Co-sleeping or Bed Sharing?

Co-sleeping and bedsharing are related in that bedsharing is a form of co-sleeping. It is sort of like the “all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares” situation. Co-sleeping is sleeping in the same room as your baby. If you have a bassinet in your room, but it is nowhere near your bed, you are still co-sleeping. Bedsharing is a form of co-sleeping in which your baby is actually in the bed with you.

I absolutely LOVE co-sleeping and bed sharing. For the first couple of weeks as a new mommy I tried out the co-sleeper thing which was okay but both Porter and I knew it wouldn't work for us over time. He needed me, and I needed him. Besides, it's MUCH easier to nurse him during the night.

Deven and I co-sleep with Porter by bedsharing. Like most families who bedshare, we did it completely by accident. It actually started in the hospital. The second day we were in the hospital, I fell asleep holding Porter while he breastfed. I woke up and noticed how comfortable he was, and this feeling of warmth and peace just overcame me. Looking down at him, seeing this STRONG bond already forming between the two of us was unforgettable. We took a couple of naps like that in the hospital, but for the most part, I let him sleep in his bassinet. When he was in his bassinet, I felt a little empty. I was also very paranoid about something happening to him. I remember staying awake just watching him breathe and make the sucking motions with his mouth while in his sleep. No matter how tired I got I couldn't miss a moment of my little boys life. I've gotten over that since then, I actually sleep at night when I get the opportunity, as long as he is by my side. :)



When we got home from the hospital, we co-slept the first night, but did not bedshare. Deven and I actually had Porter in his "co-sleeper" my mom had bought for him all bundled up in a blanket on the table in the center of us while we slept on the couches on either side of him. Strange arrangement we know, not sure how it ended up that way but we slept like that for the first week then finally brought him into our bed (still in his co-sleeper between the two of us). Again, I missed having him NEXT to me, snuggled in. Paitlin has been in our bed ever since.

I love feeling hia warmth. Breastfeeding him is so easy. I just stare at him while he sleeps next to me. Every morning I wake up and find him newly awake and looking at me, most times, even smiling and cooing! It is just the best feeling in the world.