Confession of an accidental Co-Sleeper

Yes, I admit it...  I co-sleep with my son.  Not throughout the night, but from his 4 am feeding to 7 or 8 am when my older girls wake up the household.  I fought co-sleeping when he was still that brand new little ball of cuteness and grossness all at the same time.  Not quite a real person, but a ball of needy loud mess.  (don't get me wrong I love all my babies, but I love them even more once they get more of a personality.. like he is now.)

Not just the fear of SIDS held me back from co-sleeping (although it was a HUGE one).  After listening to horror stories about my brother-in-law trying to sleep with his parents until he was almost 10.  Than the guilt hubby laid on me for buying a beautiful gliding cradle only for it to gather random baby stuff I needed to survive another night.

I held firm about not co-sleeping until baby Maxx was just over a 1 month old.  My  lack of sleep had caught up to me.  I was falling asleep at random times and my brain felt like it had short circuited.  I would find myself starting sentences only to end them in either a snore or some other completely random thought.

One night after another bout of marathon nursing I fell asleep with my son curled up next to me in bed.  I woke in a panic a few hours later. (it was the longest he had slept since being out of the womb) He was perfectly fine snoring away just like daddy.  I knew then that some major changes had to occur before I could sleep comfortably again...

I removed any spare pillows and even stopped sleeping with a blanket.  Maxx never ever sleeps in bed with us if either of us have had any alcohol. (I still haven't had my first drink since getting pregnant.) We always keep the ceiling fan running. (it's been proven to reduce SIDS) Even though hubby hates some of the changes, he goes with the flow knowing they are for my sanity.  These minor changes have made it so that I can comfortably and safely continue to exclusively breastfeed no matter the time he demands my attention.

I will admit that Co-sleeping has gifted me with the best Mother's Day I have ever experienced.  Just last Mother's day, I woke up to the smiling face of my 3 month old son.  He was just laying there watching me expectantly but with such joy.  When he saw  that I was awake his whole little body exploded with excitement.  It was the first time he had really smiled at me, Just for being me.. not doing something silly.  Just being his Mom.