My Co-Sleeping Post

I don't often let things that other people say get to me. I've found that you can use up a lot of time agonizing over every little thing some body may say or write. However, one day someone I know slammed co-sleeping. It just didn't sit well with me. I didn't say anything at the time, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't upset by it.

I'm not sure when it happened. Somewhere between Aidan sleeping on Brett's chest the first night after he was born, and struggling for 10 mos. to get him (Aidan, not Brett) to sleep "on his own", we became a co-sleeping family. We always were I suppose, but didn't admit it until it was a conscience decision to "allow" our babies in bed with us. I finally admitted that we liked having our children in our bed, it wasn't just a "last resort".

I understand co-sleeping isn't for everyone. I know, for a variety of reasons, that not all families could or would enjoy co-sleeping and I respect that. I just ask for some respect for those of us who do choose to have our babes in our beds. Somehow co-sleeping families are seen as "weak" and "pushovers". We just "give in" to our children's whines and complaints. That's not it at all. We enjoy the closeness, the bonding, the sleep! I wish talk-show hosts and so-called professionals would understand the true benefits of co-sleeping and not discount it as a parental problem to be solved.

Our doctor fully supports our co-sleeping. He knows it helps establish a healthy breathing pattern for the baby, consistent heartbeat, helps maintain good temperature, not to mention the great benefits it has for the parents, moms specifically. I wish others would educate themselves on the matter before proclaiming to the world how horrible this style of sleeping is. Naturally I have more to say on this topic, but for now I'll stop and leave you with the #1 reason why we co-sleep.

She's soft, she's squishy, she's sweet, she's mine!

(for the record: This is in the morning and I had just gotten out of bed and covered Veronica up. She's usually a back-sleeper, she just happened to roll over when I moved, she never sleeps on the pillows, and she is as soft and warm as she looks.)

Waking up to that sweet face is delightful. I only wish I had gotten a better picture of her delicious "baby bedhead".