Help needed with advice for sleeping arrangements

[holytoast]

Hi - need some advice about sleeping arrangements for when our baby arrives - there isn't a separate 'sleep' section I could find so thought this might be the best place. Our baby isn't due until april, so might be getting a bit ahead of myself, but a cot is the only thing we need to buy and really confused, so want to do my research!

We have a fairly small bedroom, but would like to have the baby in with us for as long as possible. I also like the idea of co-sleeping, but would really rather not have the baby in our bed with us - I, and DH are both terrible insomniacs, just think we would not get any sleep (I know, we won't get any anyway!) with baby in the bed - so have been looking at 'arms reach' co-sleeper or this:

cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEDSIDE-COT-2in1-CO-SLEEPER-HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE-NEW-B72_W0QQitemZ230421731297QQcmdZView ItemQQptZUKBabyNurseryFurnitureET?hash=item35a63497e1

its from a german company, and intend to find out a fair bit more about it, by emailing them but the main thing I don't like about the co-sleeper is that it looks like you have to sort of 'scoop' baby out into your bed to breastfeed, which kind of seems like something that would be awkward at 4am, whereas with the other one it would be more of a slide across to the boob.

the one on ebay is a bit bizarre, in that the mattress has an overlap to the main bed - but think this would make it safer? then again, not sure what we would do if baby was sleeping in our bedroom whilst we were not up there, as it doesn't seem possible to put the fourth side back on with the extended lying area they talk about. I guess for naps etc there would be other options wherever we are, but I guess having the option of putting the side on later would be good for getting them used to sleeping on their own. Do any of you use a bedside cot against the bed in this way and what do you do about the fourth side when not in bed with baby?

It is also smaller than the co-sleeper, so possibly wouldn't be able to use it for very long? search as much as I can, I can't find anywhere what size cot/crib might be needed for what age baby. we would want to go to 6 months in the bedroom with us I guess, at least. I know they all differ in size, but do any of you have any thoughts about if this looks really small - It is 55cm wide when the extended bit is on, 40 when not, and 90 long. The arms reach is bigger, but their mini version is actually slightly smaller than this one I think.

anyway, sorry for the long windedness - apart from the mad germanlish language used in the ebay one, (and the fact I don't even know if it conforms to any safety guidelines) do any of you have anything useful to share about using an arms reach co sleeper, or a bedside cot like this one?

(oh, and just seen an Amby natures nest, which has confused me even more! Now that does look like a faff to get baby in and out in the wee small hours!)

I had a bedside cot, one where the side slides underneath and it has about 8 height positions. personally i found it excellant, when ds2 cried i would slide him over, feed him and slide him back with minimal sllep interruption. I love that cot and after using bubble wrapped it and put in attic, will def be using again this time round.
A fantastic buy

heres a very similar one to mine www.babyboodle.com/Furniture/Cots/Cosatto-Close-To-Me-Bedside-Cot-Beech/prod_318.html

Thanks - have seen this one too - and what you described is what I would like to imagine happening with our baby. The cosatto one looks huge! How long did your baby stay in it, if you dont mind me asking? I am just concerned that the one we are looking at is just too small, and would be no use after a few months and as such might end up being a waste of money.

Holytoast - before my DC were born I really wanted to have them in our room for 6 months, bought a regular crib for right by our bed.... but I am such a bad sleeper that I found I couldn't sleep AT ALL with the baby in the room unless I was wearing earplugs... which sort of defeated the point of having them there because I was so tired I couldn't function even though DD slept really well! I lasted a few weeks each time and then just had to move them into own rooms.

So I guess the morale is don't spend a huge amount of money just in case - maybe you can borrow a crib, and see how you go - we bought the cheapest one we could in mothercare and it was fine.

Yep, also concerned about that too - know that making elaborate plans at this stage might not be the best thing to do! I guess we have no idea how it will go really!
I am a very heavy sleeper, but take ages to get to sleep - restless legs, which makes me not want to have the baby in our bed because I find it takes ages to get comfortable anyway, and my husband sleeps in a second but wakes at a pin drop - so bad combination anyway! Don't think theres much between them but cost, and size really - so like you say, might be better to go with the cheapest option at first.

Hi there - I am due in March and purchased an Arm's Reach (original not mini) a month ago after doing lots of reading and thinking... I think I am resigned to the fact that it may or may not be the solution for us and our baby (as every baby seems different it seems!)... but it does kind of make sense to me.

I actually like that it is slightly lower so that the baby can't roll out and in with me (I won't co-sleep as I have a medical condition that makes me worry that I could roll on the baby). I also like that the size is a kind of in-between, it will fit in our bedroom perfectly, and also as we may have to travel for extended periods when the baby is very small, the portability of it could be useful.

By the way, to keep costs down, we found them on sale in the US (just from looking on Google) for around $150 upwards and got one delivered to a friend who was there and who bought it back for us (they are pretty small and light and he just checked the whole box into the hold). There are also sometimes well priced new ones on ebay.com and some buyers might ship directly here.

Here's a link to one offer:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0001D12XA/ref=asc_df_B0001D12XA1004956?smid=AWPGRT0FUEEOB&tag=dealtmp759-20&linkC ode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B0001D12XA

Mothercare do a co sleeper which is pretty much the same as the cosatto one. We have it and it was really good. We got it because we had co-slept with ds and he still came into our bed at times so we didn't want him to feel kicked out. A co-sleeper gave us all enough space. I actually found dd wasn't a big cuddler at night so I tended to put the side on but in dropped position which gave us a little ridge between us. I think they are great, it is a full sized cot so when the time comes to move out you don't need anything else and it can also help the transition to their own room etc because they are already used to their cot. Also of course because it is essentially a normal cot if co sleeping doenst work out you have not wasted money.

I have a Natures Nest hammock from Amby, used it with my son four years ago and will be using it again in February (hopefully). I have to say after reading the reviews before buying it I had high expectations and thought it was going to be some kind of earth mother miracle product but it wasn't all that special to be honest. I liked it but don't think a crib or moses basket would have been any different.

We actually could have saved the cost and used the pram carry cot on the floor or raised up on a stand or piles of books for the 4-5 months he slept in our room with us.

For me a cot that joins on to our bed would have been pointless - I found I had to wake myself up fully to put the baby back anywhere after a feed whether it was hammock or carrycot because if I breastfed lying down in a sleepy state I would usually fall asleep properly whilst feeding and wake up 3 hours later with the baby still lying next to me in my bed.

It's very hard knowing what to buy before the baby arrives, it's almost worth waiting to see what your patterns turn out to be and buying afterwards to suit your needs. If you can use a carrycot or pram by the bed short term, that is.

I know someone that bought one of those german ones, admittedly it was for a baby a few months old, but they weren't too impressed. If I was you I'd go for a normal sized bedside cot as when you don't want it beside your bed you could pop the side up and use it as normal cot until they are ready for a bed.

Thanks - lots of good advice. Whilst I would love to think I will get everything sorted before the birth, maybe I am best just borrowing the moses basket we have been offered and seeing how we go - we can always buy a full sized or bedside cot later I suppose. Also, from the advice I get that sometimes set ups that work for others just don't work for the baby you get! Must make sure I tick the box for the baby who loves to sleep, now where did that 'type of baby' request form get to.....

We have the Amby hammock which both our DS's absolutely loved & from memory managed to fit in it 'til around 7-9 months (though sure they say it should last them 'til around 12 months). Also it's great as we have them in our room for the first 6 months & the Amby doesn't take up as much floor space (which is a necessity in our bedroom!) and also can move it around - again a necessity with the floor space we have. Def recommend teh Amby based on our DS's & will be getting it out again for DS3 in a few months

I would just wait until your baby is born before you make expensive decisions. You only need a moses or carry cot for the first few weeks and by then you will have a better idea of what you and the baby need. Our DS had reflux (diagnosed at so couldnt sleep flat and had to be in a semi upright position. We bought the Amby hamock in desperation when he was around 2 months old and i can honestly say it changed out lives. Im just glad i hadnt already spent a fortune on a fancy cot or co sleeper.

I would highly recommend doing a search on ebay for cots and refine the search by closest distance. I found our cot 20 miles away and got a solid beech dropside cot that would of cost £200 new, for.......£30 hows that for a bargain!