Cosleeping/Night Nursing?

[Mickey]

Did anyone (or does anyone) cosleep? Did your kids ever sleep with you and dh? When your kids were babies, did they sleep in bed with you when they were nursing?

I resorted to having ds in bed with us--I am a really light sleeper and was hyper-aware of him. We have a king-sized bed and there was a lot of room so no concerns about the baby being squashed or anything. I had no intentions of doing this (had a bassinet next to the bed), but he woke so often that I would sometimes fall asleep nursing him and it just ended up being much easier to keep him in bed most of the night..

I am going to look at a friend's Baby Bunk (www.babybunk.com) this week (she wants to sell it) and I'm wondering how it would work or if I'd end up just having her in bed with us anyway, like I did with ds.

Anyone use anything like this or have their babies in bed with them?

[bizymum]

The baby bunk looks neat... I had a cradle beside my bed for when DS's were really little. Though they did end up in bed with us,I found it easier to co sleep. DS#3 still climbs into out bed with us once in awhile whenhe has a bad dream or when he is sick, and whenhe has an accident in bed. To be truthfull I stillliek it when he comes inadn snuggles..so I enjoy it while I can causeI know it wont last much longer.

[RCT]

I did when I was nursing.

When they went on the bottle I made the transition to thier own crib all the time. It worked well. Ds loved his crib, but dd was a climber too....at 18 months she was scaling it...ds would stay in his crib until you came and got him out...funny...

[Amy]

I had dd's crib next to my bed for the first 6 months. I don't think I had her sleeping with me much. Bless her little heart that she was sleeping at least 6 hours a night at 2 weeks old. It wasn't until she was a year old that she was scaling her crib at 4am and crawling into bed with us.

Ds was a different story. I also had the crib next to my bed. He would wake up more often and with having a toddler on top of it, I was exhausted 24/7. I would take him in bed with me and we would both fall asleep. I was very aware of him sleeping next to me also and would at least make sure he was facing away from me.

[Mickey]

I hope the Baby Bunk works (my bed is really high, so it might not). I think it will be helpful, after my c-section, to have her so accessible.

[Mickey]

...Ds was a different story. I also had the crib next to my bed. He would wake up more often and with having a toddler on top of it, I was exhausted 24/7...
I know the gap we have is huge (10+ years), but I don't know that I could have done it when ds was 2 or 3! He didn't sleep through the night until he was 4 (maybe even 5) and was into EVERYTHING. Busy, busy boy. I would have needed a nanny! ;)

[angie r]

The baby bunk looks cool, wouldn't it be cheaper to just put a bassinet next to the bed though? I couldn't sleep with the baby in my room, I was constantly awake with their every toss, turn and breath. Although once they were old enough to be out of the crib they were right in our bed every night. Until they were older I was scared to death of SIDS, because my sister died that way, that I would never lay them in my bed to sleep. Brichard would get up when the baby got up and change the diaper then bring the baby to me, I would nurse and then take her/him back to bed. That worked really well for us.

Oh, you are giving me babyitis Mickey!!!

[Diane]

When our girls were babies we'd sleep them in a small crib about two or three steps away from our bed. When they'd wake up crying I'd jump up and bring them into bed with us while I nursed. When they were done, I'd put them back in their crib. They never slept with us... they didn't want to and quite honestly... I didn't want them there.

I really do like the baby bunk... it's so close where all you have to do is roll over and grab them out and is just as easy to put them back in without having to climb out of bed. I like that you each have your own space... If I had seen one of these when my girls were babies I probably would have been tempted to get one too.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Mickey]

The baby bunk looks cool, wouldn't it be cheaper to just put a bassinet next to the bed though? I couldn't sleep with the baby in my room, I was constantly awake with their every toss, turn and breath. Although once they were old enough to be out of the crib they were right in our bed every night. Until they were older I was scared to death of SIDS, because my sister died that way, that I would never lay them in my bed to sleep. Brichard would get up when the baby got up and change the diaper then bring the baby to me, I would nurse and then take her/him back to bed. That worked really well for us.

Oh, you are giving me babyitis Mickey!!!

Go for it, Angie!!! :)

I'm wondering if my bed isn't so high that a bassinet would work. With ds, the bassinet was a lot higher than my bed so I had to sit up to get him out. But it might work with my current bed. (Btw, know how I can't throw anything away? I still have ds' bassinet! LOL!)

I've read mixed things about babies sleeping in beds--I know there is a lot of info claiming that it's not safe, but I've read several articles that say if the bed isn't too soft, there isn't fluffy bedding, neither parent smokes or drinks or sleeps heavily, that it's actually better--they claim that the baby gets in sync with the breathing rhythm of the mother and is less likely to have apnea or stop breathing as a result. I don't know how true anything I read is, though. There's a lot of mixed information out there. I think you just need to do what you're comfortable doing.

[angie r]

(Btw, know how I can't throw anything away? I still have ds' bassinet! LOL!)



Now Mickey, remember that thing is at least 11 years old and may not be up to the current safety standards!! Check it out really well! Make sure you definitely get a new pad, the old one, if you still have it, is full of dust mites and bad things for a baby to breath in. The wicker (if it is) is probably full of mold and yuckiness too.

Ok, stepping down off the soapbox now...

[MommyAgain]

I don't let my new baby sleep in bed with me now. I am afraid that he will wake before me and tumble onto the floor. DH likes to nap with him though.
Mommyagain

[Mickey]

Now Mickey, remember that thing is at least 11 years old and may not be up to the current safety standards!! Check it out really well! Make sure you definitely get a new pad, the old one, if you still have it, is full of dust mites and bad things for a baby to breath in. The wicker (if it is) is probably full of mold and yuckiness too.

Ok, stepping down off the soapbox now...
Thanks, Angie! It's plastic and fabric and I would replace the pad/mattress. Thanks for posting your concerns, though! :)

[Linda/NE]

I never could nurse in bed. It was too uncomfortable. I sat in a rocking chair and usually ended up falling asleep there. Ds #3 would only sleep 1/2 hr. at a time at night in the crib but would sleep most of the night in the rocking chair with me. Must be why I fall asleep whenever I sit down for a long period of time whether it be on the couch or at the computer.

[Melody]

I never looked at it like co-sleeping. They had there own beds, they just didn't always use them! lol When they are newborns I always live in the living room with a bassinet or cradle beside me for the baby. Of course half the time the little guy falls asleep in my arms and we are so comfy, I keep him there and hold him while I sleep. Done it many times in bed too. Especially if there is any colic, I think they need to hear mommy's heartbeat and feel that she is close. Have you seen those portable beds available now just for that? The First Years Close and Secure Sleeper. It has a little night light at the top and mesh sides for air flow.
This (http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000F6GWP6/sr=1-5/qid=1168794897/ref=sr_1_5/104-7294599-8146326?ie=UTF8&searsBrand=core&mqnodeid=16340341)
I plan on getting one and using it in the crib (instead of a bassinett in my room). But no doubt, it will end up in my bed at some point. lol They also have something like what you showed but it's more like a play pen and some even turn into a play pen to use later and they can be moved to different heights for different bed heights. Something to look at if the wood one doesn't work for you.

[Mickey]

That looks interesting, Mel! That baby looks a bit big for it, though. I wonder how long it is.

The Baby Bunk works! I think it will be great! :) The bedding, bumper, and pad are all organic and it says you can't wash the bumper and pad. I will try to wash them, but I'll probably end up replacing it all.

My sister slept on the recliner with her baby on her chest for months and months. They tried other options, but that worked the best for them--they all slept well that way!

[Melody]

Great! Glad the baby bunk works. :)

[KarlaB]

I co-slept with all of my dks. I just thought it was so much easier and I slept SO much better!!