Co sleeping dilemma

[Accentuatethepositive]

DD is almost 6months old and in the last month or so we've started co-sleeping for the part of the night when I'm in bed - as I've finally mastered feeding lying down! It's been a life saver as she was getting unputdownable and I was increasingly worried about falling asleep with her in my arms while propped up waiting for her to settle.

Before that she was sleeping in an NCT bednest, which has made co-sleeping easier as I know she can't roll out as the cot is attached to the bed beside me. Currently she sleeps on the outside beneath my arm. DH has the duvet and I just have a sheet and blanket to my waist.

However we rented the bednest for 6 months only and the hire period is about to come to an end. So my question is what do I do now to stop DD falling out of bed?

Our bed is high, wooden and solid, and we can't just put the mattress on the floor as there's nowhere to put the bed and all the crap that's stored underneath it.

We can't move it against a wall - but I've heard this is dangerous anyway as baby can get trapped?

I have read that a bedrail is also dangerous for the same reason.

So what should I do? Is the risk of her falling out less than the risk of her being trapped? Should I move her to between me and DH? Just put cushions on the floor? Or should I give up co-sleeping? Please don't say this as I feel human for the first time since she was born!

She's not very mobile yet but I can see she'll be rolling soon as she's trying pretty hard...including practicing in her sleep by rolling onto her side.

Any experiences or advice very gratefully received!

Personally, with a six month old, I'd just put lots of cushions on the floor. If you are breastfeeding, you are unlikely to let the baby roll off the bed imo. I co-sleep and neither children have ever rolled out of bed. The only time this ever happened was when first DC was tiny and I fell asleep while sitting up feeding and she rolled off my lap - which is why I started co-sleeping deliberately in the first place!

What about one of those Babydan or Lindam "travel" bed rails, they have a mesh so I presume less risk of suffocation?

Do you have a spare duvet you can put on the floor?

At bed nest hire, wish I had been able to do that!

I use a foam bed wedge - it's kind of triangular shape and goes under the sheet. I then put pillows in front of that so she'd really have to roll uphill to get out!

A couple of options - the easiest is to put a cot by the side of your bed with one side removed and firmly attached to the bed - we did this with DS1 with a cheap ikea cot and it worked well. We also had a angelcare movement mat so we knew if DS moved off the cot - but we had one already - not sure if would buy for that reason!

When travelling i've used both this bed guard and this foam bumper. both worked well but i guess both only really safe until baby starts pulling themselves up..... but thats more of an issue when youre not in the bed too i think.

Mesh bedguard as suggested by Poppy (Tomy do one too, available from Argos) or Ikea cot (eg Gulliver, which is designed as a cot-bed) with one side taken off and attached to the bed with straps.

We have done both of these.

A cheap/easy fix is to roll up a towel and put it under the sheet, at the edge of the bed.

I stick a pillow up against my bedside table so she can't roll off

Wow thanks everyone for all the suggestions. Seems there's no one answer! I like the sound of the foam wedge will investigate that. Don't think our cot would actually stand up with one side removed but will check it out!

We have the ikea Gulliver cot acting as a bedside cot. One side comes off completely and it's two heights. Can't recommend it enough. It was £60 versus the £200 Mothercare were charging for their bedside cot which basically does exactly the same thing. So DS has his space, we have ours, I roll him back and forth for feeding and cuddles.

We also have a normal cot with one side taken off pushed up against the bed.

Thank you, not sure that option will work for us due to super high bed, plus the cot we have is the henrik I think,and I don't really want to go and buy a new one because I am in denial and pretending to myself that this co sleepinburied mess is just temporary and in a month or so DD will be magically sleeping through the night in her own room.

Oops I mean co sleeping business stoopid phone!

I'd bet money, she won't fall out. DD2 never did.

DD2 has fallen out of every bed she has slept in on her own, even her own double, but never ever when co sleeping.

Hi,

I was just wondering for those that have used the IKEA gulliver cot as a bedside cot, how they have found it? My main concern is the height - when it is placed on the highest setting to match the bed, is the height then ok for when baby starts to sit up and potentially fall over barrier?

MY DD never fell out, we had a bed rail for a bit, which was a pain, so i removed it, I has put a cot matress on the floor, so if she did fall out she would land on that.

She is now 3 and still in bed with us! So temporary my arse!

We have side car ikea cot. Once baby started crawling/pulling to stand we moved cot so it was between wall and our bed. Now she's pulling to stand lots and crawling fast and over obsticals we start her off in a travel cot then move her to the side car on first wake up. The travel cot is below sidecar.

The cot is on it's highest setting to be the same height as our mattress.