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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Co-sleeper cot

21 replies

afrikat · 15/05/2013 15:16

Has anyone got any experience of using one of these? So many people seem to say that their baby wouldn't go down in their Moses basket / cot and they had to bring them into bed but my DH is adamant that if the baby is in bed, he won't be. I also don't want to get in that habit. Is a co-sleeper cot that attaches to the bed a good compromise or is there just no way to know until the baby comes?

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Badgerwife · 15/05/2013 15:57

Yes, absolute godsend! I had one from when baby was 5 months and wish I could have had it from day 1. DD wouldn't settle in Moses basket or crib and would wake up as soon as I tried to put her in her basket and crib.

It basically gave me back my sanity and my sleep, I could feed in the night without having to move much and baby fell asleep with me on the bed just holding my hand. Wonderful. Still in use now she's 22 months and I am looking forward to using it with baby No 2 in 6 weeks' time!

They're not cheap but you can get them on Ebay.

I wrote about it here with pictures: co-sleeping

Foodylicious · 15/05/2013 16:14

I am good way off needing this yet as only 7sh weeks, but ai deffinately plan on doing this, it seems like the best solution all round. And badger loved your piece, lovely!

Original poster

afrikat · 15/05/2013 16:23

Thanks for that badger and good luck with your second!

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SneezySnatcher · 15/05/2013 18:37

I have one this time around and I adore it (DS is 4 weeks old). I feel so much more rested than at this point with DD. I roll him over, feed him and roll him back! If he stirs, he senses I'm there and settles back down most of the time. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

We did co sleep with DD in the bed after months of little sleep, but this way DS has his own space and I sleep better too! DD was a real cot-refuser but I was too scared to co-sleep when she was tiny.

We don't have a 'real' co-sleeper though. We have the ikea Gulliver cot adapted to become a co-sleeper, like this here

redwellybluewelly · 15/05/2013 19:18

We had a bed nest and I hated it, so did dc1. Very very expensive and awkward. Wish we'd gone with a proper co sleeper cot or crib.

This time I'll need it after an ELCS so we've reluctantly held onto it to try it again.

Cosmosim · 15/05/2013 19:22

I had an arms reach co sleeper bought and shipped from states, including net on top, extra legs in case we wanted to tilt it up slightly (if baby had reflux)... Was so excited to by! 3 days. That's how long she stayed in it before she started crying /waking anytime we tried to put her down. Ended up using it as storage area and co slept. :-(

Conana · 15/05/2013 20:08

We also used the gulliver cot as a bedside cot for dc2, after spending hours of research on proper bedside cots I was glad we didn't fork out for one as it worked just fine. However, I'm now pregnant with dc3 and I'm reluctant to use it. It was a godsend not having to get out of bed for feeds after the experience of having dd1 was in a carrycot next to the bed and getting exhausted getting in and out to reach her (I knew I would find it extra hard having to be up in the day with a toddler). But dc2 simply ended up in the actual bed with me every night as I fell asleep feeding him.

I'm now wondering about putting the moses basket in the bedside cot so it will be within easy reach but less tempting to get into the co-sleeping pattern every night. -I'm not anti co-sleeping, I just got a bit knackered after a year of all night feeds! That way I can also use it as a bedside cot if I get a difficult baby or just a difficult night.

I guess my answer is-I think it's great to have the flexibiity to try out different things. Yes, moses baskets are exhausting but dc1 was mainly sleeping through at 16 weeks compared to 1 year with dc2, largely due to temperament I'm sure but I do wonder about the cot!

Conana · 15/05/2013 20:10

Just as extra point-if you do want to co-sleep I felt much safer with the bedside cot on the edge, I always had the baby on that side so there was no way of him rolling out or dh squashing him!

HappyAsASandboy · 15/05/2013 20:16

We took the side off a normal cot and put it between bed and wall so it couldn't move away from the bed. It was great for our babies - there is something less stressful about night wakings if your feet don't touch the floor!

I would use a normal cot if you can. We had a stash if nappies wipes and bags at the end of the cot too, so nappy changes could be done in bed too. Add in a supply of peppermint tea bags and chocolate biscuits in your bedside table, and a flask of hot water/mug, and you don't have to get out of bed all night :)

Good luck, and enjoy those crazy tiring newborn days :)

Cloverer · 15/05/2013 20:18

I had a Cosatto cot, found it really useful.

Meant we had more space in the bed, and the baby couldn't roll out.

Also meant he could start the night in the cot, and I could move him back their after feeds (if I wasn't asleep).

As it was full size, it also meant we could move the whole thing into his room once we stopped co-sleeping.

SmeeHee · 15/05/2013 20:23

I also made our standard drop side cot work "side-car" so DS2 could start the night in his cot, however he ended up in bed with me every night as I would feed him lying down when he woke and fall asleep. Best thing we did though as I got the sleep I needed to cope.

We had no problems getting DS2 into the cot in his own room either - moved him at around 7 months as although he wasn't sleeping through, we were disturbing his sleep almost as much as he was disturbing ours!

crikeybadger · 12/06/2013 22:29

Just wondered if anyone could tell me the height of the Gulliver ikea cot please. Also, if you have used it as a bedside cot, did you need to add anything so that it was flush with your mattress?

My head is literally about to explode thinking about all of this! Seem to be going round in circles...armsreach co sleeper, troll bedside crib and now looking at the DIY option as much less cost.

Any contributions would be greatly received!

Ubermumsy · 12/06/2013 22:32

We had the Arms Reach one but ended up using it mostly as a standalone cot as our bed turns out to be a really odd height. Like it a lot though. (Bought it from Kiddicare too!)

crikeybadger · 13/06/2013 13:49

Thanks, the thing I'm not sure about with the Armsreach is if the stand alone cot can be used for older babies...ie. up to the age of 2. On the website, they call is a bassinet ( maybe just US. Term) and then go on to say that children shouldn't be left unaccompanied in it - eh!?

If I am going to spend that amount of money, I want to get more than 6 months use out of it!

Ubermumsy · 13/06/2013 15:11

DS was in ours up to almost 3 years. It's pretty robust and I actually like it a lot as a cot. You can't prettify it as much as traditional bar-sided cots but that didn't bother me. HTH!

crikeybadger · 14/06/2013 14:54

Thanks über, that is helpful feedback.

crikeybadger · 14/06/2013 14:55

Eh? I meant übermumsy obviously!

kd83 · 14/06/2013 15:04

Hate to through another one in the mix but does anyone have views on the Amby baby hammocks?

Husband is dead keen and I'm not sure.

HazleNutt · 14/06/2013 15:08

I have the Amby hammock. Haven't tried it out yet, as DS1 is due in a week, but everybody who had one absolutely raved about it, only place theri baby would sleep etc.
Only thing that it does not look so easy to get the baby in and out, especially in the middle of when you're half sleep, so we're planning to use both, bedsite cot for nights and hammock for daytime napping.

Bibblebo · 14/06/2013 21:03

Most cots have a removable side. I took the side off my Ana drop side cot, put the mattress at the highest position and it was almost exactly level with my mattress. It will be doing this again with my twins in Oct. Sod getting out of bed at night! I even ditched the cot and put a single bed butted up to our double bed and now DS1 sleeps in that at nearly 3 years old (sleeps solidly for 12 hours). When breastfeeding I'd say its much easier to co sleep and with the added bed or cot, no one is pushed out into the hellish margins!

Eagleray · 14/06/2013 22:46

I have v similar arrangement to hazlenutt - Amby hammock in the lounge for daytime naps and bedside cot upstairs. DD is 4.5 months old now and has always gone off to sleep really well in the hammock (it's a bouncing rather swinging motion) but it wouldn't be so practical for overnight.

As for the bedside cot - have got a Babybay and most of the time it acts as a v expensive bedside table (am typing this with DD sleeping next to me IN my bed) and know plenty of others who have similar problem!

I reckon best bet is to pimp an Ikea cot as you won't be wasting money if you end up cosleeping.

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