Co-sleepers - don’t you have to get up to change baby anyway?

[Member475802]

First-time mum-to-be-alert! My husband and i really loved the idea of the Snuzpod, but have been put off by our parents saying ‘but you have to get up to change them anyway, so what’s the point?’...good question. The idea that you can just reach over in the night to feed them (without disturbing husband) really appealed, but is that just being naive? I’d love to hear people’s thoughts/experience/opinions on this, as these babies are an expensive business as it is, I don’t want to make an unnecessary purchase. Oh, also, how easy is it for the mother to get in/out of bed with the cot attached to the bed??
Thanks :)

[littleducks]

I stopped changing at night once they stopped pooing at night. You still have to wind and change teeny babies but that stage passes relatively quickly.

[NitramAtTheKrap]

I never changed mine at night! Neither of them.

I suppose I would have if they pooed, but that was a day time activity round here.

[SandorClegane]

Never change a baby during the night unless they've pooed. Well, I never did anyway. I think I just did it on a change mat on the bed if I ever had to anyway.

[NitramAtTheKrap]

I also never winded them. IMO/e bf babies (or mine at least) don't really need winding.

[Lolly86]

I never change dd at night unless she pooed

[ilikepie]

You don't need to change them overnight unless they poo, as pp said. Less disruptive for all. i religiously changed my PFB at each of his 3,4 ,5...etc night feeds until he started sleeping through, thankfully, at 7 months. DC 2 and 3 got changed at bedtime and in the morning unless they had done a poo. Not that they slept any better, but they were fine in the arse department.

[BMO]

I never winded at night either. Only changed pooey nappies and both mine stopped that within a couple of weeks.

[justabigdisco]

I never co slept but am looking at a bedside cot for DC2. However agree that hardly ever changed a nappy at night after a few weeks of age - DC1 just didn't seem to poo at night. she does now age 3 but that's another story

[Pippidoeswhatshewants]

You don't need to change nappies with every feed, unless they poo.
Snuzpod looks lovely, are the fabric sides washable? You will not believe how far tiny babies can projectile vomit and spread runny poo.

If I had another baby, I'd go for the baby bay.

[museumum]

As others say, they go through a phase of loads of runny poo really often in the early weeks but then it settles down. By the time of my DS's worst sleeping (3mo regression) he didn't poo at night.

[Hakluyt]

Only change a pooey nappy at night. And if you don't drink smoke or do drugs then just get two single duvets, put the baby in your bed and welcome to the wonderful and much more populous than you think world of co sleeping!

[littleducks]

I wish ebf removed the need to wind. Probably depends on baby, ds still needs to burp after bf now at 15 months.Of my 3 two needed proper winding and one want very windy.

[museumum]

We had an nct bednest which looks just like the snuzpod and it was the best thing ever. By a million miles. It saved us in the first six months. Ds would not be put down in the Moses on the floor but didn't mind being rolled over into the bednest.

[scarletforya]

My dd never pooed at night. I just put nappies bedside the bed and changed them when she was wet.

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

I only changed any of my three at night when they pooed.

In the nicest way, how old are your parents? If you were in old fashioned terries and wraps, they probably did have to change you. All nappies (including reuseable ones) are miles different now. We use washables at night and they last a good 12 hours.

[StetsonsAreCool]

I change 3wo DS in bed. I've got some disposable change mats (fold up small, don't feel as cold as the plastic mat we have downstairs) nappies and wipes ready on the bedside table so I can just change him where he is. If he poos that is (and sometimes I don't even notice that )!

[lentilpot]

I have the snuzpod! DS is now in his own room but we still have it up on my side of the bed in lieu of a bed rail for when he ends up cosleeping with me.

I mainly didn't change nappies at night but for the first month or so when I did I kept a little load of changing stuff next to the bed (hanging off the Snuzpod in these m.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/art/20215764/) and then changed him in between my legs before or after feeding him.

[CatsCantFlyFast]

I had the babybay. Then a cheap cot as she grew out of the babybay (length) before she was 6 months. The cheap cot was a smallish one but bigger than the babybay, and I removed one side and cable tied it to the bed so it served the same purpose. The babybay was great, btw, but she never slept in it and it served as a bedside table! Therefore my recommendation would be to hire from NCT or buy second hand as they're expensive and you won't/don't know if it'll work for you until baby comes along

Never changed at night unless she pooed, which has only happened a couple of times in 9 months

Getting in and out - getting in is generally via husband's side. I can get in and out if he is in bed...you just have to scoot down the bed a bit. This might be challenging if you've had a section, but I suppose you could always get the husband to move instead

[Heatherbell1978]

I had the Next to Me co-sleeper and changed DS1 at night but just did it between my legs on the bed! I had his changing stuff next to the bed so would lean over, pick up, feed,then push the duvet back and change him on a travel mat thing between my legs, then put him back. Simples!

[youmakemydreams]

I only ever changed at night if they had done a poo and even then I did it on a towel on a change may on the bed. I never ever got out of bed if I didn't have to. When they are tiny it feels like the poop every feed but that doesn't last long anyway but don't change every feed and just do it in the bed.
I had a nightlight type thing. Dim light but enough to see what I was doing in the dark to try and keep
Nighttime as nighttime. No bright lights, cheerful chatting or playing that kind of thing and it was all done in bed for fear of waking them up too much.

[trilbydoll]

DD has never pooed at night and has also never wee-ed when her nappy was removed. Therefore I have never changed her at night but if I had, I would have just done it on the bed!

[TheyLearnedFromBrian]

We always put the cot next to the bed, pushed together with the height adjusted so that cot mattress was same level as our mattress. So like a double bed with baby conservatory attached :) First couple of months they pretty much slept on me, after that grobag in the cot, but effectively right next to me but in their own space safely away from duvet etc.

Cuts out the duvet problem, and I woke when they stirred and could feed in situ by simply moving to the edge of the bed/cot and pulling them closer. Also, much more safe space in general with baby within their own area that an adult can't roll into etc.

[GotToBeInItToWinIt]

My EBF baby poo'd at night until about 4 months old and needed winding upright after every feed until she was weaned at 6 months so can see where you're coming from OP!

[43percentburnt]

We co slept, I fed, dh changed. This arrangement ensures you don't get into the habit of being the only one awake at night... The getting up task can be shared. A 3 minute change once a night is very different to 4 25 min feeds.

[3littlebadgers]

We have a full sized cot with one side removed, wedged tightly between our bed and the wall (due in February). There is enough room for me in my huge whale like state to get in and out of the bed easily. If you have the room to do it, I would really recommend it as it can work out quite costly buying several beds otherwise. As for changing during the night. With my other three we only ever changed them in the night when they really needed it, or were a bit fractious. It helped them to distinguish between night and day to have as little fun as possible during the night. Congratulations on the baby.