Co-Sleeping vs Sleep Training

 

While in the hospital I personally would not let the nurses take my daughter to the nursery. Why? Because I had watched too many shows about people stealing or swapping out babies. Yeah, I know they put the bands on the baby but from what I watched nurses swapped babies or took them too so in my mind if a nurse wanted to take or swap my baby she’d just make a new band and cut off the other one. Yeah I know this is what happens when you watch too many documentaries and Lifetime while pregnant lol. But for real though I was terrified, so I kept Paisley in the room with me. They kept asking if I’d like her to go to the nursery while I slept, and I kept telling them no. They seemed a little shocked at that.

In the hospital Paisley either slept in the clear baby holder or in my arms. Now when I got ready to leave, the doctors and nurses made it a point to review a plethora of information about important recommendations for parents going home with a new baby. They go over feeding schedules, basics to caring for your baby, follow up care, and special circumstances in relation to your specific birth or child and recommended sleep practices. The emphasis in my opinion was on co-sleeping. They went over all the dangers of co-sleeping and things that could happen with a new and tired mother possibly rolling over and smothering her baby or SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). I won’t lie they scared me at first, so I made sure to keep her swaddled in her little setup.

I did a lot of research on sleep training the benefits vs the downside. I mean it had its benefits with two major ones being teaching your child independence and parents getting to keep their space especially two parent households. I personally am not a fan of the crying it out method but that’s for me personally. I tried it and I just felt like a horrible person because my child is screaming, turning red, and reaching for her mommy. I commend those who can get through it though. When attempting to let her sleep on her own what I noticed was that I never got any sleep because I was constantly watching her or waking up to make sure she was okay. Yall know those new mother jitters where you can’t take your eyes off your baby and you’re constantly checking their breathing. Yeah that was me. So, by the time I fell asleep she’d start moving ready to get up and eat.

Eventually I got tired of getting up and I started napping with her on my bed. I know that sounds selfish, but I was a not only a new mother but a single mother as well, so I was doing everything on my own. I did put space between us and put a pillow on the other side of her so she wouldn’t go off the bed even though she couldn’t even roll. That’s when I started getting some rest. By the time we got her bed put up she was sleeping with me day and night and it was a fight to try to get her in her own room in her own bed. And I won’t lie I enjoyed her being there. It gave me as much comfort as it gave her if not more.

Ultimately, I did put her crib in my room, and I made it my business to lay her down for nap time and bedtime in her crib. But if she started crying in the middle of the night, I’d put her in my bed if the pacifier or a bottle didn’t put her back to sleep. So, for you… Did you follow doctor’s orders and sleep separately or did you just feel more comfortable sleeping with your baby?

 

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