Co sleeping and staying at MIL's house

[tasmaniandevilchaser]

Ok. DS is 6 wks old and we're going to stay at a few different places over the next few weeks. This was all arranged before DS was actually born and stupidly I had confidently envisioned DS sleeping angelically in a Moses basket or travel cot.

In reality he is unlikely to settle like that as co sleeping has been the only way I've had any sleep- we have a sidecar cot and he does sleep in there but often we fall asleep whilst he feeds, I'm kind of propped up, reclining. DH sleeps in another room.

Anyway, I'm worried about co sleeping in unfamiliar places, on holiday cottages, at MIL's house, where mattresses might be soft, or there's no room to put the mattress on the floor.

What have you done in the past?

[hellymelly]

Well, we've moved mattresses off bedbases and onto floors. We have propped furniture against the sides of the bed, and /or moved beds against walls, all sorts of things. (long term co-sleepers). When they were small babies we had a moses basket and they would go in that in a strange house until bed time for us, when we would either have the basket in the bed with us, or sleep with the baby inbetween us if the mattress was fine. It was sometimes stressful but we always found some solution in the end. We took a very good baby monitor everywhere too.

[tasmaniandevilchaser]

Thanks helly, that's really helpful. I was starting to fret, I had even forgotten about taking the baby monitor. Though don't think DS has ever slept further than 2 feet away from me! I can manage at holiday cottage no1 but at no2 PIL will be there and they're very old school and always witter on about 'letting them cry ' DH has strict instructions to shut them up 'manage them.

[hellymelly]

Mine slept next to me too, until about 9m, when chatting and noise from tv etc started to wake them up. Up to then at home the baby would be on a pillow next to me as I just moved the pillow they were on to feed sideways. Away from home I either did the same or laid them into the moses in whatever room we were in and then took them to bed when we went. As they got older the monitor became more important. It sometimes involves a bit of juggling, often I am squashed into a small double with two girls while DH gets to spread out, albeit rather lonely, in a different room (we stay in holiday cottages quite frequently). But we've not ever had to up sticks and go home.

[Charlietango40]

I did a lot of the same kind of thing and often didn't get much sleep cramped up with not much room in bed! Can be stressful with in-laws as everyone seems to have an opinion! The NCT gave the advise that this is your baby and your experience so do it your way, you may regret listening to others afterwards. I found a lovely book called no cry sleep solution by Elizabeth pantley which was really practical and deals with getting babies to sleep longer and gradually on their own (if that's what you want). I went through it 3 times with my children, they were all the same, they just wanted to be close to me! No they are older they love their own beds so it doesn't last forever! Good luck x

[plummyjam]

Get a travel cot like this then LO can either sleep in it, or if not you can wedge it up against the bed to stop baby falling out if you're co-sleeping and not happy for it to sleep between you and your partner.

Later on it can be used as a playpen. Or a giant laundry basket.