Co Sleeping VS. Sleep Training
When it comes to choosing sleep methods, it boils down to what is safest and best for your family. I have a few blogs posted on sleep training basics, but today I want to go over why you would choose one over the other and what are the benefits? This is not a "how-to" or "safety-guideline." Just a pro/con list from a mama who has done both!
I have had experience with both methods and due to that experience was intending to sleep train my third. Mind you this choice was made during my third trimester with a 55 hour a week work schedule, limited sleep, and no coffee. Now with my 3-week old baby girl in my arms, I am changing my mind. Let's go over the pro's and con's and then I'll explain where I landed!
Co-Sleeping Pros and Cons
Pros:
You will get more sleep. Since you can quickly nurse your baby back to sleep when she stirs, you only have to get out of bed for diaper changes.
You can meet needs quickly. Feeding, Burping, Changing is all done when needed instead of on schedule. You don't have to wait for a cry; the actual need awakens you, you hear when she poops, you feel her start to stir when she is getting hungry or has uncomfortable gas.
You get a lot more bonding time with your babe which may be important to you if you are a very busy mama.
Cons:
Independent daytime napping will take some work since your baby is used to sleeping primarily next to a warm mama bear!
You will have to sleep train at some point in time, and the longer you wait, the harder it can be unless you're waiting for the child to show interest on his or her own.
Your baby is up with you until bedtime. Which simply means she is a part of your pm hygiene routine, so you need to figure out a way to do that with a baby in tow.
Sleep Training Pros and Cons:
Pros:
You get more time for yourself (or your other responsibilities) as your child goes to sleep before you do.
Your child's routine will be easy to manipulate and change when needed.
Daytime napping by themselves will be comfortable and natural.
Cons:
During infancy, you will get less rest since you need to get up out of your bed every feeding. Nursing or bottle feeding, changing, burping, swaddling, and calculatedly soothing back to sleep can take 30 minutes.
Your child is not as close to you, and you will only note needs by baby's cry.
You miss out on all the midnight snuggles.
My personal reasons for sleep training and co-sleeping are all about lifestyle, and the choice is made per child.
My first born was sleep trained from his first day home from the hospital, and it was a breeze. He was a great sleeper, could nap just about anywhere. If I needed to take laundry in his room or tidy up I could do that usually without waking him but if he did wake up, I would tell him to go back to sleep and he would. He was able to transition out of his crib pretty early because I could trust him to stay in his bed and that was not difficult for him. However; My first born had all my time, all my love, all my attention, and zero distractions. It wasn't a big deal to either of us to be separated for those sleep periods. He also wasn't missing out on any fun during nap times because it was just him and me.
My second son Co-Slept and I loved it! I had a difficult time getting pregnant, experienced a traumatic pregnancy, and then had an emergency delivery. We also thought he would likely be our last child due to complications. I felt like I needed to be as close as possible and was not concerned with convenience at all. The cons? Sleep training him for daytime napping during daycare hours was terrible. He disrupted all five other napping children. I had to sleep him in a different nap room. I spent all of my downtime opportunities during my 11-hour shift patting him back to sleep. He often ended up sleeping in the rocking chair with me, and all the daycare chores had to wait.
Now I am with my third little one (3-weeks old and a girl). She spits up A LOT, and I am terrified every time I wake up to that terrible sound of her choking on her spit up. I’m not co-sleeping, but she is in a crib right next to my bed and I am breastfeeding on demand. For all intents and purposes she is being comforted back to sleep each time and enjoys all the benefits of co sleeping. I know this will be counter productive but I think I am okay to put in the extra effort later, because right now, I’m really grateful for the quiet alone time with my new babe. Besides, when the time comes, I will sleep train her.