I love co-sleeping with my daughter, Ameli. She was born at 4.40am, and by 6am we were asleep in our bed, her cradled in my arm. She used her Moses basket for a while and uses a travel cot now for daytime naps and in the early evening, but once I go to bed she is there with me.*
It’s been an amazing experience opening my eyes in the middle of the night to see her there, her little lips puckered, her face aglow in reflected light bouncing off the clouds over London. The most comforting thing in those early weeks was raising my consciousness to just below fully awake, to hear her steady breathing lulling me back in to a peaceful slumber.
I have loved waking up in the morning to her gentle cooing, little crooning sounds, figuring out her voice while observing her hand, stretched out in front of her, turning it this way and that. She lies there, quietly entertaining herself while I sleep. And when she’s ready for milk, or once she’s bored she lets me know.
‘eh’
nothing
‘Eh’
nothing
‘EH’
and I stir
‘Dadadadada’ as she launches herself on to me, drops down next to me and lies staring in to my now awake face, as if to say, ‘Hey! Enough with the sleeping.’
She lies next to me, and we whisper to each other, until I embrace her, pick her up, fly her like an aeroplane. She laughs, spots a nipple and dives towards it. A quick snack. This is how we spend our waking-up time, and before I know it it’s 7am and time to get up. This is a typical morning sharing a bed with my baby.
*I am a big lover of co-sleeping, but never do so if you are on medication (anything that makes you drowsy, including hayfever meds), drugs or have been drinking, or if you are exhausted.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful post, my two are a little older but your story brings back such wonedrful memories.
Sadly it becomes a bad night’s sleep for everyone when baby grows up. We sometimes let my daughter sleep in bed with us almost as a reward. After a night of dreaming I’m next to a kangaroo (she kicks) I’m ready for that all important separate bed. I’m interested to read about the transition from your bed to Kyra’s own. I think that’s one of the major knocks on co-sleeping: will they ever go back to their own bed?
I wrote about my co-sleeping on mumable recently. I love it even now when J’s three and kicks me hard lol!
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This is a really beautiful post. Thanks for sharing it.
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A most beautiful sharing of those special moments you share with Princess Kyra, My Lovely.
I Love You~
Kesia