Category: Attachment Parenting

Co-Sleeping with a Bed Rail: Everything You Need to Know

Evertything you need to know about co-sleeping with a bed rail.

After co-sleeping with two kids, I’ve come to find that there are different variations of co-sleeping and no one really does it the same way. Co-sleeping with a bed rail, bed up against the wall, parents in different beds with different kids, parents on the floor, kids in the middle – the list goes on and on. There are lots of factors that go into deciding how you’re going to co-sleep and it’s not only different for each family…it’s also different for each child. 

With my first child, we moved the furniture in our room and pushed the bed right up against the wall. My son slept between me and the wall and for the most part, it worked just fine. The second time around, we’ve done things a little differently and have opted to co-sleep with a bed rail.

Co-sleeping with a bed rail has been great for us. There are some things to consider though, so this may not be the best choice for everyone. While I do love it, there are some safety concerns, so please make sure to read through all of this before making your decision! Regardless of how your arrangements turn out, your number one priority for you and your family should be your comfort levels. 

If you’re debating whether co-sleeping with a bed rail is the right move to make, here are some things to consider:

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The Best TV Shows to Watch When You’re Up At Night Breastfeeding

The Best TV Shows to Watch When You're Up at Night Breastfeeding

I know I’m supposed to stare longingly into my baby’s eyes while I breastfeed her, but let’s be real. Half the time she’s suckling away WHILE sleeping, the other half I’m struggling to keep my own eyes open.  And books just don’t do it for me when I’m drained and tired.  But TV does. And not just any TV. Only certain shows make the cut when I’m trying to keep my cool at 3 am.  

There’s something special about these kind of shows. They’ve all got strong female leads (duh, those are the best), but more importantly, they won’t leave you in tears.  Sorry Grey’s Anatomy, you’re a wonderful show but NOT what I need to see while hormones are zipping through my sleep deprived body and I’m cradling my newborn.

So if it’s 3 am where you are and you’re trying to figure out how to keep yourself awake, distracted, and calm, add these shows to your list and relax a bit!

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5 Co-Sleeping Alternatives for When Your Baby Just Wants to Sleep with You

Co-sleeping alternatives that provide the best of both worlds!

Over the past 4 years, I’ve had a crib-sleeper, a co-sleeper, an in-his-own-room sleeper, an only-in-your-arms sleeper, and a next-to-my-bed sleeper…and that was just one child.  Now I have a newborn, so the joy starts all over again…and this time with two to juggle. While I love co-sleeping, the fear that’s been instilled in me has led me on a search of all the possible co-sleeping alternatives. And luckily, there are quite a few (looks like I’m not the only one trying to make things work).

So if you’re wondering what your options are if your baby or toddler wants to co-sleep, but you (or your spouse) really aren’t into it, I’ve got you covered!  Here are some of your other options:

Related post: 12 Ways to Make Co-Sleeping Safer

 

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The Baby Products You Actually Want on Your Baby Registry

There are so many items you will want to put on your baby registry, but you probably don't need half of them. You do, however, want to have these items on your baby registry!

Putting together a baby registry (especially if it’s your first!) is one of the most exciting parts of a pregnancy.  You can really start to visualize your baby being with you!  

There are tons and tons and tons of things to add to your registry – and you’ll still get a ton of stuff not on your registry – but you really don’t need (or necessarily want) all of those things.  So here are the things you definitely DO want!

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How to Transition a Co-Sleeping Toddler to Their Own Bed

Transitioning a co-sleeping toddler to their own bedroom can seem like an impossible task, but it's easier than you think and it WILL happen. Here are some tips to help!

Making the decision to transition a co-sleeping toddler to their own bed is a joyous occasion. Sure, you’ve looooved co-sleeping with them.  But as with all great things, at some point you realize it’s time to move on.  

And in this case, moving on means transitioning from co-sleeping to a toddler bed.  Whether it’s overcrowding, time to welcome a new baby, or just the right time for your toddler, you will reach a point where your co-sleeping toddler needs to move out! 

Related Post: 12 Ways to Make Co-Sleeping Safer

So how do you do that?  How do you get your toddler to sleep in their own bed after co-sleeping? Or, as so many like to point out, are you destined to sleep with your child until they leave for college?    

My husband and I co-slept with our son until he was 2 and then began the transitioning process.  And believe it or not, it was way easier than we thought!  Just like with breastfeeding, the transition seemed to be 1,000 times easier for my toddler than for me…which was a relief because I ended up being the only one that needed to cry-it-out. 🙂

Obviously every child (and parent) is different, so some tips may work better than others, but this is what worked for us.  And as I said, we were able to pull it off without any crying-it-out (at least from the toddler).

So if you need to figure out how to get a toddler to sleep in their own bed after co-sleeping, give some of these tips a try:

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10 Things I Didn’t Know About Weaning a Toddler

10 Things I Didn't Know About Weaning My Toddler

The time has come.  I’ve weaned my toddler.  No more breastfeeding, no more magic wand to cure all ailments and discomforts, no more being a superhuman mommy.  I thought I was ready, then I thought I wasn’t, and now I don’t have a choice because once I started it just happened really quickly.

So, to all the other moms out there that are breastfeeding a toddler and wondering when (and how) they’ll wean them, this post is for you!  Here are all the things that surprised me as I weaned my soon-to-be 2-year old.

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10 Amazing Perks of Breastfeeding a Toddler

Even though it’s becoming more and more mainstream to be breastfeeding a toddler, I’m still surprised by how many people find it shocking.  Breastfeeding certainly has a lot of challenges, so for some moms there just isn’t the option to continue.  But that’s different.  If you can keep breastfeeding and want to keep breastfeeding then you should keep breastfeeding.  It just makes logical sense.  But, more importantly, there are some unbelievably amazing perks to breastfeeding (especially past the age of 1) that everyone seems to overlook.  

So in case you’re considering it yourself (or are wondering why the weirdo on the park bench is nursing her 2 year old), here’s a list of all the amazing perks of breastfeeding a toddler:

Related post: 10 Reasons to KEEP Breastfeeding

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