Our Co-Sleeping Adventure: The Good, the Bad, and the In-Between

When I was pregnant, I thought about buying a crib, but everyone told me not to bother – that the baby would just sleep with us anyway. And honestly, I knew they were right. Our first child slept with us from day one, and we didn't have a problem with it. But when our second child came along, things got a bit more complicated.

One mom, who's a mom of multiple kids, actually recommended a crib with a mesh panel. My husband and I are pretty low-key people, and we don't like to snuggle, even when we're sleeping. So, the idea of co-sleeping wasn't really on our radar.

When our second child was born, we set up the crib right away. In the hospital, the nurses made a little cocoon for her, and I bought one of those at home too, but we ended up getting rid of it. She just didn't like it.

Our daughter, Runa, actually preferred the cocoon at first, but then she just got rid of it. She didn't like being confined, and she'd get really upset when we tried to put her in it.

It took some time, but we managed to get her to sleep in the crib. We'd put her in it, and then she'd just sleep there. It was a huge relief.

Of course, there were nights when we'd have to get up and feed her, and then put her back in the crib. But to be honest, I didn't mind. I was on maternity leave, so I didn't have to go to work, and I could just sleep in.As she got older, we started to notice that she was afraid of the dark. We'd turn off the lights, and she'd get really upset. We tried to reassure her that it was okay, but it didn't seem to work. So, we had to get creative and set up a nightlight.

When she started teething, things got a bit more complicated. She'd get really fussy, and we'd have to take her out of the crib and comfort her. But we tried to make it a positive experience, and we'd give her something to eat or drink before putting her back in the crib.

One thing that really helped was establishing a bedtime routine. We'd give her a bath, read her a book, and sing her a lullaby. It seemed to work really well, and she'd just sleep through the night.

I'm really happy with the crib we chose. It was around $5,000, and it's been a game-changer for us. It's got a lot of space, and our daughter can move around easily. We've even lowered it to the lowest level, so she can get in and out of it easily.

When we go visit my mother-in-law, we've taken the crib with us, and it's been a lifesaver. We can all sleep together, and it's just been really nice. But our daughter does get a bit upset when we're not in the crib with her.Now, at around a year old, our daughter is sleeping through the night, and we're not having to get up and feed her as much. We're really proud of her, and we're just enjoying this time with her.

We've established a bedtime routine that works really well for us. We give her a bath, read her a book, and sing her a lullaby.When she wakes up in the middle of the night, we give her something to eat or drink before putting her back in the crib.We've also made it okay for her to have toys in the crib, as long as they're not too big or too small. It's helped her to relax and fall asleep more easily.

I know that co-sleeping isn't for everyone, and that's okay. But for us, it's been a really positive experience. We've been able to bond with our daughter, and we've been able to get a good night's sleep. And let's be real, that's not always easy with a baby.One of the only downsides to co-sleeping is that our daughter can get a bit too comfortable, and she'll start to roll over and fall out of the crib. But we've been able to mitigate that by making sure the crib is at the right height, and by using a mattress with a firm surface.

Overall, I would say that co-sleeping has been a total game-changer for us. It's helped us to bond with our daughter, and it's given us a good night's sleep. And let's be real, that's not always easy with a baby.