I would like advice from parents who are or who have co-slept with their newborns. I am looking for advice on what type of sleeper to use, not whether to do it or not. What bed arrangements have worked for you? Anyone have good results with Arm's Reach, Snuggle Nest or similiar, or guardrails. I am looking for info. on the logistics of co-sleeping. My husband sleep on a Cal-King bed, I am rather small, but not tiny and my husband is a large guy, not huge. Any help would be appreciated. Baby not due until January. Thanks.
2007-08-08 04:19:25 · 17 answers · asked by What? 5 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
We just had our baby in a one piece outfit and put her in the middle of us. She'd be right next to one of us because babies like it warm. You don't need guard rails right now because the baby can't roll over yet.
2007-08-08 04:23:20 · answer #1 · answered by currious 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Babies will sleep anywhere!
We used a bassinet next to the bed for the first several months. He'd start the night in there and then move into the bed in the wee hours for nursing, cuddling, etc.
Our friends used a pack and play.
I've found among my friends that whatever you have works, and usually the kiddo ends up in the bed anyway.
With us, I'm glad we didn't spend a lot of money on a co-sleeper. Although our son slept like a log for the first 3 months, he has turned into a lighter sleeper and has really benefitted from being in his own room without disturbances (especially during daytime naps!). I miss him at night sometimes, but usually he ends up back uin the bed with us for a couple hours every morning.
2007-08-08 12:05:02 · answer #2 · answered by Emily O 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
you have to be really careful and you can't sleep with blankets on the bed or pillows where baby will sleep. Also baby needs to be in the middle but this will only work if your husband is a sleeper who doesn't move. If you or your husband move a lot in your sleep or if you can't go without the blanket and pillows then I would suggest not doing the co-sleeping in your bed and get the playpen/bassinet that snuggles against your bed so baby is still co-sleeping just not right in the same bed. They are great, my bestfriend used it for the first 6 months. If you can sleep in one spot then put baby in the middle of the bed so baby doesn't roll off the side. I did try using the thing that makes them keep from rolling but my first son screamed the whole time if i used it and I found the only way my 1st son would sleep is on my chest (not the best way safety wise but the only thing that worked for him). Make sure baby is on his/her back. You can do side sleeping with an infant in your bed because they make suffocate being against your body or your husbands. Use the sleepers with feet in them or the closed feet sleepers. They keep baby warm without the need for a blanket. Make sure you have a firm mattress on your bed because soft beds are a suffocation risk. It helps if you wakeup several times a night to make sure baby isn't suffocating and hasn't moved from the spot you put him/her. Good luck
2007-08-08 11:28:46 · answer #3 · answered by momof3boys 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As a newborn, our baby slept on the co-sleeper that goes right in the bed.
Put your mattress and boxspring right on the floor, push the set up against the wall so it is flush with the wall. Baby should sleep between you and the wall. Moms's are more aware of baby then daddies.
With both of ours, we don't let them sleep between us until they are at least 1 years old. My husband still prefers the baby to be on the other side of me- and that's fine as long as baby is safe and secure.
With our son, we didn't need guardrails and don't use them now with our 1 year old.
Our daughter does not even have a crib- after cosleeping with our son until he was 2.5 we never used his really expensive crib- and gave it away. For her 10 years later, we never thought a crib was important.
We have a queen sized bed and it works for us- and our beagle sleeps at the bottom of the bed every night as well.
We have been married for 14 years and having a baby in our bed never, ever dampened our sex life- who says sex has to happen in a bed???? Good LORD!!!
Our son transitioned easily into his own bed at 2.5 years.
Good luck and I am so happy more families are doing this.
2007-08-08 11:40:50 · answer #4 · answered by NY_Attitude 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hello, I had one of the arm's reach co-sleepers. It was one of the mini ones. I thought it was wonderful! Especially because I breastfed, and it was so convenient to be able to just reach over and get her! The only problem I had was that I have a large king size bed with a pillowtop mattress- the mini co sleeper was a couple of inches shorter than the bed. They have lifters you can buy for it, but I never bothered. Anyways, I have lent my co-sleeper to one friend already, and another wants to use it when her son is born. I highly recommend it! Best of luck to you!
2007-08-08 12:13:19 · answer #5 · answered by Amy B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We never planned on co-sleeping and never bought anything. My husband is a BIG guy and I am hefty too. Our son slept right in the middle of us after about a month of me sleeping with him in the arm chair. I would go to sleep nursing him and when he woke up for the next feeding we would still be there. When we co-slept I barely woke up to nurse him. When he got older he would 'help himself'. He didn't leave our bed until he was 2. On the down side at 6 he still wants to sleep with us! On one hand I have always said I would never do that again. On the other hand it was perfect for us at that time. Best wishes!
2007-08-08 11:30:02 · answer #6 · answered by biology.teacher 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
With my daughter we had her in the middle taking not of no blankets and pillows for her safety she was a snuggler and bedside co sleepers were not her style.
When our second child was born I saw a product called
The First Years Safe & Secure Sleeper my husband liked it. It sat on the bed between you but had hard sides for security. great peace of mind for hubby. We then gave it away to a friend who had a premiee because they were not comfortable putting her alone in the crib yet. It is working out for them too.
2007-08-12 00:16:59 · answer #7 · answered by Woman in Red 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For the first 6 months or so, I slept with me in the middle and my son on the outside. We didn't use any special product, just kept the pillows away from him.
It takes some practice, but you can position your self so that you can switch boobs without having to move the baby (i just didn't trust my husband to not roll on our son!)
When he started rolling, i started putting him in the middle.
Now that he's 19 months, he does either... sometimes he sleeps next to daddy, sometimes next to me.
2007-08-08 11:52:16 · answer #8 · answered by Mommy to David 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well.. My son slept in a cradle right next to my side of the bed. But any time during the night that he was restless, i'd just lay him on my shoudler and he'd be fine. We did get a rail just in case and put it up when i put him with me. He's now 4 months and doesnt really like cosleeping with me.. only when he cant get comfy in his crib.
2007-08-08 11:24:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
We have a cal-king bed, and use a snuggle nest, and we also have the mini cosleeper, but I mainly use that as a bassinet.
2007-08-08 13:30:06 · answer #10 · answered by curious 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just pulled the bassinet up next to the bed and he slept in that. When I needed to feed him I just grabbed him and did my thing.
Letting him sleep with you everynight is probably going to start a habit that you may regret later, just a warning, not to mention accidently rolling over on him. I took naps with my newborn but that was it.
Good luck and remember that if you start this, you probably won't be able to stop it so talk to your partner about it because when the baby is older, he will not sleep by himself, that can really put a damper on the sex life which leads to a damper on the relationship.
2007-08-08 11:33:21 · answer #11 · answered by Button 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋