Nighttime feeding- is a Bednest worth the investment?

[Hattieboomboom]

Just wondering if anybody has used one of these and would recommend it. I've been reading about the benefits of cosleeping for successful nighttime breastfeeding and less disturbed nights, but am not keen on having baby (who is not born yet) in bed with us. This looks like it might be the perfect solution.

Can anybody who has used one offer any advice on how to manage the transition into a normal cot, in baby's own room, once it is sleeping thought the night?

Also, how long did your baby stay in the Bednest for?

Thanks very much.

[thisisyesterday]

i haven't used one myself because i only have a standard size double bed and can't see how it owuld fit.... plus, you'll still have to actualy get up to get the baby out of it and feed it, which really negates the whole point of co-sleepign surely?? lol

if i were you I would invest in a bedside crib

[cantthinkofagoodname]

I have one - you don't have to get up to feed baby, just scoot them over to you.

Its lovely seeing my dd's little sleeping face in the middle of the night.

I totally recommend one, they are so useful for feeding as you can feed lying down with little effort.

[cantthinkofagoodname]

This is yesterday - are you thinking of a snugglenest instead?

The bednest is a 3 sided bedside crib that attaches to the bed so takes up no room in your bed.

[Hattieboomboom]

Thanks cantthinkofagoodname... How long did your baby stay in the bednest and was he/she ok with the move to a normal cot?

[cantthinkofagoodname]

I don't know as she's still in it at 14 weeks. We're thinking of taking the side off her big cot and attaching it to our bed for when she gets too big for the bednest. However if you don't want to do that, I can't imagine the transition will be any more traumatic for baby than switching from moses basket next to the bed to a cot in their own room.

[thisisyesterday]

ohhh yes i am! sorry!
def think that one that attaches to the bed is a good idea!

[MoonFaceMama]

I got an ikea cot and pushed it up to the side of the double bed i'm sleeping in. I made it up with one side off,as you would if it was being used in it's cot bed mode, but with the mattress up as high as it will go. We got the thickest mattress as we measured them made up in store to see weather they would match up. There is an inch between them, the bed higher than the cot, so ds can't roll on to the bed. I have to keep pushing them back together so there isn't a gap, but have never found this a problem, even now he's rolling around. I would put a double sheet across the join if i did, rather than the two seperate sheets we have now.

When the hallowed time of sleeping through comes i'll just put the side back on and move back in to my room. That's the plan. Before we got the cot he was in a moses basket at the side of the bed (we had a stand but you could just place it in the cot, or go straight to the cot for bed time, if you wanted). When he was tiny i appreciated the security of the moses basket, and he seemed to sleep better, though it was a pita getting him in and out in the night. Now he sleeps in the cot for a good stretch from bedtime. When he wakes for a feed later on i pull him in with me, and sometimes he stays there for the rest of the night, sometimes i slide him back in to his bit.

It definatly works for us, will be a cot and then little bed for sometime, and cost about £90.

[skum]

I used bednest from my baby. It was IDEAL!
my baby slept well in it. I dint attach it to my bed (co-sleep) but kept in the same room at night.
I best thing I like about the bed next is that I could take it to different rooms easily. Usually, our sitting room get most of he sunlight so day time my baby used to be there.. and night time I used to mode it to bedroom...its easy with wheels..

I had a older version of bednest not sure about new model which is sold on NCT.

I still have bednest- planning to sell but havent yet! I use it as a storage! my baby could sleep in it till 4th month..but it depends on the size of baby as mine is a big baby!

[Trillian42]

My friend has a gorgeous crescent shaped one and loves it - her's converts into a sort of chair afterwards too apparently.

We considered it but realised we'd have to buy a new bed base for it to work as ours wasn't suitable for it to attach to, and as we're renting that just wasn't an option.

We just have the Moses basket in the room, and I haven't had any problems getting up to pick up baby to feed so it's certainly not essential. Winding the baby after a feed can take a while, so I usually get up and walk around anyway (or husband does) so the advantage of the bednest is wasted there.

It would be lovely to see the baby sleeping though - especially at the beginning when you keep checking they're breathing!

[podmumlet]

Coming onto this thread a bit late, but I think the one Trillian42 is referring to is the BabyBay

We initially thought we would squeeze the cotbed into our bedroom and start baby off in there. We have subsequently been loaned a moses basket and crib, but I still can't help thinking about one of the co-sleepers.

Is it worth the rather hefty investment to have a BabyBay, BedNest, or Universal Arms Reach Co-sleeper?

[TruthSweet]

TBH we just got a 2nd hand cot (new mattress though) with a drop side, with the mattress at the highest position there was only a fraction of difference between bed and mattress. With the dropside lowered it provided a barrier so DD2/3 couldn't roll into bed or roll into cot by herself. DH bungee corded it to our wood bedstead so it didn't move in the night and a folded up towel was put in the little gap between mattress and dropside.

It only cost £50 for cot and about £25 for mattress and we didn't need to spend a fortune of special sheets (some of the one you linked to had sheets costing £13!) and an ordinary cot can be used for more than 3 or 4 months and used in a room on it's own (eventually we've still got DD3 in with us at 13m/o).

[Woodlands]

I got a mothercare co-sleeper cot from ebAY (this one) with a new Ikea mattress. we have a low ikea bed so even at the lowest setting we had to saw 10cm off the cot legs to get it to match up with our bed, and as the bed has a wooden frame round it we cover that with a sheet and a towel. i didn't quite realise that a normal cot would do, but we only paid £35 for it anyway. keep an eye on ebay! it's definitely a good idea, and we can use it as a cot in his own room if/when he ever starts sleeping through (can't be bothered with getting up in the night for night feeds!).

[Woodlands]

pod we also were lent a moses basket and a crib but I didn't like the moses basket as I couldn't see him in it, and he wouldn't sleep in either. he just ended up in our bed every night until we got the co-sleeper cot when he was about 2 months.

[NinkyNonker]

We're using a moses basket at the mo, but I'm looking at (DH is yet to be convinced it will fit...I'll win ) bringing her cot in once sided and having it next to the bed. I'm not prepared to put her in on her own early (she is only 4 months) for the sake of a bit of inconvenience now.

[MoonUnitAlpha]

If you have the space I'd get a full size bedside cot (I have the cosatto one) and then they're used to their cot from the beginning.

[Woodlands]

OUr bedroom is only 10' by 12' and we've got a double bed and a cot in there - plus two wardrobes, a chest of drawers, a chair, two bedside tables and a laundry basket! There is admittedly very little space to walk. We have the cot up against the wall and the bed next to that.

[AngelDog]

I used a Moses basket when DS was tiny and now he sleeps with me on a mattress on the floor at 11 m.o.

If we have another, I'll just take them into bed from the start. We have a Lindam bed rail to prevent falling out.

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

See my post from this threads first time round for a cheeper solution
Still working for us 6m on

[thefatladyscreams]

Currently using a Bednest with our 8 week old and really love it. Best thing we bought.

[RJandA]

We used our bednest until DD was just over 5 months old, but she was small... if you end up with a big baby they may grow out of it sooner.

I would definitely recommend it, but for me I still had to sit up to pick her up to feed - but maybe more because I didn't get the hang of feeding lying down than the design of the cot. But didn't have to get out of bed.

For me the biggest pluses were that you can take it with you when you stay a night somewhere else, so no need for unfamiliar travel cots.

Also the side folding down is a great feature, my LO liked a hand on her chest or a finger in her mouth while she fell asleep, and the side meant that I could lie down and fall asleep myself while keeping the LO happy.

[mrsgordonfreeman]

I use the Cossato cot with the side down still, dd is 13 months, sometimes she even sleeps in it! It's good as a way to stop me falling out of bed, if nothing else.

My sister used the bed nest but her giant behemoth baby has already grown out of it at 3 months old so it's a hefty investment.

[Zimm]

I have an arm's reach co-sleeper, v similar product but should last DD until around age 18 months and I absolutely love it. Just scope DD out in her gro-bag, turn light on v low, feed her and return her to her bed - she goes stright to sleep. Whenever I wake I can just reach out and check her, similarly she can hear/smell me easily at night, but I don't worry about squishing her (I know BF mums never do when co-sleeping but nonetheles I prefer her in a seperate space).

[Tvetenia]

I have the bednest and really like it, although as the mother of the giant behemoth mrsgf refers to, we have outgrown it sooner than expected but will still use as a travel cot for a while.

Ds wouldn't go in it for the first few weeks so I had the side up to make a bumper for our bed. At around 4-5 weeks he suddenly took to it and my sleep is much better. Ds upchucks if left to his own devices feeding lying down so I sit up to feed. Sitting up then pulling him across from the nest to feed is much easier than doing it when he's in our bed.

We are waiting for the Cossato to arrive through the snow, and could have used one from the start I suppose, but it doesn't have the portability of the bednest which I just lift off the base and use round the house.

[JuuMum]

Hi all, I came in this thread a bit late... I am start exploring co-sleeping cot options as my baby will be arriving in 2 months time!

Am wondering if I should invest in an Arm's reach mini co-sleeper or a Bednest? We will be travelling alot (families in Asia, Europe and we are in London) so would really need one that is sturdy and light to travel with.

I really like the bednest, but its impossible to get hold of one now. So am thinking if Arm's reach would be a good alternative???

[BertieBotts]

JunMum, you can convert most cots into a bedside one. The ikea ones are best for this. In fact they are pretty cheap so you could even buy 3 and have one in each place!

Basically, remove fourth side, raise mattress height to match bed by drilling extra holes for the bolts, push cot mattress to meet the bed, block far side gap with rolled up towels, secure cot legs to bed legs with bungee cords or cable ties or something.

Although, surely the cheapest, most portable option would be a bed guard, and just sleep with her in the bed itself.