Co-sleeping / Montessori Floor Bed

One of the most obvious 'Montessori' choices we have made with C is his bedroom. I arranged his room carefully and with a lot of thought for the future, and what kind of experience I wanted him to have. The result is a room that is much more 'toddler' than 'infant' -- but essentially it is stripped of the common nursery furniture designed, of course, for adult ease of use. This is not a criticism. Traditional nurseries are beautiful and functional, and I get it. I understand the reasons for the change table and rocking chair and crib etc. It just wasn't for me. (Note: My husband decided a change table was a good idea. He was committed to, and still is, lugging C upstairs for every single change. I am much more lazy :-), and change him wherever there is a flat surface -- providing it is only a #1. So, we use an old desk with a second hand change pad on top. And no need to gasp -- although there is no ledge to stop him from falling off...we are aware of this and are very careful.) Once he begins his twist-and-turn-and-squirm-so-much-you-need-octopus-arms-to-change-my-diaper phase, we will remove the change table and use the floor.

In C's room currently there is a low bookshelf with a few baskets containing (mostly wooden) toys, some books and blocks, a small dresser, a small table and child-sized chair, the change table/desk, and his bed -- a double sized mattress on the floor.

When he was a newborn we had a beautiful Arms Reach co-sleeper attached to our bed in which he slept for exactly four half-nights. From then on he slept in between my husband and I in our queen-sized bed. (I know, you're gasping again. But he was three weeks early, and little, and he shivered! It was unseasonably cool. Besides, he was nursing every thirty seconds, so no chance of either of us falling asleep to roll on him, and then hubby went and bought one of those sleep positioners. So all was great - you needn't worry!) This worked well for the three of us (well four, really, since the Westie made his way under the covers at our feet each night, somehow) for a long time. Until C began to roll over, actually, and the timing worked well for us - we had a trip to Jamaica a week before a trip to Ottawa just as C began to roll unstoppably, so it was time for him to leave our 25 feet off the ground high bed. Sob. It really is sad how quickly they grow! In any case, we transitioned him at that time to his Montessori bed in his own room. That was a Monday. By Thursday he would not sleep anywhere else!

I am now the most relaxed I have been since having him. I have gone to bed with C since the day he was born, since he is a stomach sleeper (I know, GASP) and has been since he was about 4 weeks old. All the SIDS warnings, and it of course is no joke and is very scary, made me committed to staying near him most of the time when he was asleep. Now, in his own bed, he sleeps on his back or stomach, but somehow I am no longer worried and can actually spend some time with hubby in the evenings.

Since C is not yet sleeping through the night, I moved with him into his room, and he seems to have begun weaning himself off the night time feeds. He will either go 7 or 8 hours without eating or has been eating less and less each feed. This makes it clear to me that given the opportunity one really can 'follow the child' as he has always regulated his own eating very well and created his own schedule. Amazing!! (Note re: sleeping through the night -- this has also been met with a lot of criticism from well-intentioned parents who are sure he is learning to 'manipulate' me. The truth is that I have never been comfortable with the idea of letting him go 10-12 hours without eating. Especially since he is not a particularly big eater. Also, I am not planning on going back to work at one year, so I am lucky enough to be able to nap should I need it during the day. For these reasons, I have never felt the need to sleep train him.)

So far so good with the floor bed. I love it -- he loves it -- and hubby and puppy love it too.