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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Bed side cots

32 replies

Carlitawantsabauble · 30/12/2011 21:19

Hi, first baby due in march and I will be exclusively breastfeeding. I've been looking at cots and bed side cots appear to be the best to me, around 8 heights to line them up perfectly with your bed and a side which folds under the cot, however, They appear to be very rare so wonder am I missing something? I want to get one from eBay really but have looked in a large mothercare (who sell one online) and a large mamas and papas shop (wanted to see one in the 'flesh') and can't find one. Very rare on eBay too.
Have you got one? Where is it from? What is it called?

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frumperina · 30/12/2011 21:24

We got a normal cot from IKEA, put it together with one side off. Measured and drilled new holes to get mattress to be level with our mattress and then attached to our bed frame with bungee cord. Worked brilliantly.Much cheaper then 'bedside cots' or 'co sleepers'. Though as soon as DD could crawl in her sleeping bag she abandoned the cot and now sleeps in the middle of our bed. Xmas Smile

Original poster
Carlitawantsabauble · 30/12/2011 21:32

Thanks frumperina you are a genius! Neither DH nor I thought about drilling new holes Blush! Why the bungee cord though? Purpose made bedside cots don't have any devices to attach them do they (another reason I wanted to see one in real life) bless your DD Grin very cute! I hope DS doesn't do it though, we're both very heavy sleepers so I don't want to actually co sleep! Smile

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pookamoo · 30/12/2011 21:35

Same as frumperina here, but we didn't bother with the bungee cord!

SoftSheen · 30/12/2011 21:36

There's a selection for sale at the NCT online shop: www.nctshop.co.uk

We had the Bednest, which was great (expensive, but well worth it). It comes with straps to attach to the side of your bed.

Kayzr · 30/12/2011 21:37

Carlita, I was looking for one too but decided to go for the DIY option. Still not sure we will do it but probably. Smile

pookamoo · 30/12/2011 21:37

By the time they are crawling around the bed, they are probably big enough to wake you up with their wriggles if you're co-sleeping!

rushofbloodtothefeet · 30/12/2011 21:37

I got a M&P Close & Cosy cot, before they stopped making them. It came with a bolster cushion that covered the gap between bed and cot, but you had to get special sheets for it, and I didn't find it comfortable. After a few weeks I took it off, pushed the cot mattress over as tightly as possible and then used a large rolled towel to fill the gap (and tucked the cot sheet over it). Other than that it was an absolute godsend and I won't let DP sell it, even though DS is now in a big bed. Have just lent it to friends (and will probably keep doing so) - I love it too much Blush

Kayzr · 30/12/2011 21:38

Ps Carlita, I've posted on the graduates thread twice!! Sorry I'm useless!

breatheslowly · 30/12/2011 21:43

Same as frumperina except we used a cot we picked up from freecycle which needed a few extra bolts to keep it together without the 4th side and we used cable ties to attach it to our bed. We put some rolled up towels down between the mattress and side to make the mattress meet the bed with no gaps. Other than the cost of the new mattress it was free which is much better than the purpose made ones we saw.

nocake · 30/12/2011 21:49

We used a bednest, which was brilliant apart from the cost. You can drop the side to get to the baby or have it up if you want to make sure he/she doesn't roll out. The dropped side covers the gap between the cot and bed.

However, I you have the space a DIY version sounds like a good option but please make sure any modifications are safe.

HappyAsASandboy · 30/12/2011 21:51

I just put the side down on a normal cot. Mattress was coincidentally the same height, and the down-positioned rail provided a 1inch high mini barrier (reassuring as it stopped my legs drifting over into cot!). I just lifted my twins over the tiny cot side and back to feed.

Once they were a bit bigger (and a but more robust!) I brought them in with me Grin

Tinkerisdead · 30/12/2011 21:56

I too used an ikea cot. It is designed to be used as a cot bed with one side off so did that with mattress at top setting not bottom. Also bungeed it to my bed as dh rolling about caused minute movements which collectively created a small gap. Tied beds together then filled the gap with a towel. Dd had a sleeping bag or was swaddled before that so just slid her to me for a feed and slid her back again. Was waaaay easier after c section too as no stooping to moses basket etc.

JumpinJellyBeansOnToast · 30/12/2011 21:58

We use a mamas and papas cotbed with one side taken off and pushed the mattress firm against ours. Found that our sofa arm cushions fit perfectly to fill the gap between the cot bed mattress and side. DS however has other ideas as to where he's meant to sleep. As far as he's concerned, he belongs on the big bed with mummy, and will roll himself over until he's squished up against me.

ATruthFestivelyAcknowledged · 30/12/2011 22:03

I got mine on ebay. It's this one or very similar Didn't realise it was so rare!

It doesn't 'lock' to the bed as such so we have the cot against the wall with our bed pushed up next to it. Now that LO is starting to roll I put a (super firm) pillow over the teeny tiny gap when he first goes to bed and then remove it when we go up. Works brilliantly for us.

ATruthFestivelyAcknowledged · 30/12/2011 22:05

This looks similar to mine and is only £25 on ebay at the moment Grin

pooka · 30/12/2011 22:08

Same here with the ikea option (leksvik I think).

HeidiHole · 30/12/2011 22:13

Another person here who is going to buy a bed nest

imip · 30/12/2011 22:14

Another one here with a M&P cot. It has three adjustable heights and one of those matches the height of our bed, with one side removed. We had the 'serindipity' model, which I think was replaced by 'summerhouse'. When dd2 came along, we brought another off ebay. It's a cotbed, so has suited our children til the next one has come along. Our 3.5yo dd2 still sleeps in it as a bed, but will move into a 'big girl's bed' when dc4 arrives in Jan, and it will come back into our bedroom when needed (would like to start off with a moses basket, after 4 dcs I enjoy my space in the bed (though i i did share the bed with dh and 5yo dd1 last night!).

Original poster
Carlitawantsabauble · 30/12/2011 22:17

Thanks everyone! Grin lots of great ideas! Good to know that the purpose made ones don't 'lock' either and have to be pushed up against the wall! Makes me think there is very little point in spending out more on one. Will just eBay an IKEA cot or similar and use all your tips. DH is pretty handy.
Could get a piece of foam cut to size to fill whatever gap we are left with. Makes perfect sense now, just hadn't crossed my mind to doctor it to have more height settings! Smile

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Original poster
Carlitawantsabauble · 30/12/2011 22:18

You can buy me a bed nest too if you like heidi!

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BrianButterfield · 30/12/2011 22:26

If you use bungee cords it really does secure the cot to the bed very well, there's no need to have it against a wall.

Original poster
Carlitawantsabauble · 30/12/2011 22:28

Will go with the bungees. We have quite a collection as DH loves them go camping a lot. Grin

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BrianButterfield · 30/12/2011 22:31

And I just rolled up duvet covers to fill the gap.

sayjay · 30/12/2011 22:35

We made our own with a space saver cot from Kiddicare as described already. It's wedged between bed and wardrobe so no bungee cords here. Great for few months - now he prefers to sleep horizontally across our pillows Hmm but the cot means we have extra space to stretch into if needed and somewhere to rest the laptop!

Original poster
Carlitawantsabauble · 30/12/2011 22:42

Grin sayjay

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