Co-sleeping and leaving baby overnight

[Kota]

I'm not sure if anyone is going to be able to help me on this one but figured it can't hurt to ask.
Next month we're moving down to my inlaws to stay with them for 5wks before heading back to Australia, once down there we plan on coming back up to London for 1 night to have our leaving do with all our mates up here, for this we are going to be leaving P. with his grandparents for the night. I'm slowly building up a stash of EBM for them to give him, and I've got no concerns with them looking after him, there is a 3yr and a 2yr old on the other side of the family that they have often looked after for days/nights since they were babies.

I am however wondering what I can do about sleeping arrangements for P. for that one night as obviously we co sleep and I can't see that changing in the next 4wks.. We have a co sleeper for him but he doesn't use it now and Im not sure I see the point in taking it down there for possibly one nights use when we could sell it up here...

Any suggestions on where/how he'd be okay sleeping that night? Would it be alright if she took him for a walk in a pram until he drifted off and then just left him in the pram? On the middle of the big bed with no pillows/duvets around as he's not yet rolling around? I really have no idea and I'm dreading it to be honest but don't have a choice in the matter...

 

[BabyHaines]

I've often wondered this, so would be interested in the answers....
I think maybe the middle of the big bed might be a good idea??xx

 

[Blob]

Well i dont think i'd want to ask this of my parents or anything but i'm weird But my nieghbours co sleep with their grandchildren too.

But i would get your sheets from home and pjs of yours and tons of things that smell like both of you and put that under him. If he can sleep in his pram then i would put him there or somewhere he's used to... i co slept with Tabs and i know trying to put her somewhere she wasnt used to she hated it.

I'd be interested in proper answers though

 

[anothersquish]

I wouldnt have him alseep in the pram tbh. Id rather put him in a travel cot/basket for the night. Where does he sleep in the daytime? Does he sometimes go into a crib/cot? If not it may be worth introducing him to sleeping in something like a travel cot so that can go with him.
Id say put him on the bed but in another 5 weeks he may be mobile enough to roll off if determined enough!

 

[Blob]

I kinda asumed that the pram was a travel cot cos he was still young

Also i found that putting sheepskin and taking all her normal bedding and putting it in her travel cot worked

 

[Kota]

This is the thing, he doesn't sleep in a pram.. we don't own one! but the few times he has been in one, he's slept for a couple of hours.. at most

The problem is that where he falls to sleep is pretty much where he'll have to stay asleep as the slightest amount of movement from being transferred somewhere generally wakes him up. which is why i'm thinking the middle of what will be our bed down there. We're moving down there on the Wed and the leaving do is on the sat night of the same week so there will be 3nights for it to get 'our scent' but will that be enough?

 

[Kota]

I wouldnt have him alseep in the pram tbh. Id rather put him in a travel cot/basket for the night. Where does he sleep in the daytime? Does he sometimes go into a crib/cot? If not it may be worth introducing him to sleeping in something like a travel cot so that can go with him.
Id say put him on the bed but in another 5 weeks he may be mobile enough to roll off if determined enough!

On my lap or in the carrier when we're out and about...

he VERY occasionally will stay asleep in his co sleeper if you get get him transferred in there, but its very rare, he normally wakes up as soon as you try to move him and won't resettle...

any tips on how to get him more used to it? at the moment he'l happily lie in there and co and ga and play with his mobile for 15-20mins, but thats it, once he gets bored he whinges and then screams, he just doesn't drop off to sleep.

 

[Blob]

I think they will cope no matter obv you have to do your best to ease it but really even if they end up sitting watching TV with him sleeping on them for a time he will be fine

If he sleeps on the bed just put tons of stuff around the floor just incase I used to do that even when we were sleeping in the bed together ha ha!!

 

[anothersquish]

if you put him down really sleepy and stay right next to him and stroke/pat him does that work?

 

[Blob]

Tabs was the same but it took me months to teach her to sleep in her cot on her own through the night (she had decided she didnt want to co sleep )

We just did a lot of putting her down when she was sleeping and putting my hand on her tummy and rocking her and just repeating all the time...OH was far better than me though as she could smell milk and knew it was leaving You might find he will be totally fine for them though as my mum could put her down anywhere

 

[Kota]

if you put him down really sleepy and stay right next to him and stroke/pat him does that work?

nope. he lays there for ages just enjoying the pats and strokes and then its like he realises that you want him to go to sleep and the eyes suddenly go *PING* and he starts getting really worked up.

I've tried all sorts of positions for him, back, front, side, other side, have tried white noise in background,

I know they won't care if they have to be up all night with him, its just I care if they do...

 

[Kota]

Tabs was the same but it took me months to teach her to sleep in her cot on her own through the night (she had decided she didnt want to co sleep )

We just did a lot of putting her down when she was sleeping and putting my hand on her tummy and rocking her and just repeating all the time...OH was far better than me though as she could smell milk and knew it was leaving You might find he will be totally fine for them though as my mum could put her down anywhere

I think the smelling the milk is half the problem.. we're finally in this last week getting to a stage where I can take him to bed at 8pm, nurse him off to sleep in our bed and then leave him there sleeping and come back out to the lounge until we're ready to go to bed.. its a MASSIVE step forward for him.

 

[Blob]

Thats what we did with Tabs it was such a gradual process and then after she started doing that she didnt want to sleep 'with us' she wanted space so i put her in a cot that attatched to the bed and i would feed her in it... then she went on to feeding and she just would 99% of the time let me put her down. I just used like key words for sleep like 'shhh' and i did it while feeding her and she just learnt?

During the day she was the same only slept on me but i started to slip her out and putting her on the couch.. i didnt leave her obv and then i would put her in her swing and then if she was half waking the motion most of the time put her back to sleep. But i'm sure that helped for nights...

 

[jen1604]

Ophelia co-slept with my sister and also OH's sister a couple of times when she was that little with no problems.I just explained to them the important things and how to do it safely and she was fine and happy..If you would feel a bit weird about Phoenix being in with anyone else though maybe you could try in the next 4 weeks getting him used to going into a basket/travel cot for daytime naps and hope that works?

Or if you're going to go for the big bed I would say obviously just make sure he's got pillows and stuff on the edges of the bed just in case!!

Good luck! xxxxxxx