Co-sleepers, what do you do when away from home?

[jumpjockey]

We're off to a family wedding and will be away for 4 nights. Usually we have DD (now 3 months, will be 5 months) in a 'sidecar' crib until her first waking and then she's in bed with us. Obviously we can't take the crib with us but just plonking her in bed with us would be pretty dangerous I guess what with the falling off the side risk.

What have other people done in this sort of situation? my first idea was to move the mattress off onto the floor, but I'm not sure how practical that really is and if B&B owners would be keen on the idea! Any suggestions welcome, we've got plenty of time to make plans.

put her between you? Or put a duvet on the floor for her to fall onto?

What about buying one of the things you put on toddler beds? I think you can get ones that are easy to put on.

Like this?

Put her between you and take an extra duvet so that you can have one each without it going over her.

I take a bed rail with me.

Sleep with the mattress on the floor?

I have done a couple of different things in different places.

In the situation you describe, I would see if the BandB has a cot on offer. If so, put it up against the bed as a bed rail. We did this at Centre Parcs. So long as the cot won't move (either lockable wheels, or wedge it up against other furniture).

We did/do pretty much the same thing - DS started in his moses basket/cot then came in with us at first wakening. I think I slept pretty lightly when he was younger and was mainly sort of curled around DS (who would be level with my head in the bed) and I would move him back if he looked like he was headed towards the edge of the bed. He wasn't a massive wriggler anyway (when he was younger anyway!).

He did fall out of bed a couple of times - I had pillows on the floor so he didn't have a hard landing and he was fine.

If you get a room with a kingsized bed its no problem - you can leave plenty of room at the edges, just means baby takes up 3/4 of the bed normally!

bedrails are really dangerous for babies. Please don't use them. Babies have, tragically, died trapped between them and the mattress. Headboards also. Far safer for baby to fall on the floor - just make it a soft landing!

I always stuffed down the side of the bedrail with cushions/towels so no chance of dd falling down there.

I disagree about bedrails being dangerous. We have used one daily since ds was born. Yes, they do have a gap between them and the bed edge. So, like any sensible person, we filled the gap with a rolled up towel to ensure there was no-where a baby could get trapped. Common sense

When we go away DS sleeps between us. Lately he's moved into his toddler bed and has been really happy there, but it seems that no other bed will do, so he's between DH and I and that works ok. We never sleep too well though as we're used to a king sized bed!

Hmm, not much consensus! Given that we don't have a king size bed at home, and usually manage ok, if we go for a big bed, her in the middle and pillows/duvet on the floor sounds as if that should be ok. Thanks all

Disagree all you like, it's one of the safety things written about by the James McKenna who has done the vast majority of research into co-sleeping.

just roll up a blanket or a towel and put it under the edge of the fitted sheet. it makes a little wall so the baby can't roll off the bed. we use this every morning when ds wakes up for a feed and i can't be bothered to put him back in his own room. hth!

Wow! That is a feb idea!

We used to just put DD in with us. Just don't have much to drink and don't take any medication in case they make you sleep heavy.

please dont let your baby sleep in your bed. we lost our beautiful daughter to sudden infant death syndrome and i will never forgive myself for her sleeping with us when she died, please, please put your baby in a cot, karen

gardeningmum, I'm so sorry for your loss.

thankyou jumpjockey, i appreciate that.