Cosleeping moms... when did you ditch the C-sleep position?

[rocknroll15]

I need some insight here, and maybe some encouragement, too. LO is 4.5 months and we've coslept most of his life. It's so easy to side nurse him, and he loves the snuggle spot under my armpit with my arm wrapped around him. However...

Y'all, my body is KILLING me! My back was so messed up from my c-section and sleeping on one side all night is such a pain. I can sometimes manage to sleep on my back with my arm wrapped around him, but that quickly aches, too. I long for the days where I could freely swap sides without worrying about waking a sleeping angel baby.

When do babies get big enough/sturdy enough that you get some of your bed freedom back? Should I just move him to his own sleep space? I go to bed aching and wake up aching, and I don't know if I can do it any more.

 

[poppa51]

@rocknroll15 hello from 10 months! my back is non existing!

 

[love4truth]

@poppa51 oh god D; its just as i feared.

 

[cubcadetlover]

@poppa51 Hello from 18 months… my back has been out since Thursday. I wish I knew how to get her to sleep in her own room but I refuse CIO so I feel helpless

 

[timbohemia]

@rocknroll15 I don't remember exactly, but somewhere near 9 months. One thing that helped me was a foam pillow between my legs to take some of the pressure off the lower back and hips. The pain was so bad from C-curl. I'd wake up every morning feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, like full body aching.

 

[rocknroll15]

@timbohemia I'm going to try the pillow! That is EXACTLY how my body feels. So comforting to know I'm not the only one.

 

[nondwe]

@rocknroll15 I got two pillows OP. One is a knee wedge pillow that goes against my back. Another pillow (side sleeping pillow from Ikea) that goes in between my legs. Its not great but im surviving

 

[waer15]

@nondwe The back support pillow improved my body aches sooo much!

 

[milaj]

@rocknroll15 You’re definitely not alone! I was in the exact same situation and the pillow definitely helped me! I woke up some morning barely able to walk because my hips and lower back hurt so badly. I think it was around 12-13 months I stopped worrying about staying in the C position. My daughter walked at 12 months and I wasn’t worried about her not being able to move away from me. I’m also a pretty light sleeper though.

I didn’t feel comfortable facing away from her until about 14-15 months though. I stuck to stomachs and back and C positions until then. Try the pillow and stretches, and if you can try to lay on your opposite side a little bit before sleep and after waking up that may help

 

[animore]

@rocknroll15 Try a candy cane/J shaped pillow. I got one from Medcline and it works great.

 

[aussiebanana]

@timbohemia Oh lord I thought I was just old and stiff but this will be why I’m getting out of bed and in so much pain for 20 mins until my body unseizes.

 

[timbohemia]

@aussiebanana That's what I thought at first too!!! I'm a side sleeper, so I figured how different could the C -curl be. But one day I slept while my husband had the baby. I slept normally, and it was like yeah, it's totally the position.

 

[saved1970]

@rocknroll15 Around 11 months once he was super mobile.

 

[brian5856]

@saved1970 Second this. When I was confident she could roll over and stand up/sit up if she needed to.

 

[edgeofhaven]

@brian5856 Same. Once my son was basically walking (around 10 months), I ditched the c curl. Such better sleep!

 

[maryj94]

@rocknroll15 Once baby was able to roll away from me, I also did that to him

 

[perviasrectas]

@rocknroll15 Cosleepy has a video about why she stays in the cuddle curl until 12 months link

In addition to a pillow between the knees, I highly recommend the NEPPT wedge pillow for behind your back. It has helped my pain a lot, not completely rid of it, but a great reduction.

 

[camdeng]

@rocknroll15 Its a struggle, I know!! My shoulders have been killing me, but it gets better

I started rolling onto my back as soon as LO falls asleep once he was mobile (I actually dont remember exactly when, maybe at 6 or 7 months?). But I usually leave my arm above his head. Still not perfect but way better for my back and shoulders.

He is now 11 months old and we sometimes just end up sleeping next to each other, his head right next to mine (ive got a firm pillow and I sleep right on the edge of it to make sure its no hazard).

I just make sure never to turn my back on him. Luckily I never do while sleeping either.

Have you tried putting a pillow behind you for support and maybe one between your legs? That helped me a lot during the time LO was less mobile and we just stayed in the same position for most of the night. Similar to the way you can support your body during pregnancy sleep. I know its not perfect considering safe sleep, but I felt that its not to much of a hazard since we really barely moved at all.

 

[lawrence90]

@rocknroll15 Once baby was more mobile I allowed myself more flexibility in how I would lay. Mostly I would just flop onto my back.

Once he could crawl himself up to lay on my arm or on the pillow, all bets were off, lol.

 

[omadaze]

@rocknroll15 Still c-curling with my almost 8 month old. For what it’s worth, I really don’t experience pain anymore after switching out our mattress. For the first 4 months or so, we bedshared on our old plush mattress and I was constantly in pain (back, neck, and hips!). We decided to purchase an extra firm mattress (it’s super super firm) and I literally never experience pain anymore.

Maybe something to explore!