What did your baby sleep in?

[Dreamer_D]

No I am not wondering about sleepwear... I am wondering about furniture! If your baby slept in your bedroom, where exactly did he or she sleep? With you in bed? In a little bassinet? In a convertable playard? Details please!

I am especially interested in knowing what your baby slept in at the very beginning versus what he/she slept in when a little older. Right now we are planning to have our baby sleep in our room with us for at least 6 months, maybe longer, and I am trying to figure out what type of furniture works best and will work well for that whole time! I will be breastfeeding, if that matters for your suggestions...

Many thanks, I decided to start a new thread so I could "catch" the most suggestions rather than clogging up the Mommy Thread with my newbie questions!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

bassinet on my side for 4 months.

ETA: it was part of our P'NP (combi)

 

[Miranda]

All three slept in the bassinet for a few months. The boys got too big too fast and wiggled around to be in the bassinet longer than 6 wks. Teensy DD was fine for four months. Then she graduated to her own room and crib. When the boys were babies they stayed in our room longer. I think around a year or so. For some reason they hated sleeping in their rooms. They usually slept in the pack and play in our room. Sometimes they slept with us.

I think a pack and play is really versatile. They now have the bassinet and changing table feature that was not available when my boys were little. Have you looked at co-sleepers? I was given the bassinet as a baby gift before my first was born so I used that. If I didn''t have it I would''ve looked into one.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

We co-slept. My son woke up ever two hours and it was impossible for me to keep getting up every time and feeding him while sitting up and then putting him back in his basinette (he was breastfeed, so I could lay down and sleep while he was nursing). For the first month, my DH slept on the couch because he was finishing up his BS in physics and needed every wink of sleep.

 

[TravelingGal]

DD,

Amelia slept in a hand-me-down bassinet for 6 weeks in the living room while I bunked out on the couch. She slept about 3 feet away from me. The bassinet was very basic...basically a box with some padding in it. You could rock it manually but there were no bells and whistles whatsoever. It didn''t feel all that much different from the hospital "baby bucket", to be honest. Poor kid definitely was not spoiled.

6 weeks into a crib in her own room (complete with fax machine, the lucky duck). No issues with the transition and she has been there ever since.

I attempted breastfeeding for two months, using a SNS. When I moved her into her room, she was only waking once in the middle of the night so for that she got a bottle.

 

[Kaleigh]

A bassinet for the first month. On my side like Tacori. Then it was into a crib in their nursery. I couldn't breast feed due to a past esptein barr virus. The bassinet was a tad wobbly, so couldn't have either in there for too long.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

oh, and to add. . .I used a sleep positioner to keep my son from rolling around as he grew and became more squirmy

http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2256227

 

[snlee]

We planned to have him sleep in a crib, which we had set up in our room. However, he ended up in our bed and that''s where he is currently. I never planned to cosleep but once we did, I really loved it. It was easier since I was nursing him, I could be more attentive to his needs, he and I slept better, and I love the closeness. I''m trying to find the right time to transition him to his crib, which is very difficult! If you don''t want to cosleep, I suggest a bassinet then crib. During the day, he takes naps in his PNP bassinet, swing, or my arms.

 

[mrssalvo]

bassinet until 6 months then moved to crib in their own room. I also co-slept a lot in the beginning with each of my kids b/c I was nursing and it was just easier. My pack-n-play had the bassinet included and I used the same one for all 3 kids so i got my monies worth. Plus, it''s easy to pack up when we visit family and it gives them a safe place to nap and sleep.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I knew I could count on quick responses!

Keep the suggestions coming!

Regarding the Pack n'' Play -- it does seem really versatile, and I like it a lot, but the bassinet feature only holds a baby up tp 15lbs, which I guess different babies hit at different ages, but that could be only about 3-4 months... although I know I *may* change my mind, we are pretty committed to sleeping in the same room for quite a bit longer than that.

Regarding true "all in the same bed" co-sleeping -- love the idea, our bed is NOT big enough

I don''t even think it''s big enough for me and DH, so no baby added to this mess!

Regarding co-sleepers like the Arms-Reach -- I like this product--it is a basinet, a co-sleeper, and a playard, and it holds babies up to 32lbs... the only issue is that they are a little pricey (~200) and our bed is too low to work with the regular models, which only fit 24" beds... ours is 18". There is a lower model, but only in the full-sized version...

For BFing mamas: do you think there is any added value to having a co-sleeping unit that has one side that lowers so that there is nothing between you and le bebe? I know when kids are older you can often nurse laying down (like MC mentioned... my friend loved this), and in that case having the child in a side-car type bassinet with no wall between you and baby would be really convenient since you could just pull baby towards you to nurse. But at the start if you need to sit upright to nurse anyways, then reaching into a playard type cot wouldn''t be such a big deal, would it?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Mrssalvo & snlee Do you find that co-sleeping in the same bed interrupts your sleep or your DHs sleep too much? One of my friends did it no problem, but my other friend''s husband left to sleep in another room because it was too squirmy in the bed

Honestly, sleeping together seems simplest in many ways... I''d worry about it when the baby was newborn though??

 

[somethingshiny]

At night he slept in our bedroom in a bassinet for 3 weeks. Then, we was moved across the hall to his bedroom crib. As soon as he outgrew his colic (right at 3 months) he slept through the night (at least 10 hrs and mostly 12 hrs). The only sleep problems we''ve had with him was when he was sick. Other than that, I''d sit and talk/play/read for a few minutes, lay him in his crib, turn on his Baby Einstein singing turtle and leave the room.

I actually thought the title of this thread was asking what the baby slept in as far as sleepwear. And, because I was so fond of ours, I thought I''d share. Our house was really cold so I just put him in a sleeper and then this sleep sack, no blankets necessary. As he got older and it got warmer, I would put him in a onesy and the sleep sack. I was able to keep in the sacks until he was over a year old and I trusted him to have a blanket in the crib.

sleep sack

 

[TravelingGal]

DD, I know being the smart cookie you are, you probably have already researched this, but there are so many co-sleeping forums online. I ran into a few of them when I was doing sleep research. One of the things I found interesting was there were quite a few topics like "I feel guilty, but can''t do this anymore!" Some moms just decided it was not for them due to sleep disruption, and it seems like a very valid topic/issue among co-sleeping families that might help answer your question above.

Also, a note on BFing while laying down...not sure if it''s something people do when the baby is older, but there was NO WAY I could do that. I was so exhausted, I had a hard time staying awake while feeding her upright...if I had been lying down and feeding her, I would have for sure passed out and squashed the child or something.

So I think the pack and play solution would be perfectly fine.

 

[neatfreak]

DD, we bought used arm''s reach co-sleeper on craigslist for about $40, so we are planning on attempting to use that with the boys. I''ll let you know how it goes in a few weeks.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/10/2008 9:20:28 PM
Author: TravelingGal
DD, I know being the smart cookie you are, you probably have already researched this, but there are so many co-sleeping forums online. I ran into a few of them when I was doing sleep research. One of the things I found interesting was there were quite a few topics like ''I feel guilty, but can''t do this anymore!'' Some moms just decided it was not for them due to sleep disruption, and it seems like a very valid topic/issue among co-sleeping families that might help answer your question above.

I haven''t gone that far yet, but its a good idea and I may look into it more. I feel like I know Mrs.Savlso and snlee and would trust their experiences more than the typical random assortment of cukoos you find online

Somehoe the PS assortment of cukoos seem much more levelheaded

Date: 12/10/2008 9:20:28 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Also, a note on BFing while laying down...not sure if it''s something people do when the baby is older, but there was NO WAY I could do that. I was so exhausted, I had a hard time staying awake while feeding her upright...if I had been lying down and feeding her, I would have for sure passed out and squashed the child or something.

haha... I have one friend who did it this way and it was only once her boy was much older, and my mom did it too. Both co-slept and would basically doze off while nursing-- somehow both kids survided the potential for being squashed! LOL! I guess it only really works when the baby is old enough to latch and hold on without too much guidance. Having bigger (*)(*) probably males it easier too!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/10/2008 9:15:38 PM
Author: somethingshiny
I actually thought the title of this thread was asking what the baby slept in as far as sleepwear. And, because I was so fond of ours, I thought I''d share. Our house was really cold so I just put him in a sleeper and then this sleep sack, no blankets necessary. As he got older and it got warmer, I would put him in a onesy and the sleep sack. I was able to keep in the sacks until he was over a year old and I trusted him to have a blanket in the crib.

sleep sack

That looks great! I have heard other mums praise those too.

Man alive, I have not even BEGUN to think about clothing yet!

I am taking baby steps (fogive the pun)... we have a crib--that we probably wont use for a long time, but the inlaws wanted to buy it!--and a change table and some diapers and a car seat. The stroller is ordered. Now I am thinking about where to put the baby at night! LOL! In the new year I will start thinking about what the baby will wear.

Will I be a bad mother if my baby is naked except for a diaper for the first 3 months? I know TGal won''t think so, since her daughter slept in a cardboard box!

 

[Burk]

I fell asleep while nursing more than a couple times when T was really little and would wake frantic with milk everywhere!! We did a bassinet in our room right next to me (like Tgal, a straight forward no-frills bassinet) for the first 3-4 weeks. Our PNP was on our main floor for diaper changes and that''s where she took some of her day time naps. We moved her across the hall into her room in her crib right at about 4 weeks because I wasn''t able to get any sleep listening to her every groan and breath.

T was sick a few weeks back (she''s 10 months) and had to be sleeping with something touching my husband or I and she seemed to do fine sleeping with us, but he and I were not able to get any sleep. We have a king sized bed and you''d think there would be enough room for the three of us-not so much!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/10/2008 9:33:56 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 12/10/2008 9:15:38 PM
Author: somethingshiny
I actually thought the title of this thread was asking what the baby slept in as far as sleepwear. And, because I was so fond of ours, I thought I''d share. Our house was really cold so I just put him in a sleeper and then this sleep sack, no blankets necessary. As he got older and it got warmer, I would put him in a onesy and the sleep sack. I was able to keep in the sacks until he was over a year old and I trusted him to have a blanket in the crib.

sleep sack

That looks great! I have heard other mums praise those too.

Man alive, I have not even BEGUN to think about clothing yet!

I am taking baby steps (fogive the pun)... we have a crib--that we probably wont use for a long time, but the inlaws wanted to buy it!--and a change table and some diapers and a car seat. The stroller is ordered. Now I am thinking about where to put the baby at night! LOL! In the new year I will start thinking about what the baby will wear.

Will I be a bad mother if my baby is naked except for a diaper for the first 3 months? I know TGal won''t think so, since her daughter slept in a cardboard box!

Haha, you got that right! And I initially just wanted to use a laundry basket! The list of my bad mommy ideas and deeds are very long.

Totally agree about the sleepsacks...they are great! If you decide to use them, a Halo sleepsack (like the one SS pointed out - and they are cheaper at BRU by 5 bucks) is a must. The Halo ones zip from the top down so if you are still changing diapers in the middle of the night, you can unzip only to the point you need instead of exposing the torso of the baby to the elements. Highly recommended. Amelia loves them. I have a light cotton for hotter days and day naps and the "fleece" one for nights. BRU has a buy one get one half off this weekend I think.

And speaking about diaper only...uh, I stole hospital shirts and used those and diapers + swaddle for over three weeks. And we''d keep her in one shirt for days at a time so she was totally grotty and gross. And we kept her hands covered for at least 3 weeks (which goes against current advice). When I tried to free her hands, she scratched herself with her long nails. When I tried to cut them for the first time, I drew some serious blood. So back inside the mits her hands went.

I tell ya, the list goes on and on. I was so not mommy material before I had a kid, and popping one out did not change that. I was also so gung ho on wanting to breast feed my kid ONLY (therefore no pacifiers, or formula bottles per my "birth plan"

) that I ended up starving my kid and she lost over 12% of her body weight (definitely NOT good) and they nearly did not discharge her with me. Thank god I had a complicated birth and I had to stay in the hospital for 6 nights or else who knows what might have happened. "Inept mom in 401" was probably a common call out on our post partum floor.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hey DD,

Speaking from a DFCS focus, there are some dangers in "true co-sleeping." I''m sure you''ve looked into it, but particularly with newborns and very young babies, it can be extremely dangerous.

I think co-sleepers (with the drop down bar you talked about) are a wonderful option, but again, pricey. They do last for quite a while, though. And if you were to have more than one baby, it would pay for itself in no time. That and piece of mind having the baby right by you, and easy access for feedings.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/10/2008 10:50:15 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Hey DD,

Speaking from a DFCS focus, there are some dangers in 'true co-sleeping.' I'm sure you've looked into it, but particularly with newborns and very young babies, it can be extremely dangerous.

I think co-sleepers (with the drop down bar you talked about) are a wonderful option, but again, pricey. They do last for quite a while, though. And if you were to have more than one baby, it would pay for itself in no time. That and piece of mind having the baby right by you, and easy access for feedings.

Fisher from what I have read, the danger comes if you drink, do drugs, or are significantly over weight (obese). Those are the types of circumstances where babies get smothered, because the parent is too out of it to notice they smooshed their kid! I imagine that happens frequently in the populations tha tdeal with DCFS. But I hear ya! I'm not so worried about smothering my kid, since I am not a druggie or alcoholic, but I do think that it would be too much in one bed for us...

Good point about the "more than one kid" cost savings... I don't thikn that way usually, so I have to remember it all averages out.

TGal LOL!! You are my kind of mother, I'll tell you that right now!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 12/10/2008 11:10:11 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Fisher from what I have read, the danger comes if you drink, do drugs, or are significantly over weight (obese). Those are the types of circumstances where babies get smothered, because the parent is too out of it to notice they smooshed their kid! I imagine that happens frequently in the populations tha tdeal with DCFS. But I hear ya! I'm not so worried about smothering my kid, since I am not a druggie or alcoholic, but I do think that it would be too much in one bed for us...

Good point about the 'more than one kid' cost savings... I don't thikn that way usually, so I have to remember it all averages out.

TGal LOL!! You are my kind of mother, I'll tell you that right now!

LOL!

Let's see -

Overweight/Obese - just had a baby. Check!
Drink or do drugs - Severe sleep deprivation can cause a lot of the same effects. Check!

In all seriousness though...in those first few weeks I was barely functioning a lot of the time, so it might be good to note that you may not be your usual spry self either.

 

[swingirl]

Bassinet for the first 3 months next to our bed. Nursed in bed.

After 3 months baby was in crib in her own room. I nursed wherever it was comfortable, sometimes in a chair, sometimes laying down. Laying on my side was the most comfortable. I never worried about rolling on my baby. I don''t think mom''s ever sleep soundly again...well, not until their kids are in college!

 

[Demelza]

We co-slept with our daughter from day one (and still do -- and she FINALLY started sleeping through the night!!!!!). We initially intended to have her in a bassinet next to our bed, but it quickly became clear that she needed the skin-to-skin closeness of co-sleeping. As a breastfeeding mom, it was really convenient to have her right next to me. I started nursing her while lying down at about 8 weeks -- it took that long to really get the hang of it. Besides not having to get up in the middle of the night, the great thing about having them in bed is that you begin to naturally anticipate when they are coming out of a sleep cycle so that you can often get them back to sleep before they (and you) fully awaken.

All that said, co-sleeping in the same bed is not for everyone. If it doesn't work for you, there's no reason for anyone to feel guilty about not doing it (referring to Tgal's comment). My best advice is to have several options available and go with what feels right at the time.

Re: co-sleeping safety: It absolutely isn't true that co-sleeping is inherently dangerous, even with a newborn. Yes, you have to take safety precautions just like you do when putting your child in a crib or bassinet, but one is not safer than the other. There are drawbacks and benefits to each one and plenty of statistics to support either choice. In the end, it really just comes down to what works best for you and your child. And, unfortunately, you won't know that until the baby comes.

Congrats on your baby!!

 

[luvmyhalo]

We had our daughter in her crib in her room from the 1st night. We have a small house and also slept with the monitor on. It worked really well for us. We never had the issue of converting her from a bassinet into her crib.

It also allowed me to get some rest while she was asleep. I''m such an incredibly light sleeper, if she were next to me, I wouldn''t be able to get any rest, which is soooo important to survive those first couple months!!!

During the day, she napped in the pack n play in the living room. At about 2 or 3 months old, I started putting her in her room for naps and she slept much better in there.

 

[sbde]

hey dd...

while i don''t quite have the practical experience to share, we have ended up getting both an arms reach co-sleeper as well as a graco pack n play. i had heard good things about both and feel like whichever one we prefer will be placed next to our bed while the other will be helpful to keep downstairs during the day. i''ll keep you posted on my experience with both.

i''ve also gotten the sleep sacks - i''m so terrified my january baby will be too cold that i feel like i''m bound to overheat him!

 

[Miranda]

Date: 12/10/2008 9:08:34 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
I knew I could count on quick responses!

Keep the suggestions coming!

Regarding the Pack n'' Play -- it does seem really versatile, and I like it a lot, but the bassinet feature only holds a baby up tp 15lbs, which I guess different babies hit at different ages, but that could be only about 3-4 months... although I know I *may* change my mind, we are pretty committed to sleeping in the same room for quite a bit longer than that.

Regarding true ''all in the same bed'' co-sleeping -- love the idea, our bed is NOT big enough

I don''t even think it''s big enough for me and DH, so no baby added to this mess!

Regarding co-sleepers like the Arms-Reach -- I like this product--it is a basinet, a co-sleeper, and a playard, and it holds babies up to 32lbs... the only issue is that they are a little pricey (~200) and our bed is too low to work with the regular models, which only fit 24'' beds... ours is 18''. There is a lower model, but only in the full-sized version...

For BFing mamas: do you think there is any added value to having a co-sleeping unit that has one side that lowers so that there is nothing between you and le bebe? I know when kids are older you can often nurse laying down (like MC mentioned... my friend loved this), and in that case having the child in a side-car type bassinet with no wall between you and baby would be really convenient since you could just pull baby towards you to nurse. But at the start if you need to sit upright to nurse anyways, then reaching into a playard type cot wouldn''t be such a big deal, would it?

No. I don''t think so. Usually the baby needs to be changed before, during, and/or after (usually AND

) nursing. Especially in the first month or so. You''re going to be getting them up and holding them anyway. Sometimes they are so sleepy that you change them in the middle of nursing to wake them up to eat more. When they are older you can just as easily place them in bed with you and lie down to nurse. If it doesn''t work for your bed I wouldn''t worry about it. I didn''t have a co-sleeper, but, I would think you''d need some very long boobs to nurse the baby while he/she was in it!

 

[divergrrl]

Date: 12/10/2008 8:59:05 PM
Author: mrssalvo


bassinet until 6 months then moved to crib in their own room. I also co-slept a lot in the beginning with each of my kids b/c I was nursing and it was just easier. My pack-n-play had the bassinet included and I used the same one for all 3 kids so i got my monies worth. Plus, it''s easy to pack up when we visit family and it gives them a safe place to nap and sleep.

Ditto. I did the exact same thing with my 2. Love the pnp...i use it for a playpen now (its in my room) to dump my scary agile 14 month old terrorist in when I have to run into the basement or take my eyes off her to do a chore, answer the door etc... otherwise I''d find her on top of the fridge or giving her older brother a wedgie or something.

 

[dani13]

Date: 12/11/2008 1:16:03 AM
Author: divergrrl

Date: 12/10/2008 8:59:05 PM

Author: mrssalvo



bassinet until 6 months then moved to crib in their own room. I also co-slept a lot in the beginning with each of my kids b/c I was nursing and it was just easier. My pack-n-play had the bassinet included and I used the same one for all 3 kids so i got my monies worth. Plus, it''s easy to pack up when we visit family and it gives them a safe place to nap and sleep.

Ditto. I did the exact same thing with my 2. Love the pnp...i use it for a playpen now (its in my room) to dump my scary agile 14 month old terrorist in when I have to run into the basement or take my eyes off her to do a chore, answer the door etc... otherwise I''d find her on top of the fridge or giving her older brother a wedgie or something.

LOL!!! You are too funny, Diver!!!!!!!

 

[brgirl]

Date: 12/10/2008 9:14:02 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Mrssalvo & snlee Do you find that co-sleeping in the same bed interrupts your sleep or your DHs sleep too much? One of my friends did it no problem, but my other friend''s husband left to sleep in another room because it was too squirmy in the bed

Honestly, sleeping together seems simplest in many ways... I''d worry about it when the baby was newborn though??

I''d LOVE to know this as well!! Especially about how the DH''s handle it - whether you are cosleeping or if the baby is just IN the room with you. I was thinking of just moving myself to the baby''s room with the guest bed in it so I can use the Crib or co-sleep in there. I just don''t want to constantly wake up DH when he has to get up and go to work. We also have two small dogs that currently sleep with us that we are working on getting out of our bed now (way before baby is here so they don''t associate baby = evil), but they may still be IN the bedroom (one baby step at a time with those dogs). I can''t imagine waking EVERYONE up every few hours , especially when one of the dogs takes any movement as a sign it''s time to go outside!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/11/2008 9:15:11 AM
Author: brgirl
I''d LOVE to know this as well!! Especially about how the DH''s handle it - whether you are cosleeping or if the baby is just IN the room with you. I was thinking of just moving myself to the baby''s room with the guest bed in it so I can use the Crib or co-sleep in there. I just don''t want to constantly wake up DH when he has to get up and go to work. We also have two small dogs that currently sleep with us that we are working on getting out of our bed now (way before baby is here so they don''t associate baby = evil), but they may still be IN the bedroom (one baby step at a time with those dogs). I can''t imagine waking EVERYONE up every few hours , especially when one of the dogs takes any movement as a sign it''s time to go outside!

Regarding dogs ,we also have two little ones, and when we found out we were preggers we moved them into another room. They used to sleep in a crate in our room, and now they sleep in a crate in the guest room. I think you *may* need to move them right out of your room, eventually... we just couldn''t see it working any other way!

PS: My Dh would never want to sleep without the "family", he is a big sook like that

... we''ll see if sleep deprivation changes his mind, but as of now he would never want to leave the family bed. He is taking 6 weeks paternity leave, so hopefully we can work something out during that time so it isn''t so bad when he has to go back to work.