Best way to co sleep?

[foxcote90]

So my little girl is 6 weeks old and despite having a bedside cot next to us, she doesn't settle well in it most nights so ends up in the bed next to me.

Whilst I love the cuddles I am worried about her safety - despite my best efforts to make sure there are no loose items near her, twice I've woken up with her having a blanket over her head (thankfully still plenty of room above her so she was fine, just a little warm).

Unsurprisingly due to this I'm becoming paranoid about her sleeping in our bed so would love some advice on a) any tips on making bed sharing safer (I've read the Lullaby Trust info) from people who've done the same, and b) any tips on using the bedside cot more effectively? It's one that has a small drop so it's below mattress level which means there's no chance of me secretly moving her into it without being woken up....

Thanks so much in advance!

Is she in a sleeping bag? We don't have any blankets, baby is in a sleeping bag. I wear a long sleeved breast feeding top and have the duvet right down at my hips and sort of clenched between my knees so it is not on bsby at all. I've never woken up to it being anywhere near his face. He sleeps right next to me, I will start of laid on my side, the arm nearest him outstretched above his head (and touching the top of his head), his side touching my side and his face is often almost resting on my boob or facing into my armpit (poor thing). My knees are kind of curled up towards his feet. This is just the natural position I found myself in breast feeding him to sleep, but if you Google it, people refer to it as the 'C' position. Often after a while I will flop onto my back but my arm stays where it is. I have one pillow which is the other side of my arm and sort of pushed back so it couldn't get near his face with my arm in the way. Nothing else on the bed. My baby will only sleep right next to me so this is working for us at the moment!

@Keha had some really good ideas :)

Both my DDs coslept (ok, one still sleeps in my bed....)

At first they would be on top of me!! Then moved to lying on my arm or just under it.

Keep the covers at your hip level and dress your baby appropriately for the temperature in your room. Make sure your pillow is well away from baby

Safest is obviously no to co sleep but when DS was struggling, I'd always try and start him in his crib but when we were sharing the same bed he would sleep on top of me belly to belly and duvet below his bottom. Eventually he was happy to sleep next to me in his crib. I didn't get very much sleep either with worrying, and fwiw all mums that I've spoken to who co sleep worry just the same. DS is coming up to a year now and sometimes he needs to hold my hand in the night, but he'll grow out of it eventually.

Have you tried moving her to her bedside cot once she's in a deep sleep? Maybe you could also put a shirt you've worn under her so she can smell you and think she's sleeping right next to you.

We just realised the mattress our alongside crib came with is rather thin and resulting super hard. After a couple of months with DS waking on contact with it, we've invested in a new mattress for it that is definitely softer and comfier and now he'll actually sleep in it again! You'll see from my thread though that my problem is transferring him into is after a lying down night feed... so still working on it but he does now start the night in it :-) also second the breastfeeding top +/- cardigan and duvet at waist height jammed between knees. Baby in sleeping bag. Good luck x