The Joys of Co-sleeping with My Child

Why I Love the Family Bed

There is a world of information out there about the benefits of co-sleeping, as well as many myths about its supposed hazards. I'm not going to rattle on about the benefits or dispel every myth today, except to say that I love the family bed and that our son hasn't been injured or suffocated because of it.

I originally began co-sleeping out of convenience. It is simply easier to breastfeed while bed-sharing. When my son is hungry, I can roll over, lift up my nightshirt, and offer him the breast. We can then both get back to sleep with minimal interference of our dreaming.

I continued to do it because my son slept better when we were together. My son tended to wake up if I let him fall asleep and then transitioned him to a crib. He did better being allowed to just sleep where he lies. It was easier that way on us all, much less crying and more sleeping.

He now no longer wakes up everytime I transfer him into a new position while he sleeps. I do place him in his crib occasionally, but when I lay down in bed without him, I cannot sleep as well. The bed feels cold and empty without him, and it feels wrong. I feel like he should be at my side. I worry if he's all right and fret wondering if he'll wake up and be scared or lonely because I'm not there. I go in to check on him quite a bit, just to be satisfied that he is still breathing. When he finally awakes crying for me, it invokes such a sense of relief, and as we settle down into bed side by side to nurse, I can finally get some sleep.