Co-sleeping options for newborns?

[ovumahead]

Hi I'm just wondering what fellow Co-sleepers recommend for the early months - there are various side cots which look ok to me but rather expensive, and also nest type things you can put on the adults bed itself... In practice, what actually works best?

You don't need a 'special' side cot. Just buy a normal cot (which you'll buy anyway) and remove one side of the cot (they are usually flat pack self build) so that it is three sided and then butt it up to your bed.

Given that I am on my fourth child in a bedside cot and needed a new one, I was very specific on what I wanted this time:

• Cotbed (larger, so more room for you to lean into when settling baby)
• Dropside (hard to find drop sides nowadays, but for the time once baby is rolling and you want a small barrier between you and baby, but still to be able to easily reach into the cot, then putting the removed side back on but having it dropped is the answer)

I just shoved the cot bed hard up against the bed and put a bolster pillow in the small gap - the cot bed was up against the wall on its other side so no risk that it would slide away from the bed.

DD mostly slept in bed with me when she was tiny and then later on in the cot so she could still hear/smell me.

Hiya we have used the bed best that we rented direct from the company and its been fantastic couldn't of done without it, it's a great alternative to co sleeping.

I would not use the bednest. There was a recent death in the UK, which raised some safety issues.

It's ok to cosleep with the baby in your bed, without any special kit.

I used a Moses basket for the first couple of months, in the bed between me and DH. Once I was more confident I ditched it and he now just sleeps between me and DH without anything special. I swapped the duvet for fleecy blankets that I pull up to my waist and sleep in a long sleeved top I can pull down to feed him in the night. Check out the WHO leaflet on cosleeping, it's really useful.

I had an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper for DS2 which was great (we don't have enough room in our bedroom to sidecar a cot bed) but even then, he wouldn't entertain anything other than full co-sleeping with my boobs literally in his face the entire night, every night for the first four weeks or so of his life. In hindsight, if I'd done the same with DS1 from the outset, we'd have had a lot less screaming, but I had been convinced by the 'rod for your own back' guff. Eejit.

It was him and me only on a fairly new, firm double bed so there was no risk of a saggy mattress making him roll towards me during sleep. Fleece blankets pulled tightly across the bed, and tucked in at the bottom so they didn't ruck-up or fold over his face. Me under the blanket, him on top in a sleeping bag. I really cannot sleep without a pillow so I did use one, but I slept in the typical c-shape around him, with my arm between him and the pillow. I can say with confidence I didn't move a millimetre during sleep with this arrangement. It's amazing how you subconsciously protect your baby.

We still co-sleep for the second part of the night now, but he's 9mo, so I've re-introduced the duvet, but still pulled tight, with him on top in a sleeping bag. On DS1's bad nights I end up sandwiched between them. Cosy on a cold night, not so much when it's warmer...

Thanks so much for your replies! Really helpful. I did Co sleep with my ds (now 7,and actually often stoll cosleep now) but I just remember being so over excited / paranoid having him right next to me in bed that I struggled to really properly let go and sleep myself. I think this contributed to my total, complete and utter exhaustion. I want to try to sleep better this time! We have a cot bed already, will get a new mattress if we can fit it next to the bed. New mattress on double bed too, nice and firm so perfect for co-sleeping. Might get one of these to just put on the bed to start with...?www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00ACK676E/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1431210987&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX110_SY165&keywords=co+sleeper&dpPl=1&dpID=31wnUkxk-kL&ref=plSrch or is it a waste of money?!

This is what my health visitor suggested when I told her I was bed sharing with DD, it's a useful guide.

I don't know how safe those padded co sleeper things are. If they learn to roll unexpectedly or move in the night then wouldn't it be problematic in the same way cot bumpers are? Something with mesh sides might be better. If it makes you feel more comfortable and therefore sleep, I think buying sleep for that price is a bargain (I would spend a lot more to guarantee sleep!!).

We had one of these - I mostly used it when DD was in the cot next to me when she was a bit bigger but hadn't learned to roll, rather than when she was in bed with me (and it was very useful for travelling, easier than a travel cot).

When she was in bed with me I found I was instinctively not moving all night even when in deep sleep and would never have squashed her.

The cotbed with dropside sounds ideal op. FATEdestiny which one do you have?

We used a BedNest. From what I've read, the tragic recent death seems as though it was unfortunately caused by failure of the parents to use it as per the safety instructions. They used a deeper (higher) mattress than the one supplied and left the side half down whilst the baby was unattended. The result was that the very young baby, who was sleeping on her tummy rather than the recommended back to sleep position, was able to lift her head over a shallow lip, and sadly due to being so young, couldn't lift it back again so effectively suffocated due to the pressure on her windpipe. If I was to have another baby, I wouldn't hesitate to use this again. Used properly, I am confident that it's 100% safe. Expensive though!

That said, a lot of the time I just co slept with DS in the bed with me. I used to feed him lying down and one of us would often fall back to sleep before I could transfer him back to the BedNest

The cotbed with dropside sounds ideal op. FATEdestiny which one do you have?

It is a John Lewis cot. Not entirely sure which model, it was gifted to me from a friend (who's child is 4, so much have been stock about 4 or 5 years ago?)

It is hard to find dropside cots nowadays. 10 years ago when I last bought a cot, dropsides were the norm. But on looking this time around I understand that a change in US law has made manufacturer jittery about supplying dropside cots even though they continue conform to all UK/EU safety.

Hence it took a lot of searching and asking around to find the dropside cotbed that I wanted. Definitely worth the search though IMO.

I agree with just using a dropside cot that is secured to the bed (we did it with luggage straps). We have this cot: www.amazon.co.uk/East-Coast-2068-Barton-Cot/dp/B001WAK4T4. The dropside mechanism is a bit flimsy, but if you're not really going to use it, it doesn't matter. The cot itself is sturdy. There are loads of tutorials online if you search for "diy sidecar cot/crib"

We have a Sleepyhead. It's been great. Very, very practical. We have used it in a crib, in our bed, in the cot. It's been all we need to take when we went away, and baby (no 3 - I co-slept a bit the traditional way with my first 2) has been happy and settled and snug. Really couldn't recommend it enough. The sides are shaped and firm enough that I don't think they present a risk - quite different from cot bumpers.