Bedside cot if our bed is low?

[minipie]

DD1 is arriving in December (all being well) and I am looking for a cot.

I like the idea of one where her mattress will lie alongside our mattress with no barrier in between, I think these are called bedside cots?

However our bed is quite low - a little bit like this one. So, I would need one where the cot base can go pretty low to match.

Ideally I would like one that is big enough to last a long time.

I see that Ikea does removable side cots. Does anyone know how low the base of those can go?

Also, silly question, but with a bedside cot how do you make sure your duvet doesn't flop over into the baby's cot during the night? Do you have to tuck your duvet down the side or something?

Mothercare do a bedside cot that has lots of mattress height options so might work for you. Any cot with a drop-side can have that side removed completely but may only have 2 or 3 mattress height options so might not fit flush with your bed.

Thanks v much AKMD - oddly I can't seem to find any details on there about the different mattress height options.

Is it important that the baby's mattress is flush with ours? If theirs is a bit higher or lower is that a problem... I guess higher would be a problem once they were able to roll.

Cur the legs down to the same height as your bed :)

I didn't find any details on that either but I've seen one. Give them a call to check though.

For DS we took the side off his cot and used the mattress height closest to ours. I think the difference was soemthign like 3 inches, so not flush but not disastrous either. For DC2 I got a Brio bedside cot from eBay and that ahs 27 different height settings.

wellie I think you may be a genius! Can't see why that wouldn't work as long as we are v careful to make the legs all even.

AKMD I will look into the Brio, thanks.

Get your dp to do it so that it's his fault if it isn't even

Genius wellie. Perfect excuse to get out the spirit level...

The bed you linked to isn't just low, it also seems to have a base which is a bit wider than the mattress. If yours is like that, bear in mind that the cot edge will not be flush with your mattress. In that case, the gap could be quite big and as far as I can see you would only really be able to get something like a bed nest to work. (Am sure someone else may have a better idea!).
In my case, our bed has a wooden frame frame so I had to plug it with a rolled up towel or similar until baby learned to roll. Then she went into a regular cot right by our bed, which she preferred as she was slightly higher up than our mattress so could grin at us in the morning!
Just keep your duvet out of the way and baby's head up high in the cot; unless your duvet is way bigger than your bed it won't flop too much.

Yes mine is like that and yes there would be quite a big gap now I think about it (3 inches at least). Can I use a rolled up blanket (thicker than a towel) to plug the gap or is that dodgy?

Really don't want to do anything that could be unsafe.

Duvet isn't that big but DH has a habit of pushing it all over to my side when he gets hot ... so there is quite often a bit of excess on my side.

Hmm this may be trickier than I'd thought... I do love the idea of having DD right next to me and with no barrier (but in her own bed) though.

Erm, you're unlikely to want your baby sleeping by a three inch gap, even one stuffed with towel or similar. Could you push your mattress over on one side to the edge of the base?

Not really domestic as the mattress sits in the base iyswim. It might only be a 2 inch gap (my measuring is not great) but that's still quite big isn't it.

The side of our bed frame is padded so would it be ok if her mattress jutted up against our bed frame (rather than against our mattress)? Would mean her mattress is a few inches lower than ours though.

We had this problem as we had a lowish sleigh bed. We got the Mamas and Papas close and cosy cot- I'm not sure if they are still making them. It had a foam wedge which bridged between cot and bed- there were matching sheets with an insert for the wedge. It worked well but actually in hindsight I would've preferred a bed nest if I'd known they existed. I found it hard to reach over and put ds in and out as it was quite far and I had to get on my knees with him in my arms and reach him in without waking him but then he was a frequent waker and feeder and I was doing it multiple times for far far too long.

I was about to say just saw the legs to the right height, but someone has beaten me to it. Easy, and quick.

Bed nest looks fab but just so pricey for something that will only last 6 months if that... I will see if I can find a second hand one.

Hmm, if a foam wedge is ok I'd have thought a rolled up blanket would be ok too...

Any thoughts on having her mattress jutting up against our padded bed frame?

Thanks v much to everyone for their help.

The foam wedge was held in place by the special fitted sheet so that it was one with the mattress. It sat slightly higher than the cot mattress so the baby couldn't roll over it. Even Ds didn't manage it and he was a wriggly wee bugger. It totally bridged the gap so that they couldn't roll into the gap and get their arms or legs or heads stuck between cot/bed and an object in the gap such as a rolled up blanket

We used a bed nest, which was bought second hand. They hold their value so you will be able to sell it on... and yes, it is fab. Really versatile.

Yeah, back off, hellymelly, I'm the official genius on this thread

Oh I see albert yep that is different then.

nocake you are twisting my arm...

So, do we reckon it is ok or not ok to have the baby's mattress against our padded bedframe? Because if that is ok then I can just buy any removable side cot and push it right up against our bed (much cheaper!). If not then I may need to shell out for a bednest or just accept that we won't get that cosleeping effect...

wellies and helly I need as many geniuses as I can get

I defer to wellie on all things.

Ah, somebody does, at last

minipie just to keep up my genuis status how about getting the cheaper removable cot but get a made to measure mattress made up that will fit all the way across to your mattress? Lots of online companies make them. Might be cheaper than bednest, don't know, but at least you can then get the cot frame used since you won't be using their used mattress.

Ooh, not a bad idea at all wellies. What about sheets - I presume the companies that do bespoke mattresses must make sheets to fit them?

I was thinking IKEA cot with removable side...

A cot bed sheet would probably work if the difference is only a couple on inches? Otherwise a toddler bed flat sheet?

You'd have to attach the cot to your bed. I improvised with leather belts but depends on the bed.

Oh bugger, there isn't really any way to attach the cot to the bed. babynest is looking more likely.

So, all those pictures I see of cots with one side removed and set up right next to the parents' bed, have they all got over this gap problem and managed to attach the cot to their bed somehow? or are they just taking more risks...

We have a similar style bed. I got a kiddicare cot. Took one side off and got a mattress a
Few inches wider. The height was perfect and the wider mattress covered the inch or so gap :) we slept like this until he could walk at 10 months

Mattress we got one one from ikeas extendable bed range. Only £60!