anyone use animals to transition to own bed?

[malakoa]

we're not there yet, just curious about that...

[Irene]

I tried with both my kids and didnt really work :shrug they just arent into loveys at all, Im not sure why...

[malakoa]

i was thinking like a live cat or dog... :shrug

[Irene]

oh! Sorry! :giggle :O

would that be safe? :think

[Amber]

I thought about letting our dog sleep whith ds when he moves into a big boy bed. Our dog is really good and just curls up into a ball when on a bed. I'm not sure if we'll do it or not, but I do keep it open as an option if both ds and the dog want to.

[malakoa]

oh! Sorry! :giggle :O

would that be safe? :think

don't know! my baby is big 22 lbs at one year, and honestly, we're not looking to transition soon...

we did have to find other housing for one cat (he was a temporary guest anyway) because he liked to sleep on new babies neck...

but there are no reports of cats or other animals smothering babies in any medical journals.

p.s. don't type cat smothering in to search engines because you'll get something :sick2

[Heather Micaela]

I have 3 cats and two very non-smothered kiddos.

One male wont be on the bed at all. One male only lays at the foot. And the female knows how to cuddle w/o smothering. She has a great mothirng instict and either stayed off the bed or at the foot when we co-sleept till my kids were 18 mos or so. any moment the kids wernt there though, she would practcally lay her butt in my face though! Now she and dd find a way to share if she insists on sleeping with us.

Actually, this is the beauty of co sleeping. In a crib situtation, I'd have to get a net becuse I still wouldn't trust 100% my sweet cats.

as for the live animal being used to transition. I don't think if it is wrong, but it doesn't seem helpful. we transitioned by giving ds a full sized bed and laying with him till he fell asleeo. In the middle of the night when he woke up and called for us, we bring hin into our bed. that happened less and less till it stpped al together. Dd had an easier time b/c she either co-sleeps with us or her brother.

[Irene]

well, I know that people say that its a myth that cats smother babies, but I also saw my cat come up and cuddle with the baby when I wasnt right there. she was warm ;) so I dont beleive they purposefully suck the life out of them or anything, but babies are cuddly and cats like warm cuddly things ;)