sleep-pod/cocoonababy things - worth it?

[kalidasa]

I am expecting DS2 in January. DS1 is turning two in a couple of weeks and has literally only this week started sleeping through the night, he goes to sleep well but has been a really wakeful baby from the very beginning. Obviously DS2 might be totally different, but he is if anything even more frenetic inside than DS1 was, so we are bracing ourselves, and we are prepared to try pretty much anything that might help! Has anyone used one of the cocoonababy cot/crib insert things? Are they worth it? Do you think they help? We had DS1 in a 'side-car' crib attached to our bed for the first six months as I was breastfeeding him; in practice we co-slept a lot especially to start with as he needed to be physically in contact with me to sleep at all. He was quite a 'jumpy' baby and I wonder now if something a bit more nest-like like that might have helped him relax. But it's REALLY expensive so I'm not sure . . .

We sstarted using the sleepyhead when dd was about 4 months and after being initially sceptical we're now scared to wean her off it! She's 7 months tomo and I'm seriously looking into getting the bigger one... it seems to help her stay asleep when I put her down as her arms don't drop down, if you see what I mean? I do feed to sleep...

Ours is borrowed from a friend but the reviews are amazing and sleep is worth it! Oh, also I use padded sleep suits instead of sleeping bags as she seems to prefer the freedom.

Congratulations, and good luck!

Hello, are there any products similar but cheaper than the sleepyheads?

Hi new there is the poddlepod (and toddlepod) but I was put off by their disclaimer about it only being tested for naps and supervised sleeping, not night sleeping. That's the only one I know of.

We had a sleepyhead and dd loved it. It was great as just used it in a cot bed so no need for Moses basket.

Also easy to move around so she could sleep in it on sofa and at grandmas etc.

Got a great price for it on eBay too so that softened the blow of the price.

Thanks for the messages. I actually have a sleepyhead deluxe but as my lo is now 8.5months I wonder if she is too big for it now- how would I tell?

She's very happy in it and a week ago I took it out of the cot bed and she hated not sleeping in it (wouldn't nap at all until I put it back). The sleepyhead grand is over £150! Which is a crazy price so just wondering if there are any similar cheaper products. Although, I've just read on here that one mum took out the inner tube and put that under a sheet making the inner dimensions bigger. I didn't know that the tube type thing came out so I might give that a try...anyone got any experience of this?

Plus, because she is so snug in it and in a sleeping bag she can't roll onto her tummy, not sure if she would sleep on her tummy but nice for her to have the option. Also I tend to be the one that rolls her onto her side rather than her doing it herself and I wonder if this is also because she's so snug in it?

new there's the Babymoov Cosysleep thing -

www.amazon.co.uk/BABYMOOV-A050405-Babymoov-Cosysleep/dp/B00GDEQOU2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1416301573&sr=8-4&keywords=babymoov

It's a lot cheaper but I'm not sure if it is basically the same thing or not. The sleepyhead is actually a good deal cheaper than the cocoonababy, which seems to be the most expensive one. (I saw it in our local baby shop, which is ridiculously posh and only stocks the most expensive version of everything!) It is all very confusing. Maybe we need to go to John Lewis or somewhere where you could look at the different brands next to each other. I am in a wheelchair though so any actual in-person shopping is a bit tricky!

One thing that really helps with sleep is to not feed to sleep. I know that sounds hard but once you sort logistics it's fairly easy. Obv feed in the night as small baby, but otherwise feed downstairs, then play, then nap/ sleep.

So evening routine would be feed downstairs, then bath/ pjs, story and bed

I never did feeding-to-sleep except in the earliest days, so definitely wouldn't plan to do it with the new baby. We had a v. good bedtime routine with DS from very early on too. DS has been very worry-free in other ways (e.g. has always eaten REALLY well, has had few illnesses etc), it's just the sleep which is a big weak link. In retrospect, this was true even in his first 48 hours - he never even had that first big sleep all the other babies seemed to do after being born, instead he screamed all night because obviously my milk hadn't yet come in, and in the end the midwives gave him a bottle because he was keeping the entire ward awake! So sleepless and extra hungry from the beginning . . . Obviously DS2 might be totally different but we are trying to prepare ourselves in case. Two full years of interrupted nights has been hard going.

Hi kalisada, your DS1 sounds a lot like my DD - needed to be on me to sleep at the start, has always woken frequently at night (especially at the slightest sign of teething/cold) and has only now age 2 just started to sleep through regularly.

I am expecting DD2 in April and have bought a second hand sleepyhead. Fingers crossed it helps. I have a friend who had a cocoonababy and swears by it but her baby had reflux so needed the wedge effect - I think a sleepyhead is probably better value (and more around second hand) if you don't have reflux to contend with.

(Although part of the reason DD didn't sleep well at the start was due to prematurity and undiagnosed tongue tie - both things I am hoping will not happen next time!)

sorry, the main point I wanted to make was that I have got it second hand so less than half price of new.

Thanks kalisada will take a look :-)