Co-sleeper or not?

[skydancer]

Trying to make up my mind on whether to buy a co-sleeper or just do what we've always done with the others...pop them in bed with us. I'm looking for any experiences from moms with co-sleepers and if they actually prefer them or not.

Specifically, I'm looking at the Arms Reach co-sleeper (and really like the sleigh bed model). For the other three, we just slept with them in between us in our queen bed and it worked out very nicely. The only reasons I am considering moving toward a co-sleeper this time are:
1) being able to leave baby alone (I can never do this with the bed situation without being a frantic worrying mess)

2)nap time (kind of the same thing as reason 1). The other kids slept on me a lot or were in the same room as I was in (in a chair or on the floor)

3) space After over seven years of having a living barrier between us (either in my belly or out) it would be REALLY nice to go to bed snuggling with dh if we wanted to.

My main concern is that I'll spend the money on the co-sleeper and the baby will STILL end up in our bed and the co-sleeper will turn into an expensive diaper holder. Also, our bed is about 32" high and the co-sleeper specs. say they can only be raised to 30". Is this really a huge deal?

Thanks for any input!

[hipmummy]

Just get a Pack and play with a few bells and whistles. They have ones with changers etc. Not sur if there is healthier version out there. Some of the cosleepers (arms reach) are organic an do convert to play yards. So by all means check them out. I just did not get any use out of ours we had the sleigh bed and ds outgrew it by three months.

[pastrygirl]

My son would NOT sleep in his co-sleeper (or the PnP). I had to "train" him -- without tears or crying or anything -- to sleep in there between nursing sessions. I don't remember doing naps in there. Since he was my only one, I always napped with him in my bed. I'm hoping the new baby will nap in the co-sleeper since I won't be able to nap with him.

The PnP bassinet feature has a weight limit of 15 pounds, which my son hit at around 2 months. I chose to buy the co-sleeper because of the higher weight limit, and because I could attach it to my bed. My bed is REALLY high, but I was able to buy risers for the co-sleeper that bring it to the correct level. The co-sleeper is supposed to be about an inch or more lower than your mattress -- it's not supposed to be flush (though this is a common misconception). Your mattress acts as a little barrier for the baby in case he/she moves or rolls.

[2boyzmama]

I have never used one. My first son did not co-sleep, we never figured out side-lying nursing, and he had bad reflux and actually slept better in his infant seat (which I've since read can exacerbate reflux, but for him it really seemed to help) So that meant I spent a lot of time sleeping in the glider with him nursing.

My second son was not able to safely co-sleep for several months becuase of his health issues (airway obstruction, airway malformation, aspiration, apnea, reflux), and when he was finally able to safely co-sleep, I just had him between us or in the bassinet part of a pack-and-play. I would nurse him to sleep in my bed, then I'd move him to the pack-and-play (which was right next to my bed). Then when he woke up, I'd bring him to bed with me again. Sometimes he'd end up back in his pack-and-play, sometimes he'd spend the rest of the night in bed with us, just depended on the night.

My pack-and-play does not have a separate bassinet, the whole floor of it raises up to make a full-sized bassinet, if that makes sense. We had to lower it when he could sit up, but he was developmentally delayed, so we had a while before we had to do that.

We plan to do similar with this baby, alternate between our bed and the pack-and-play. While I do like the arms reach cosleeper, we have a very tall bed first of all, plus how do you get out of bed then? I'd have to crawl over my husband or crawl to the foot of the bed and climb over the chest down there.

[kittyhead]

i loved ours, but i never had the arms reach... we used a small wooden co-sleeper for infants that attaches to the side of the bed and is level with the bed. is the arm's reach different? because with ours there was no seperation between the co-sleeper and the bed so i couldnt have left the baby alone there for naps anyways. it was more of an extension of the bed... same with the sidecared crib that we eventually moved to when my son outgrew the co sleeper.

anyways, i loved it and im using the same system this time. it made my husband more comfortable because he wasnt afraid of rolling on the babe, it gave us more room in the bed without taking up as much floor space as a larger mattress, and i could nurse the babe to sleep and then have him right there but still have the whole bed to hang out in. we were cramped without the cosleeper.

[darcytrue]

I voted other. My first two slept in cribs, well some of the time anyway. Usually they were in bed with me. This time around I already have purchased a bassinet but I keep thinking about those arms reach co-sleepers. I really like them. I also like the little thing you place in your bed for the baby to sleep in as well. I need to get to BRU or another baby store and check this stuff out. I'm soooo behind.

[KayleeZoo]

Love our pack n plays w/bassinette thingy. Love them. DS slept in a bouncy seat in the bassinette part for months (reflux), but it was a great way to keep the baby safe from bouncing toddlers in the big bed and close enough to me. Did diaper changes, etc. right there- loved it. Buying 3 of them this time around- one for my bedroom, one for downstairs where we spend most of our days and one for grandma's house. My babies do sleep in cribs starting around 6mos or so, but I love the PNP before then.

[deymm]

I voted "Other"--I would get one, but there is NO ROOM in our bedroom for one! We'll probably just pull baby in bed with us.