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Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 21st 03, 10:16 PM
Sidheag McCormack
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Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety

Today is my day for asking questions, hope you don't mind :-)

We're planning on using what is called in the UK a bedside cot, or in US
speak a co-sleeper - i.e. a cot(UK)/crib(US) with one side missing,
fastened to the adult bed along the missing side, the idea being that
adults and baby have their own sleeping space, but it's easy to get the
baby for feeding and put it back afterwards.

Currently we use a duvet on our own bed. If we were fully cosleeping, I
know the advice would be to swap this for sheets and blankets. I'm in two
minds about whether we really should do this anyway. We could, but I prefer
the duvet, and I suppose I'm not really convinced that a duvet is
significantly more dangerous than the equivalent weight of sheet and
blankets would be. Either way, you have to stop the baby ending up
underneath the covers.

What do any other co-sleeper users do? Any other tips?

TIA,

Sidheag
edd Oct 13th - full term tomorrow!
  #2  
Old September 22nd 03, 12:49 AM
Naomi Rivkis
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Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety

On 21 Sep 2003 22:16:58 +0100, Sidheag McCormack
wrote:


What do any other co-sleeper users do? Any other tips?


We're planning to use what I've always heard called a sidecar crib,
which I think is the same thing as your co-sleeper. I use a duvet, but
I tend to tuck the side of it under me when I sleep anyway; I don't
think there's any chance of the baby, who won't actually be in the
bed, just at bed level next to it, getting underneath.

Naomi
  #3  
Old September 22nd 03, 01:03 AM
Nina
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Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety


"Sidheag McCormack" wrote in message
...
Today is my day for asking questions, hope you don't mind :-)

We're planning on using what is called in the UK a bedside cot, or in US
speak a co-sleeper - i.e. a cot(UK)/crib(US) with one side missing,
fastened to the adult bed along the missing side, the idea being that
adults and baby have their own sleeping space, but it's easy to get the
baby for feeding and put it back afterwards.

Currently we use a duvet on our own bed. If we were fully cosleeping, I
know the advice would be to swap this for sheets and blankets. I'm in two
minds about whether we really should do this anyway. We could, but I

prefer
the duvet, and I suppose I'm not really convinced that a duvet is
significantly more dangerous than the equivalent weight of sheet and
blankets would be. Either way, you have to stop the baby ending up
underneath the covers.

What do any other co-sleeper users do? Any other tips?


Gee, I always kept my regular comforter and just popped the baby right in
the bed with me and my husband. The first few months the babies actually
slept on me, in the crook of my arm. After a while, they moved to the center
of the bed.
For me having separate sleeping space wasnt a problem, since when they were
very tiny they slept literally on my chest.


  #4  
Old September 22nd 03, 01:40 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety

"Nina" misc.kids.pregnancy :


"Sidheag McCormack" wrote in message
...
Today is my day for asking questions, hope you don't mind :-)

We're planning on using what is called in the UK a bedside cot, or in US
speak a co-sleeper - i.e. a cot(UK)/crib(US) with one side missing,
fastened to the adult bed along the missing side, the idea being that
adults and baby have their own sleeping space, but it's easy to get the
baby for feeding and put it back afterwards.

Currently we use a duvet on our own bed. If we were fully cosleeping, I
know the advice would be to swap this for sheets and blankets. I'm in two
minds about whether we really should do this anyway. We could, but I

prefer
the duvet, and I suppose I'm not really convinced that a duvet is
significantly more dangerous than the equivalent weight of sheet and
blankets would be. Either way, you have to stop the baby ending up
underneath the covers.

What do any other co-sleeper users do? Any other tips?


Gee, I always kept my regular comforter and just popped the baby right in
the bed with me and my husband. The first few months the babies actually
slept on me, in the crook of my arm. After a while, they moved to the center
of the bed.
For me having separate sleeping space wasnt a problem, since when they were
very tiny they slept literally on my chest.



That is how I slept with my first born.. but now I have an illness that causes me to twitch
violently in my sleep so I'll be looking into a co-sleeper.
  #5  
Old September 22nd 03, 02:18 AM
Nina
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Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety


wrote in message
...
"Nina" misc.kids.pregnancy :


"Sidheag McCormack" wrote in message
...
Today is my day for asking questions, hope you don't mind :-)

We're planning on using what is called in the UK a bedside cot, or in

US
speak a co-sleeper - i.e. a cot(UK)/crib(US) with one side missing,
fastened to the adult bed along the missing side, the idea being that
adults and baby have their own sleeping space, but it's easy to get the
baby for feeding and put it back afterwards.

Currently we use a duvet on our own bed. If we were fully cosleeping, I
know the advice would be to swap this for sheets and blankets. I'm in

two
minds about whether we really should do this anyway. We could, but I

prefer
the duvet, and I suppose I'm not really convinced that a duvet is
significantly more dangerous than the equivalent weight of sheet and
blankets would be. Either way, you have to stop the baby ending up
underneath the covers.

What do any other co-sleeper users do? Any other tips?


Gee, I always kept my regular comforter and just popped the baby right in
the bed with me and my husband. The first few months the babies actually
slept on me, in the crook of my arm. After a while, they moved to the

center
of the bed.
For me having separate sleeping space wasnt a problem, since when they

were
very tiny they slept literally on my chest.



That is how I slept with my first born.. but now I have an illness that

causes me to twitch
violently in my sleep so I'll be looking into a co-sleeper.


Sounds like a drag. Good luck. Its funny, I NEVER intended to sleep with my
kids. But I would wake up in the morning and the baby would be in the bed
and neither my husband nor I would remember how he got there. After a few
nights we figured it would be safer to just start off with him in bed, than
to risk wandering around semi-concious in the dark with a baby.
I have a bassinet next to my bed, Im afraid I will do the same- take the
baby in and out while not fully awake and that Iw ill hurt her.


  #6  
Old September 22nd 03, 03:40 AM
courtney johnson
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Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety

On 21 Sep 2003 22:16:58 +0100, Sidheag McCormack
wrote:

What do any other co-sleeper users do? Any other tips?


We've had June in a sidecar (Arm's Reach) for 3 months now, and have
used our summer weight comforter on our bed the whole time. It's never
gotten into the co-sleeper (or come close enough to worry), so I
haven't been too concerned about it. If it was a problem, I'd probably
try sleeping closer to the center of the bed and adjusting the
comforter so that its edge was a foot or more away from the sidecar,
or dressing warmly enough to go without covers.


-Courtney
Mom to Mary (b/d 6-8-02)
and June (6-19-03)
  #7  
Old September 22nd 03, 04:22 AM
jjmoreta
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety

Sidheag McCormack wrote:
Today is my day for asking questions, hope you don't mind :-)

We're planning on using what is called in the UK a bedside cot, or in
US speak a co-sleeper - i.e. a cot(UK)/crib(US) with one side missing,
fastened to the adult bed along the missing side, the idea being that
adults and baby have their own sleeping space, but it's easy to get
the baby for feeding and put it back afterwards.

Currently we use a duvet on our own bed. If we were fully cosleeping,
I know the advice would be to swap this for sheets and blankets. I'm
in two minds about whether we really should do this anyway. We could,
but I prefer the duvet, and I suppose I'm not really convinced that a
duvet is significantly more dangerous than the equivalent weight of
sheet and blankets would be. Either way, you have to stop the baby
ending up underneath the covers.

What do any other co-sleeper users do? Any other tips?

TIA,

Sidheag
edd Oct 13th - full term tomorrow!


This is what I'm planning on doing, as well. Funny enough, I first got the
idea from a UK magazine. Last year I couldn't find any information on
sidecar cosleeping (what we call it in the U.S.), but now I've found a lot
of useful information, mainly by doing Google searches.

When you think about it, the most danger of baby suffocating is early on,
when they're still learning how to regulate their breathing patterns.
That's also the time when they can't move themselves out of danger if they
do run into something that impedes their breathing. But that also means
that they'll be less likely to squirm themselves around into a place where
they might run into your duvet, as long as you take steps that the duvet
won't be going into the crib and you space baby far enough away.

Early on, I plan on using a sleep positioner pillow to help keep my baby on
its back in the crib, as is recommended. My husband and I are large people
and I'm not sure enough of myself to risk sleeping in bed with my baby at
all. The pillow I'm going to use looks like this, but is a different brand:

http://tinyurl.com/o6ab (pillow positioner from One Step Ahead - a great
catalog, btw)

And here's a wonderful article I found that helped me make the decision
between buying an Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper Bassinet and just going ahead and
buying a crib to use in a sidecar arrangement. It answered all my questions
on how to properly attach the crib and make the whole arrangement safe for
baby.

http://pages.ivillage.com/gentlegoodnight/sidecar.html - How to Sidecar Your
Crib (with photos)

Good luck!

- Joanne
#1 - 32w5d


  #8  
Old September 22nd 03, 04:38 AM
toypup
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Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety


"Nina" wrote in message
t...
Sounds like a drag. Good luck. Its funny, I NEVER intended to sleep with

my
kids. But I would wake up in the morning and the baby would be in the bed
and neither my husband nor I would remember how he got there. After a few
nights we figured it would be safer to just start off with him in bed,

than
to risk wandering around semi-concious in the dark with a baby.
I have a bassinet next to my bed, Im afraid I will do the same- take the
baby in and out while not fully awake and that Iw ill hurt her.


This is such a fear of mine. People will think I was on drugs or something.
MIL and my own mom seem to think moms are superhuman or something, like we
are able to be totally alert whenever our babies need us. Well, I've fallen
asleep with DS in my arms and he slipped down my belly once when I was on
the recliner. DH saw it and it was not a safe situation. Another time, I
awoke to find that DS was suffocating on my breast (we were lying side by
side, he was in the crook of my arm). I didn't mean to fall asleep in such
positions, but it happened often at the time because I was so exhausted from
feeding every hour/half hour around the clock. It was to the point that I
was trying all sorts of positions to find one where DS would be safe if I
accidentally fell asleep. There really wasn't a good position for us that I
could find. I mean, the side lying one on the carpet was one of the "safe"
ones that nearly suffocated DS.


  #9  
Old September 22nd 03, 04:57 AM
Nina
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety


"toypup" wrote in message
news:e9ubb.403195$cF.125277@rwcrnsc53...

"Nina" wrote in message
t...
Sounds like a drag. Good luck. Its funny, I NEVER intended to sleep with

my
kids. But I would wake up in the morning and the baby would be in the

bed
and neither my husband nor I would remember how he got there. After a

few
nights we figured it would be safer to just start off with him in bed,

than
to risk wandering around semi-concious in the dark with a baby.
I have a bassinet next to my bed, Im afraid I will do the same- take the
baby in and out while not fully awake and that Iw ill hurt her.


This is such a fear of mine. People will think I was on drugs or

something.
MIL and my own mom seem to think moms are superhuman or something, like we
are able to be totally alert whenever our babies need us. Well, I've

fallen
asleep with DS in my arms and he slipped down my belly once when I was on
the recliner. DH saw it and it was not a safe situation. Another time, I
awoke to find that DS was suffocating on my breast (we were lying side by
side, he was in the crook of my arm). I didn't mean to fall asleep in

such
positions, but it happened often at the time because I was so exhausted

from
feeding every hour/half hour around the clock. It was to the point that I
was trying all sorts of positions to find one where DS would be safe if I
accidentally fell asleep. There really wasn't a good position for us that

I
could find. I mean, the side lying one on the carpet was one of the

"safe"
ones that nearly suffocated DS.


For me, I just ended up sleeping witht he baby on my chest. Its a MIRACLE I
never dropped him because at first I would wake up and he would be in my arm
and OVER the floor, not the bed. I would sleep for hours with the baby just
in my arm, not sure how I had the strength. When I kept waking up that way,
I gave in and put him on my chest because no matter what I did, I couldt NOT
notice him there in the way.
But it was scary, because we could NOT figure out who was getting him out of
the crib!
I remember the 1st month vaguely, it seemed all we both did was sleep. I
would nurse the baby for an hour, then we'd drift off then we'd wake, I'd
nurse him and we'd be asleep again. Somehow we managed to cling on the
entire time and he never slipped. THis is number 3 for me and my youngest is
8. I am afraid my baby instincts are off and I will fall asleep with the
baby, forget Im holding her and then stand up and drop her.


  #10  
Old September 22nd 03, 06:12 PM
Sidheag McCormack
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Posts: n/a
Default Co-sleepers/bedside cots and safety

Thanks for the replies - it sounds as though we're not alone in thinking
that using a duvet in this situation seems reasonable, which is good to
know.

Sidheag
edd Oct 13th - 37w today!
 




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