co sleepers worth getting one?

Hobbitfeet

Due our baby soon and am thinking of getting a co sleeper just wondering if anyone has had one or heard good/bad comments about them from friends etc.

I will be breast feeding and a little scared to have baby in bed with us but want baby as close as possible. I have a moses basket free from my sister and was going to use this until I discovered the co sleeper. Now I don't know what to do

Ayla

I never used a co-sleeper or moses basket but instead would bring my girls into bed for the night feeds. The cot was about 1.5 feet away from my side of the bed so it was no big deal to pull them in with me & put them back when the feed was done (or when I woke up ). Everyone's different, but I wasn't overly concerned about having babes in bed b/c when they were there I didn't sleep as deeply.

NextSteps

I have one, but haven't really used it till very recently, when baby was over about five months. He was in the bed till then. I like it though, and prefer it to a separate crib or cot.

How Strange

I bought a second hand mini cosleeper and I'd definitely recommend it especially if you're planning to breastfeed.

I loved having our son in our bed but I had a constant pain in my back from contorting myself so I wouldn't squash him. I put him in it when he was 4 months and used it for 3 months.

It makes breastfeeding at night so much easier.

Hobbitfeet

Thanks I am looking at ones 2nd hand too expensive new for me. Do you think its suitable from newborn on? Also would I need to get a new mattress if buying 2nd hand?

How Strange

Ours was ready when we came home from hospital and my son hated it. He just wouldn't sleep in it and after 2 weeks of stress we put him in a Moses basket and he slept
Every baby is different of course but the mattress is quite hard. If you're going to try it get a sleep positioner so your baby is cocooned.

I didn't get a new mattress, its a different type of mattress so I didn't think it was necessary but I suppose you could buy a new one.

implausible

I never bothered with one myself. The wee buck was in a big cot from day one (up at its highest and very close to the bed so he was at eye level with me), I fed him in the bed and popped him back in when he was finished. If it was after 7 in the morning, he got to stay in the bed!

How Strange

A full size cot wouldn't fit in our room which is why we went for mini cosleeper. He's now in his own room since he's outgrown it and moved into a bigger cot.

Hobbitfeet

Thanks guys might just stick with the moses basket then. Doesn't seem worth it to spend €100. Would you recommend getting a new mattress for the basket. I got it from my sister wasn't used very much in her house as baby was in bed with them most of the time. He slept in it during the day

How Strange

I'd recommend the co sleeper but if you're buying it new get the universal which would do until at least 10 months to a year. I personally found it fantastic when breastfeeding at night.
If like us you can only fit a mini one in your room then try get it secondhand.
It can also be used as a travel cot and we brought ours everywhere to ensure the little man slept well.

Put an ad up on adverts.ie saying you're looking for one. That's what I did and months later someone came back to me.

The Moses basket is fine when they're very small but you have to move them out of it around 3 months. I'd definitely buy a new mattress for the Moses basket.

Cat Melodeon

I have the mini cosleeper - I had it for my firstborn and will be using it from day 1 when this one arrives. I love love love it. It's perfect for a newborn. My lad was a big boy and stayed in the cosleeper until he was 7.5 months, went straight from that to the cotbed. What I loved most about it was the security of it - it attaches firmly to the bed so is completely rock solid (reassuring when you're learning how to handle a newborn in the middle of the night) and the baby is practically in the bed with you and yet you don't have to worry about squishing him or contorting yourself. There's also a handy storage area underneath for wipes, blankets etc. It also doubles as a travel cot as it folds up easily into the supplied carry case. I used a moses basket once when staying at a friend's house and didn't like it at all, I thought it was very small and I had to take it off it's stand as I felt it wasn't sturdy enough, had to put it directly on the floor. That would mean a big-lean down in the middle of the night to bring the baby in for feeding - not a big deal but with the cosleeper you barely have to wake up to bring the baby safely to you.

My only criticism of the cosleeper is that I think the mattress pad is a bit too hard. I got a memory foam sleep positioner for less than €20 from summer baby on amazon which made it much more comfortable. I'll be replacing that for the new baby, much cheaper than having to get a whole new mattress for the cosleeper itself.

wmpdd3

Any links to the co-sleeper you used? Sounds much better than a travel cot.

Cat Melodeon

The one pictured is the one I have (the Armsreach Mini Co-sleeper):
http://www.cots.ie/cosleeper.php?osCsid=434dcf42808a1607ebea8b4aec08e076
I bought mine from a local nursery shop - I'm not sure how much we paid but it was a bit less than €200. More expensive maybe than some other options, but like I said, I love mine and think it's the best bit of kit we bought. If you can get one second hand you're definitely on a winner.

Hobbitfeet

Confused now don't know what to do.
Does it make it difficult for you to get out of bed in middle of the night etc seen as the cot is attached to the bed?

How Strange

Not really, you just get in at the bottom of the bed. It was a bit awkward after he was just born but just because I was quite tender and that passes quite quickly.

Hobbitfeet

Thanks think I've decided not to get one our moses basket is at the exact height of the bed so I think it will be just fine.

pancuronium

maybe I'm wrong here but a baby's cot with one of the sides removed would be a much better idea in my mind you could always buy some cheap bumpers and when baby's bigger you could put the side back on & save yourself some money. Just a taught....

Cat Melodeon

pancuronium wrote: »

maybe I'm wrong here but a baby's cot with one of the sides removed would be a much better idea in my mind you could always buy some cheap bumpers and when baby's bigger you could put the side back on & save yourself some money. Just a taught....

You can do that but there is a risk that the cot will come away from the side of the bed and baby can fall out or slip down - suffocation risk as well as injury risk. You could of course devise your own way of securing the cot in place, like these people:
http://www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/
They've completely eliminated the slip risk by customising their mattresses and bedding.

irltonto

I would defo recommend a co sleeper especially if u r breastfeeding, makes life so much easier so u don't have to get in and out of the bed.I got the mini armsreach co sleeper which I got ordered from Baby Elegance in Dundrum, the regular co sleeper is available there and in tonykealys.
the mini one will only last for 6months, is smaller and neater if u dont have room for regular size one

liliq

I got a co sleeping cot... so the side of it comes right down and goes under the cot, and the base can be adjusted so that it's level with my bed. He went in it at 9 weeks old and I think he's cosier in it than he was in the moses basket. There's a proper mattress, whereas the moses basket "mattress" was really thin.
The castors on it are lockable, so it's not going to move from the side of the bed.
It's a bit awkard to get in and out of bed, but it's worth it I think.

It was expensive - €260 in Mothercare, but it's a proper cot, so will last him 2 years anyway and will use it again from very early on for any future babas.