sleep 12+ hours at night and 1-2 hours nap in the day.
Okay, now I feel like I shared a big secret!
For information/studies on c0-sleeping (so you don't think I'm wacko) click here.
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That co-sleeper is really neat. I have my bassinet all set up and ready to put at my side of the bed for when the baby comes. I never could co-sleep, but only because K&B were so wiggly I just couldn't fall asleep. I'm glad everything is working out so well for you - it sounds like Aaron and mom are getting some good sleep!
ReplyDeletethat is the same co-sleeper we had with the boys too! i love that it held more weight and the boys could sleep in it for a long time together. we got one to keep downstairs too!
ReplyDeletesounds like aaron is doing great and is a wonderful baby!
Grandma gets excited when Aaron's eyes are open too! I know you're extra careful with the sleeping arrangement...makes me nervous, but you know what you're doing.
ReplyDeleteI spent many nights and afternoon naps with Riley on my chest and then I drifted off to sleep. It sounds like you have all the bases covered and that Aaron really likes his sleeping arrangement.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's wacko at all. What an amazing thing to be able to do with your baby. You are so right about not moving. Anytime a baby was anywhere near me (even if Darrell was awake) while napping, I never moved an inch b/c I think I was always "sort of" awake, if that makes sense. But, like you, if I was REALLY tired, which was quite often, I opted to have them in the bassinet. I wish I would have used this co-sleeper. It looks so nice b/c even getting upright to walk 2 feet to the bassinet was sooo hard some nights when you're exhausted. ;)
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