Cot/cotbed or co-sleeper?

[Ruthiebabes76]

Hi there, I am looking for some advice about cots/cotbeds/co-sleepers.

Our DD is 4.5 months old and has been co-sleeping in our bed since birth. This has been fab for us as she has always been a clingy baby and doesn't settle to sleep easily plus it has meant I can feed her in the night with minimal disturbance to either of us. However, I would like to start to try to move her out of our bed at some point and would love to know what has worked well for other mums, both in terms of beds and how best to transition.

There are so many options on the market and all seem to come with hefty price tag! Ideally we would like something that will see her all the way through to fully moving into her own bed and then eventually into her own room, but I am not sure if I am being too optimistic that one product can do this?

I would also welcome any advice from any other co-sleepers about what age/stage/how they made the transition from shared bed to sleeping independence.

Look forward to hearing your advice!

I attached an ikea cot with the side off, £55. Of course DS has never actually slept in it so we gave up and he sleeps on a double mattress on the floor so I can feed/sleep next to him.

DH converted a free cycle cot into a co sleeper for us. But for both my DDs, we've put the other side back on at about 6 months as DD1 was spinning and kicking me in the night and DD2 looked like she might roll onto our bed in the evening when we weren't there. DD2 is now in her cot next to me but with the side stopping her from getting out. So at 4.5 months, I'd consider whether a co-sleeper would be useful for long.

DD slept in our bed until she was six months - she was super clingy and just wanted to be close. At five months, we were waking each other up with wriggling etc. At six months, we'd all had enough, so she went into her own cot in her own room - still breastfed to sleep as usual, and all was fine. She's thirteen months now and has only been back in our bed at night a couple of times (though is usually in for morning cuddles). It just seemed like six months was the right time for all of us, and was pretty much stress free. So maybe get a cot for your room and then move it into her own, if you don't want to continue bed sharing? Good luck!