Why am I using my side sleeping crib?! (Tutti Bambini Cozee)

[Babbington]

We've just brought our 5 week early daughter home from the hospital where we spent 7 nights. We've done 2 nights at home and I'm really not sure about our side sleeping cot decision and would welcome your thoughts and experiences.

We have the Tutti Bambini Cozee crib which we liked over the Chicco Next 2 Me and Snuzpod for looks and size.

We've been using it with the side down but I'm just not sure if the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Everyone says that they're great because it's so easy to just slide them over to you when it's breastfeeding time, but I still need to get up to get sorted - go to the loo, get nipple shield from pot of milton (although I could have a stash of pre-sterilised on bedside table), change her nappy before or after feed. And I'm finding it really annoying, particularly when holding her, to have to do the butt scoot down to the edge of the bed not blocked by the cot to get up.

I also don't just breastfeed as I am - I need an extra pillow to lean back against when sitting up to BF, and I also have one of those great C shaped pillows that are helping me to hold her while BF - I need to get up to get these and have to go round the other side of the cot to get them from the floor anyway as I can't just keep them down the side of the bed as that is where the cot is!

Do other people just BF as you are with no extra kit like this?

I swapped my bedside table with a shallower one because I need space for the essentials - people that are having their crib right up by their heads, where are you keeping all of the following: Lamp, clock, phone, water for when BF... etc etc

Finally, I hadn't thought about this until night 1 but I'm really worried about my duvet encroaching into the crib - I have read that Snuzpod say to sleep with the size zipped up, which I could do with the Tutti Bambini but doesn't this defeat the object?

I also think the mattress in the crib is wonky - it looks like it is tilting her towards our bed - but the crib is straight. Could this be because the sheets we are using are Mothercare sheets not the proper Tutti Bambini ones, which are really hard to get hold of, therefore not quite the right size and warping it a little? We've been countering this by tucking more of the blankets under the side that's tilting down to try and even it out.

If you're still with me after that ramble, I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences or suggestions. Has anyone else moved away from a side sleeper for similar reasons?

Thanks in advance!

You've literally only just come home? I'd give it a few weeks. You will soon get better at breastfeeding and not need all of the extra kit. You'll stop changing nappies at night unless they are pooey. You may be able to stop using nipple shields as the baby gets bigger/stronger.

That said if you're sitting up to feed it probably isn't really worth having the bedside crib - they are more designed for feeding lying down, so you can doze off. If that's not working for you yet don't panic, because again it all takes time.

Perhaps detach it for now if it's annoying you, at least you'll have it for later if/when it seems like it will be useful.

I used to sleep with DS right next to me on my mattress, so I put a cellular blanket over his legs and my tummy, and duvet only up to my waist so it was nowhere near him. I wore a dressing gown too. I don't think I used a lamp and my bed had a little shelf on the headboard so put phone up there - but the bedside cot actually ended up being a dumping ground for clothes, muslins, water, nappies, chocolate for the first few weeks until XP got fed up and cleared it all out pointedly to make space for DS!

Dc2 is nearly 10 weeks and my second baby in a cosleeper (Chicco).

The first few weeks night feeding really are a faff, that's a fact, but it does relent! You get to the point where you no longer need to see in the middle of the night for the first time since pre-pregnancy, and instead of sitting up to feed with 5 million pillows behind you you just slide down the bed, slide baby next to you and feed like that, the two of you just lying down. If you're extra lucky baby might even stop pooing at night, but until then (and if they don't) simply take the travel changing mat from your changing bag and keep it with a pile of nappies close at hand. Then you can change baby in the cosleeper without getting out of bed.

From experience with my first I'd say stick with it, just because they go through so many fussy sleeping stages in babyhood. I think half the sleep I got in the first year was purely I could pat ds's bum or hold his hand to soothe him without having to even open eyes, let alone get up and lean over a cot!

It's vvvvv early days

The benefits for BF will become apparent when you get in the swing of things and baby has more head control.

Tbh I mainly used the cot as a barrier against falling out when cosleeping!

I felt the same op! Had to be sitting upright to feed, and crib meant I couldn't have bedside table next to me (although probably could have had cot further down I suppose). It all gets a bit better after the first couple of months. We never managed lying down feeding either. That said, I'm still going to have the bedside crib for my second.

Thanks for the speedy responses so far everyone.

I really hadn't clocked that they were designed for lying down BF - not sure how I feel about that, although I know it will change a lot from here.

Think we're going to detach it for now so it's easier with all my things I need and see how we go, although I feel sad about 'sending her away' even though it's only half a metre and I can pop up out of bed really easily to see her and pop back in again - having to get out of bed isn't a point of concern at the moment!

Hi there. I wondered if you got anywhere with the tilt in the tutti bambini?

We have exactly the same issue. All set up right, doesn’t look wonky, but forever being woken up From her little grunts and noises when she’s wriggles her way over to the side. I’ve alao tried the towels under the mattress but then she just ends at the other side.

So worried she’s going to not make a noise one day and be up against the side for too long with horrible consequences. Xx

I'm going to go against the tide here and say I always had this issue!

Never got the hang of feeding lying down, never left my baby in a wet nappy overnight... never used my side-sleeper with the side down! And I'm on DC2 now.

However, for me there are still other perks: it's bigger than a Moses basket but small enough to fit in our bedroom (thus allowing me to keep the baby in with us for longer), and I can tilt one end for my refluxy DC without needing to repurpose piles of books to do the same job.

Hi are having the exact same problem with the tilting. Cot doesn’t appear wonky but for the last week I have woke up with baby pressed so far in to the side of the cot he’s only 8 weeks now so not rolling himself yet. Literally writing this with a racing heart as just woke up subconsciously to check him and he was face pressed against the side (the material part of the mesh side as not big enough for nose and mouth to reach the mesh yet) Never been so frightened in all my life.
I am seriously thinking of getting rid of this cot like @JYoung87 says- I don’t want horrible consequences for choosing a cot that looks good over safety!

@JYoung87 did you do anything to resolve the tilting? X

@warriers2 we didn’t unfortunately no. Little one is 4 months now and moved her into her cot about 4 weeks ago. Early I know but the mix of her being a little bigger, and the nerves of her against the side, we all got a better sleep.

The best I found was just a towel to slightly raise the mattress, but it didn’t make a big difference. It just encouraged her to the other side.

(If it helps), my husband kept mentioning to me that the fabric was quite flexible (on the side opposite to the mesh), and that even if she was pressed against it, it can easily move as it’s quite lose, allowing them to still breath. Whilst I saw his rational, it still didn’t stop me waking to check on her, and then watch her sleeping just in case it happened again. 🙈

Chances are slim but as you say the consequences are unimaginable. Sorry I can’t be of much more help. I hope you get it sorted. Xxx

@JYoung87 thanks for the response. I just don’t feel this crib is safe and will be reviewing what he sleeps in tonight. I just dont understand how he manages to get so far squashed to one side if he doesn’t roll yet. I am like you- always waking to check on him. X

1. I kept my bedside table, snuzpod was further down.
2. Basket on bedside table had cream, nappies, Muslim, water bottle for me thermometer, etc etc.
3. Snuzpod has a rail on the end I had a towel hung over to do nappy changes on.
4. Shelf on Snuzpod had changes of clothes on it.
5. I used 4 pillows and a triangular pillow. All I kept on my bed, I just slept a bit further down the bed.
6. I got a gro-light. You screw it into the main light in your room then put normal bulb in. Flick the switch once and you get a night light (which I kept on all night so I could see what I was doing) flick twice and you get normal light. We still use it 2 years on.

I would recommend you email their customer service team. I had the same issues of rolling and emailed them. There is a slight tilt which they have rectified in new version and they offered to replace it immediately. New one is much better.

Really @Lenny1987? Well then surely the old ones should be recalled!!! I will do it now thank you x

I thought that too, no idea why they seem to be keeping it quiet, it's a risk.

Hello,
Just read this post. My English is not that good. Can you tell me wat the problem is with this crib? How can I recognize if I have the new version?

Hi... I'm only new to these boards, I am pregnant with my first child and my husband and I actually looked at the Tutti Bambini co sleeper recently. I dont know if the issue of the tilting is a separate issue or not, but wondered if they're connected if maybe you hadn't been made aware when you purchased it. The lady in the shop explained and demonstrated to us how this co sleeper can be moved in to a tilted position to help with babies with different types of reflux, as it is supposed to help relieve it. Perhaps there is a problem with the item also, but may be worth while looking in to the different position options in the manual, or contacting customer support to ask about this, as it could be something easily rectified if you didn't wish to use this feature. Hope this is of some help to you 🙂