We knew from day one that we would practice bed-sharing when the kids were little. Jamie transitioned to his own room without too much horrible drama when he was younger than Harper. She, however, is proving to be a tough nut to crack. We are trying to transition her to a crib in her brother's room and it is not going very well yet. She's in there maybe two hours before waking up VERY upset at being 'alone' in the crib.
Jamie was done nursing around 14 months are so and Harper is 15 months and shows no inclination to be done any time soon. I'm totally ok with this as I know that the World Health Organization recommends that "mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child's first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, they should be given nutritious complementary foods and continue breastfeeding up to the age of two years or beyond." I knew that I would nurse her until it was beneficial for us both to stop. So far she is not ready but the night time nursing sessions are guaranteeing that a night of uninterrupted sleep is a distant dream right now.
Crying it out (CIO) is not an option. I just can't do it. She gets too upset too quickly and it's just not for us.
I guess I'm asking for advice on what to do. I know there are enough attachment parents around here that have probably gone through the same situation and can offer suggestions.
(I will say this as respectfully as I can - Please don't tell us how CIO really works or how we shouldn't have had the babies in the bed in the first place. We are confident in our decisions and don't want to hear how we are 'doing it wrong'. We just want to know how to move forward so that we can all sleep more. Thanks in advance for your help.)
Stumble it!