To not get a co-sleeper?

[Joytti]

I initially excitedly ordered a snuzpod, only to find it poorly crafted and that the metal poles if tightened pull out the insert nuts; I have sent it back.
We were then desperately looking for an alternative as we have left it late thinking we were sorted. I’d put Moses basket by the bed in the meantime but realised as it’s lower than our mattress I’m throwing my covers in there during my sleep; if you want context of how bad I am at this as a student I once burnt a hole in a duvet by throwing it over a low bedside lamp during sleep…

We went to mamas and papas and I found most of the co-sleepers to be quite rickety and clunky to get the side up and down- I’d like the option to put it up and down easily during the night so I can reach baby but also protect them from me and my sheets! I liked the Chicco ones best but we can’t really have one more than 60cm wide in our room.

My parents think all these gadgets and features are just extra things to go wrong, and that they all look like travel cots- they have suggested a wooden crib. It would mean there was about a 15cm-20cm ‘barrier’ between baby and I- I could have it pushed up to side of our bed and not likely to toss covers in.
However, then I’m going to have to lift baby in and out as there is no option to retract the side.
How important or not important is this? It’s so hard to know and I’m such a deep and reckless sleeper- my teddy bear often ends up rammed between our mattress and headboard- I’m scared of hurting the baby but also everyone seems to say that a co sleeper is best for baby and bfing.

Thank you for advice! (Yes I am being a little bit PFB)

My baby felt the cosleeper put far too much distance between him and hugs, so he only ever slept in the bed. Rather a waste of a cosleeper. With hindsight, I would get something that rocks as at least that's fun for an awake baby even if it gets no other use!!

I used the snuzpod both times, with the side up and a good foot from my side of the bed. It drove me mad that I couldn’t get into my bedside table drawers or get out bed easily when I had it up against the bed.

So basically, it might as well have been any crib. My babies never knew any differently than being lifted in and out so it was fine. It never occurred to me that being able to slide them in and out would make any difference at all tbh.

I was just saying today if I was to ever have another baby (DD is 9 months) I would buy that exact one from Mamas and Papas instead of the Chico Next2Me Magic we are just getting rid of. (Hated the mattress!)
So I think that is a solid choice yes.
My DD grew very quickly in length and we just about made it to 6 months in the next to me. We never slept with the side down as I was worried about blankets going on top of her during the night by accident. No matter what you still have to get out of bed to lift them in and out unless cosleeping, so this just makes sense.
Rock your baby, song him/her a lullaby and watch them fall asleep. Perfect 💕

Used a ‘next to me’ but had the sides up against my bed 🤷‍♀️

I didn’t have a cosleeper bed thing I had a Moses basket and by 5am on the first night of rocking DS and feeding to sleep then him immediately waking every time I put him down I gave up and he slept with me. DS2 didn’t even bother with Moses basket he was straight in with me. It’s very difficult to know what your sleeping arrangement will be until you have the baby. I had assumed I would be quite a strict Moses basket baby in their own space mother but turns out I’m as soft as jelly snd a bit of a hippy dippy earth mother. Who knew?

Ds had a (thankfully borrowed) crib for about a week, before we moved him to his cot.

He kept getting his arms free and would wake himself when he either banged them off the hard wood sides or stuck them through the gaps.

We ended up with the cot beside the bed at the highest height setting and that worked well.

DD was in her cot at the bottom of the bed for 8 months. We then abandoned her to her own room. I never co-slept (very un MN I know, but I was an older Mother, overweight and didn’t trust myself in a double bed). It wasn’t something I ever came across in the years I was childfree. I was also firmly of the opinion I’d never get her in her own bed.

If you throw your covers around that much, I'd be inclined to put whatever the baby sleeps in away from your bed. Everyone was fine before these co-sleeping cots became popular.
I think it's probably easier to pick the baby up out of anything if you can sit up and put your feet down between the bed and the cot.

I just had an ordinary cot! At the end of the bed.