Co-sleeping from newborn

[Cocomandarin]

I’m planning on co-sleeping with my 2nd baby once they’re here. I’m just thinking about the logistics of it. it will be just me and them in a super king bed.

I’m very aware of the risks and not asking anyone’s opinion on co-sleeping.

Has anyone used some kind of a ‘barrier’ for baby? E.g a sleepyhead or some kind of cocoon for them. I have looked at loads but would like to know if others have used them.

would love to hear some stories on how it worked for you and how you know it felt it was ‘safe.

We attached an IKEA cot to the bed. Made the mattress flush up against the bed.

Do you still have a next to me / snuzpod etc from the first baby? I find that makes a good barrier. Otherwise could your bed go against the wall and the baby in between you on one side and the wall on the other ? (Whilst obviously no where near the actual wall)

@Alwaystired2023 no we got rid of it stupidly 😭 I really like the idea of next to the wall! It would give me more space in my tiny room too

There's good advice on Lullaby Trust about this, but a sleepyhead or a cocoon is a no-no. Basically bed shouldn't be next to a wall, get rid of any dangerous headboards, no pillows near baby. I did the cuddle curl with the blanket but you could also buy an adult slumbersac. You can buy full length mesh safety rails for the bed, which might help if you are worried about baby falling, but my 13month old still cosleeps with me and she creeps towards me in the night, rather than away from me. It's only in the daytime that she tries to climb off head first 🙈

Also happycosleeper on insta has great tips too.

I'd suggest making sure you still have a cot set up somewhere though because it's useful to put them in for whilst you nip to the loo / have a shower etc. Plus we have had some nights where my eldest has been unwell (nearly 4yo!) and she has ended up sleeping in DD2s cot in our room, whilst DD2 sleeps in bed with me.

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/baby-safety/safer-sleep-information/co-sleeping/

Try a purflo it is certified for sleep unlike the sleepyhead. We used the purflo and got a spare cover. It’s so easy to breathe through, it’s like a sponge/ foam rather than a pillow. My baby loved it. We just moved him out at 6 months when he was too big.

We switched to cosleeping when the sleep deprivation got to be dangerous.

we tried a few things. Super king. DH moved to guest room.

this was a while back and I don’t remember all the brand names plus they will have changed anyway.

started with a little cot attached to the bed. it was not at exact same level, but a couple of inches down for safety. Baby absolutely refused it. Would just scream and scream.

tried this thing that stayed in bed and baby was in like a little parking space. Seemed brilliant. The sides were as long as baby. Baby wiggled out of it every single time. I would wake up and find her at various points in a path wiggling herself out of the parking space and back up to me. It made me very uncomfortable to have her moving around.

So we just lowered the bed to the ground and went with it. One pillow. One thin quilt. She never left the crook of my arm as an infant.

@Slowfeedingbaby @Ponderingwindow thanks so much some great insights and advice I will definitely look into this ❤️

@OhHellolittleone i just remembered we had a purflo! Our daughter had a purflo in her cot until she outgrew it. She only slept in them and hated the feeling of being unsecured. She also had a swaddle bag too, super snug baby 😂 thank you

I used a next to me as barrier. Sleepyhead are not considered a safe way to cosleep and bedguards should only be used from 18 months.

This is exactly what we did for both of ours. Realistically as they got older, we also made the bed bigger. Slapped a single bed on the other side and pushed it up next to the double. Dh slept in the single and baby and I in the double with the cot acting as a bed guard. This worked really well.

We co-slept full time with both of ours for a year and then started to put them to bed in their own rooms and they’d come into us at first wake up. Eventually, they were big enough they could just bring themselves in when they wanted us so we didn’t even need to get out of bed. We co-slept most nights til 3/4 and then they just decided they wanted to sleep in their own rooms. It was all very easy and meant we got lots of sleep through those years as we weren’t constantly up trying to re-settle them. They are 7 & 12 now and very good sleepers.

We tucked a swimming woggle under the bottom sheet to create a little barrier. I don’t recall
if that was from newborn though

Co-slept with both of mine from birth. No sleep pods etc, just on the flat bed with you is the safest. They’re safer falling off the bed (unlikely when they’re immobile) than getting their face stuck against the side of a sleep pod. The purflo might claim it’s ok for sleep I’ve still not seen it endorsed by any independent research. I always had a small cot side car’d as a barrier one side but wasn’t really necessary. Make sure you’re dressing warmly enough for bed that you either don’t need a cover or aren’t tempted to pull it up (I always had a duvet low over my legs but many people feel more comfortable having nothing. Look at the safe sleep 7, and the cuddle curl sleep position. And enjoy it!

Do not use a cocoon under any circumstances, they are linked to SIDs and should be illegal

We had a Babybay cot attached to my side of the bed…Next to mes weren’t a thing 13 years ago. It extended the bed and stopped each of them from falling out when they got older.

(The swimming noodle worked well on holidays! That or a rolled up bath towel under the sheet-when they were a bit bigger)