What are the rules for co-sleeping?

[thereistheball]

I have premature twins (4 months old, I month old corrected age) and find them easiest to settle after their nighttime feed in my bed. DH sleeps in the spare room so he can be on form for work. The twins have a greater risk profile for SIDS as a result of their prematurity and co-sleeping is not recommended in France, where we live, so if we're going to do this I want to get it right. Suggestions please? Fortunately our bed is pretty big.

I would consider using a co- sleeper for one if them, and then you sleeping in between them. Haven't got twins but am co sleeping with 20m ds and 2m dd. ds is in the cot. Alternatively get a bed rail (or 2!) so they can't roll off the bed. Once they are crawling do not leave them on the bed unattended. They should be in their own sleeping bags and no pillows or duvets around them. You should have your own blanket that doesn't cover them. Main risk is from overheating (they'll get warm from your heat as well as sleeping bag), and getting squished (follow advice re not co sleeping if you've had a drink or extremely tired or smoke). It's lovely and I love having my babies cuddled up next to me. Enjoy it!

I think from what I have read, co sleeping is the very best thing to prevent SIDS - though I may be wrong. Something to do with their replicating your breathing - I can't remember where I read this but it sounded very plausible.

So it is IMO a very good idea. Mell is right about the duvet thing and getting a bed rail. Also they are meant to sleep on their backs apparently - though mine always wanted to be in the bottom-in-the-air, snail position and there wasn't much I could do about it

Should add I don't have twins, it must be a whole different ball game - but I hope you manage it and all goes well x

You need a firm mattress, tight sheets, no duvet. Is there any way you can "sidecar" a cot to the side of the bed and put them in there? That way you get the benefits of cosleeping but they have their own space. A cotbed would be big enough for both twins until they're getting older. You need to be between your partner and the twins or he needs to sleep elsewhere for a few months.

We did this with DD until she was a year old, at which point she moved into our bed and we removed the cot. She was big enough at this age to sleep in between us.

The NCT guidelines are here.

Can't find the NHS's ones - we were sent home from hospital with a booklet, after they found me and 12 hour old DS1 in bed together!

From what I remember, I'd look into how the prematurity affects things.

Enjoy them - I brought my 3 year old into bed with me last night as he was ill, and from waking every hour or so until 12, he then slept through til 6.30.

Hi thereis!
For our twins we have an ikea cot with removable side attached to our bed. It works really well as I wanted to co sleep but was a bit worried about duvets etc.

I find it a bit odd that the guidelines say not to cosleep if you are exhausted as most new mums are totally knackered (esp twin mums!)

Nancy, what cot do you have? Is it a cot that says it can be used without one of the sides? Or do you just remove the side from a standard cot?

It's the 'sundvik' - one of the sides is removable