Next to me cots - are they not really awkward?!

[KatBry]

Hi, this is my first ever post! I’m due in June and really fancy the Chicco next to me magic. However when I watch/read reviews no one ever mentions the practicalities of getting in and out of your own bed. Do you have to shuffle down to the very end of the bed every time you need to get up? Is that not really annoying/impractical? 😁 Also how easy is it to access and move baby when you’re half lying down? I’m a first time mum btw - can to tell?! Maybe coz I’m so big and uncomfy with bump I can’t imagine ever being able to move easily again 😆
Thanks x

We had one and it was great. My husband moved the bedside table from my side of the bed so I could have the next to me as high as possible which left enough room to get out of bed. However, I had a c-section so for the first week we slept the other way around and he passed me the baby so I could get out a bit more easily

They are great, much more practical than a Moses basket. One tip is to check the height matches the height of your bed as some don’t fit very easily to the bed

It is a bit annoying to get in and out of the bed but I felt that was an acceptable trade off over being able to safely co-sleep and have the baby close all night. The next to me isn't very long so wouldn't take up the whole side of the bed.

I have never used a branded next to me type cot, only converted a full sized one so plenty of room to scoot baby around. Although TBH they were mostly snuggled in right next to me anyway.

I thought mine was a god send for both my babies, you do have to do a slight shuffle down but I wouldn’t say it was inconvenient. Just loved how close they were but safe in their own bit I hate sharing a bed 🤣

It depends on your set up I think. I was in a single bed with the wall on one side and next to me cot on the other.. massively impractical - don't do that! I guess it would be ok if you could get out of the other side of the bed.

Also,.my baby didn't care if she was in the ntm cot or on the other side of the room.. if she was actually touching me then she'd sleep well, otherwise she'd have to be fast asleep before being put down (actually that still applies 😭)

You're over thinking it. There are many ways to get in and out of a bed other than where the cot fits.

Yes it is very annoying shuffling down the bed, but much less than having to get out of bed 25times in the night and walk to a cot.... which is what I'd have to do with my baby!

Excellent points by all! Thank you!

I've got one from a friend but I don't even know how I'm meant to use it to be honest! Is the mattress meant to be level with your beds mattress or slightly lower?

It is a bit of a faff to have to scoot down the bed each time. Also - very, very difficult to do for the first few days post c section.

BUT I LOVE mine. She has slept in it every night since a week old and is now 4months.

When she wakes up in the night I literally sit up, feed her, put her back down again and lie down. No getting up, so much easier to get back to sleep.

In the early days I got rid of the bedside unit and had the cot right up as high as it could go. And some said about putting the baby down so their feet would be where your head end would be. This made it so much easier to pick them up and out as you didn’t have to reach too far to pick up and less of an awkward angle.

I guess it is a bit awkward but you don’t really think about it... they’re great - I found it such a good idea! One of my best buys (there was a lot of pointless unused stuff!!)

My son was in his til 6 months when he went in his own room and he was just about too big for it x

Great, thank you!

Also agree that it can be very annoying to shuffle out of bed. If you end up having a section as I did, then you may it more difficult trying to pull yourself up! My DH slept next to my dd the first week we were home because I just didn't have the abdominal muscles anymore!