My husband and I sleep with our son. In our bed. Yes, he sleeps in between us, beside me or beside my hubby. I'm pretty sure that some people will vehemently disagree with this type of sleeping arrangement and others will be able to relate with us.
I am aware of the dangers and took the necessary precautions, especially when he was a baby and was still not able to roll over. During his first month he slept in the crib, beside our bed. However when I discovered breastfeeding him using the side lying position, he found his way more in our bed, beside me and the hubby slept on the floor (poor him, but parenthood is like that, you sometimes gotta sacrifice). It was easier that way because I was able to rest better. As he grew older, we did try to make him sleep in his crib, but again, he would wind up sleeping with us when he wakes up for feeding during the ungodly hours. It was easier that way and everyone was happy and got better sleep. This made us re-arrange our bedroom (for the nth time), pushing the bed against the wall (we placed some padding on the wall, too!) and we also bought a bed rail from Safety first that we attached to the edge of our bed. I'm also a light sleeper, so I am easily awaken by any movement or noise.
This sleeping arrangement is working for us and we are not looking at changing it any time soon. We don't believe that this will hamper our son's independence, as others see it that way. There are a lot of ways to teach one's kid independence and surely sleeping arrangement isn't the only way. I can attest to that because my brother and I used to sleep with mom beside us and we grew up just fine.
My husband and I are enjoying this moment, because we know that there will come a time that he will not want to sleep beside mom and dad anymore. I just hope that people will respect our decision and not impose on their beliefs. Respect. To each his own.
