Bedside cot/co-sleeper thoughts

[barkfox]

I'm looking for a bed/cot for a newborn, pref not too expensive, that will go alongside my bed, putting him/her within easy arms' reach.

This is my 1st baby, so I'd appreciate some thoughts from mothers who've been there before.

I will be having a CS, so would really appreciate something which can be made bed height and doesn't require a lot of wrestling with sides etc each time I want to lift baby out, which I don't think I'll be up to realistically. I think the CS probably rules out just using a Moses basket on a stand, what with the getting out of bed, bending and lifting etc.

(Other options like just sleeping with our mattress on the floor and baby mattress beside are also not an option cos of CS).

I've looked at the Arms' Reach Universal Co-sleeper, and what I really like is the very small lip in between the cot mattress and the adult bed. Looking at other 'drop side' cots, I just think - but isn't there a gap between cot mattress and bed? Which even if it's very small, looks a bit dangerous to me.

I've read somewhere about using a sheet under a bedside cot mattress which then goes under the adult bed mattress - but that doesn't seem massively secure to me. Maybe I'm paranoid! but I worry about baby rolling and getting trapped, or trapping arms and legs in the gap....

Are there cheaper bedside cots which have an adjustable mattress height, AND something which can form a little 'anti-roll' barrier between bedside cot and adult bed??

I'm thinking we will be buying a bigger cot for nursery room, so rather than looking for something which can last from birth to x years, I'm looking for something which is ideal for newborn/post CS care, and I guess only needs to be used 0-6/9 months...

I'm a first time mum, so if I've missed something really obvious or have it all wrong, please be kind! Thoughts much appreciated.

I have had 2 c-sections and had an arms reach mini co sleeper which was quite frankly the BEST bit of baby kit I have owned (and I am a acompulsive shopper ). I bought it because as you suspected the moses basket thing with all the bending etc just did not work.

I have lent my arms reach to friends who have c-sections or have problems with breast feeding or baby sleep routines and all have found it fantastic! In fact my youngest is 3 and although I have finally got rid of all the baby equipment in the house I have kept my co-sleeper 'just in case' we go for a third baby!

Perfectly safe, goes anywhere, your baby will be right next to you - I can't recommend it highly enough - and nope I don't have shares in arms reach - I just remember how agonising these decisons can be!

Good luck with the birth - I hope it all goes really well for you!

Beagle how long (how many months) could you use the mini version for? Thanks

Thank you, Beagle101 - looks the mini's are pretty hard to come by in the UK atm, but might be worth hunting down by hook or by crook!

I used the mini until my daughter was about 8 months as she was smaller and also didnt have any overwhelming desire to fling herself over the top - my son on the other hand was a bit of a kamikaze baby and was crawling at 5 months, walking at 8 months and so we moved him out of the arms reach a bit earlier at 6 months-ish - but only because he just climbed out of constantly and into our bed!

HTH

I had one of these for DS and loved it.
Bought it 2nd hand and ordered a new mattress on ebay (total cost about £120)

DS outgrew it by about 4 months at which point he went into fullsize cot in our room.

Would definitely recommend a bedside crib, didn't have CS myself but it was lovely not to have to get up properly to bf during the night and to wake up face to face with your baby

Thanks Montifer, glad to hear you enjoyed bedside crib experience!

With that particular crib, was there anything to stop a baby rolling into the gap between crib and adult bed? or is that just not an issue? That's one of the things worrying me (1st time mum here so have list of probably unfounded worries as long as your arm).

There wasn't a significant gap between crib mattress and our bed (that model seemed to have a good variety of height options and was pretty flush to our bed) and DS had outgrown the crib by the time he was rolling, so was in a big cot.

Sorry I can't remember when they actually start rolling, but I think DS was pretty average and he didn't really move much in the 1st few months, just flapped his limbs about a bit.

Thanks Beagle. If I ever get the chance to do it all again, def want an easy access sleeping/feeding/recovering from CS type cot!

don't forget the bednest which has some fab reviews - it looks delicious too

Aha - a late runner! Thank you babynest, I didn't even know about the bednest - this is what you mean, I take it - www.bednest.com/

It looks v interesting - about £40 cheaper than a new Universal Co-Sleeper, too, although without the handy pockets and 'shelf' that the co-sleeper has...

You don't have one by any chance? Does anyone else? Just after user-thoughts. TIA.