14 Comments
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Brooke C.'s avatar

This is so beautiful. 😭 I have absolutely felt the healing powers of cosleeping too. I thought i was doing it for my daughter, turns out i was doing it for me too. 🤍

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Emma Del Rey's avatar

I thought it was for my son, but wow did I need it for myself. I am glad you enjoyed it!

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Louise Marie's avatar

Wonderful piece 💕 I’m pleased you captured the nuances that it isn’t always straightforward - the need for sleep and your own space vs the want to mother in the best way for your child. And not comparing to others! Some of my mum friends are still co-sleeping while others moved baby to their own room at 6months. There is guilt and confusion in all of it!

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Emma Del Rey's avatar

It is a very complex relationship with dueling feelings. There is guilt and confusion, and I think it is so unnecessary, we all can only do what is best for us.

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Jen Odegaard's avatar

Beautiful, Emma. 🌸 I once read a quote that our children's childhood is our motherhood. It gave me a sweet new perspective on thinking about what I wanted to get out of it—and that even those exhausting middle-of-the-night moments were shaping me into the woman I wanted to be. Here's to more soft expressions of motherhood 💕

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Emma Del Rey's avatar

I love that intention, I find it to be very true! To more softening ❤️

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Susan Landers, MD's avatar

Emma, I love your description of your co-sleeping. It is such a special time with our babies, our children, as they grow. Thanks for sharing this….as a professional who also co-slept with her babies off and on, I would love to have you add those bits that describe how you did this “safely.’ (I hope I am not overstepping, but this is the biggest issue for pediatricians as they answer parents questions about co-sleeping.)

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Emma Del Rey's avatar

You are not, it is not something I even thought of because my brain doesn’t think in the way of teaching things. But I could see how that would be helpful. A lot of co-sleeping was actually my son sleeping next to me on his own crib mattress in his crib. Once he was 8 months, we moved to floor beds, his next to ours. It’s only now at 3, he literally sleeps in our bed. I will say I held him for the first few months of his life while sitting up in bed, and there’s no way to do that safely but he also wouldn’t sleep otherwise.

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Susan Landers, MD's avatar

We do what we have to to get them, and us, to sleep. Whatever works!

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Emma Del Rey's avatar

Exactly!

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Amanda Aaron 🇨🇦's avatar

Amazing, Emma. This piece is even more precious since I read through your first draft. The ending was the added touch. Such a journey! Thank you for sharing.

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Emma Del Rey's avatar

Thank you, it needed the ending!

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Lauren Barber's avatar

Beautiful words Emma xxx

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Emma Del Rey's avatar

Thank you ❤️

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