Is this safe co sleeping and if not how can I make it safer?

[emeraldgirl1]

DD (7m) has been early waking for a few weeks.

Last week I cracked and got her out of cot and onto bed with me at 5am. I have been too scared to do even a minute of co sleeping until then as I am a nerdy rule follower and anyway just didnt feel comfortable.

So, is my 'method' safe?

It is just me and DD, DH goes off downstairs as soon as I get her out of cot and he has another hour nap on the sofa.

I remove all pillows except for the one I have my head on.

I sleep on top of the duvet with her, not beneath it, she is still in her sleep bag and I put a cellular blanket over us both.

We have an hour, maximum two, this way.

Is this as safe as I can be with her?

She is a big 7mo so I feel safer than I would have done whn she was smaller but of course she is more mobile. I feel I would wake if she were about to roll (plus we are slap in middle of a kingsize bed) but my mum thinks I am mad and keeps telling me DD WILL roll off. :(

Am I mad or does it sound safe?

Anything else I can do?

The early mining waking is just killing me otherwise, I cannot spend any more nights leaning over her cot for up to an hour a time trying to get her to go back to sleep when I know she will sleep again in five mins if I put her in with me.

It's lovely having them next to you. I don't care about the rod/habit; they won't sleep with me forever. My 4yo wants his own room now. Still got the baby, for now - he'll be off before we know it. Lovely while it lasts.

I pull up the duvet cover so just the cotton casing is

over my baby. And side lie around him, and enjoy.

BTW I had one baby who coslept. After 18 mo she never came in my bed again. DD2 slept in a cot (she was a right old thrasher in her sleep with me but quiet on her own) and as soon as she could get herself out of bed (about 2yo) she came into my bed every night for several years! It's only anecdotal but in my case there was no "rod" from cosleeping, in fact quite the reverse.

I'd take the duvet off, at this age they sometimes roll onto front to sleep so it's important to have a flat surface. I wear a long sleeve top in bed and tuck the blanket around my waist to stop it riding up. Baby can go on top of your blanket in a grobag.

I've been co-sleeping with my 8 month old from birth, now she's a bit more mobile I've bought a bed rail (safety 1st - £24 from Amazon) which is brill and just gives me a bit more peace of mind.