Cosleeping Cots?

[Flower15]

Sorry I keep popping to this section regularly as I am pregnant with baby number two and after having a failed attempt at breastfeeding DD (we only lasted a week ) Im trying to be fully prepared this time. Helps to already know that breastfeeding isn't always as easy as you think!

At night, after she had had breast fed I would put her straight back into her moses basket, until the next feed. I remember one night, feeding her and I must have fallen asleep and was mortified when I woke up to find that we had both fallen asleep whilst she was feeding. I told the lactation consultant the next day and she said she wasn't allowed to provide advice on cosleeping as it wasnt recommended. Since that day we have never coslept with DD (we never needed to again as we switched to ff). I've always been frightened about the risks.

However, I do know that there are benefits to cosleeping when breastfeeding, but I still feel uncomfortable about falling to sleep with baby and OH. Been doing lots of research into risks and benefis and came across co-sleeping beds? Has anyone any advice at all on this matter? I know its very controversial and I really dont want a heated debate, i just want a bit of advice. If I did co-sleep do the beds that attach on the side make it safer? I do not want to put LO at risk, but Im frightened of falling to sleep when feeding again. Thanks in advance (sorry about the long post!) x

 

[laodicean]

We've used a co-sleeping cot since around 2 months... before that, OH was kicked out and sleeping in the spare room with myself and J snoozing in our bed.

Co-sleeping is safe... as long as you keep to the safety guidance, which can be easily googled, but here's one option: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a558334/co-sleeping-and-safety

We bought a Troll sidecar cot; I have friends that used the Mothercare version. It was brilliant - baby has their place to sleep safely next to you, easy access for night feeds, and the OH was able to return to our bed. As far as I'm concerned we'll be doing it from day 1 with the next baby!

 

[superfrizbee]

I just used a normal crib and put it right alongside my side of the bed.

 

[summer rain]

As others have said co-sleeping as in bed sharing is safe if done according to guidelines. Official advice is it's not recommended but this has been based on flawed studies and also cases of babies falling asleep with a parent but not in a bed, but on a sofa and often while drunk or under the influence of drugs-this and careful planned bed-sharing in an appropriate bed are two completely different things. Having said that, you can get special co-sleeping cots and cribs. A lot are US imports so check the bed height required on these as they are often designed for higher beds than we tend to have here. I adapted a regular space saving cot I had with second youngest by taking the drop side off and cutting the legs down until the cot on it's lowest setting was the same height as our bed which is an ikea mattress that is suitable for floor sleeping xx

 

[laodicean]

Actually, summer rain gives good advice - you don't have to buy a special cot. I remember when I was researching what cot to buy, I was tempted to buy Ikea's cheap cot and convert it. There are guides online to show you how - only reason I didn't was because we weren't living somewhere where I could really get my DIY hat on. Totally worth it though if you or someone you know if handy with tools.

 

[summer rain]

It really isn't that hard and I believe some of the newer ikea cots are designed to have a side removed and it's one of the assembly options. This is intended for when baby is approaching the toddler stage but no obvious reason why it can't be used from birth. With mine I simply unscrewed and removed the drop side, measured the exact height I needed the top of the cot mattress to be against my mattress, turned the cot upside down, drew lines on all the legs after carefully measuring them and sawed them off, sanding them down ever so slightly at the end. We only have a rubbishy old toolkit, the only one of many that hasn't been borrowed and not returned, grr but managed to do a pretty good job. Xx

 

[charlie15]

We bed shared from birth, definitely helps bfing. OH slept in spare room. Now LO is nearly a year, she is in a cot next to the bed, with all sides up and we occasionally bed share if she is not sleeping well. As others have said, if done safely it's wonderful! When or if we have another baby though, we will get an ikea cot and do as Summer rain as suggested as then OH won't have anywhere else to sleep. I really don't want a newborn in with my OH who is such a deep sleeper.