advice re cosleeping with DH, DD, and newborn?

[pdx mama]

Here I am happily nestled up beside my 3-yr-old daughter, who just fell asleep, thinking about how baby no. 2 is due at any minute (I'm 41 weeks pregnant...) and I have yet to post any cosleeping questions! We have two beds in one tiny room---one twin bed, one queen, just separated enough to fit a tiny bedside table. Both beds are pressed up against the wall on one side, and both are sitting on box springs only. DD has always slept with us (initially three of us in one bed, eventually with either DH or me in one bed while the other adult takes the other bed). We have had plenty of challenges but overall we are SO happy to have coslept this way. Now, though, we're wondering (yes, kind of late, I know) how things may end up with the new baby and FOUR of us in this little room. I imagine me and baby in one bed, DD1 and DH in the other, but I wonder how much we will all be waking each other up and exactly how this might work or not work. Any advice?? I'm already anticipating a lot of long nights and frustrations, but hopeful that some of you might have some wisdom to share.

[amrijane128]

No advice, but I'm worried about the same thing over here. 3 year old DD, Dh, king size bed and a little one due in April.

[simple life]

nak

Push the twin next to the queen, DD between you and hubby, baby between wall and you. Move nightstand on other side of twin. This is what we have, has worked out well for us, but you will be very warm! .

[greenmamapagan]

Originally Posted by simple life

nak

Push the twin next to the queen, DD between you and hubby, baby between wall and you. Move nightstand on other side of twin. This is what we have, has worked out well for us, but you will be very warm! .

This is what we did. We have a king single and a queen. DS and I have somehow ended up with the queen all to ourselves and DH and DD snuggle up in the king single. DD scoots over to me if she is sad or sick or otherwise needing connection but most of the time she prefers DH.

We love co-sleeping

[elf_babykins]

I posted a similar question in my ddc- I have a king bed, three year old but in our situation I've kicked daddy out into a twin in another room (I cannot take his snoring anymore!) I was going to get an armsreach co-sleeper because I'm worried about having a NB and a toddler on the same sleeping surface but wondering if I'm over-reacting- maybe just do wall, nb, me, toddler?

[hippiemama76]

We have a King and a Queen that we have pushed together. It's so decadent! We started sleeping with DH and DD1 in the Q and then me and DD2 in the King (DH&DD1, me&DD2). I kept DD2 on the outside because she was small, but wasn't going anywhere. Now that DD2 is bigger and more active, we sleep like --> DH&DD1, DD2&me. Occasionally DD1 wants to sleep in 'my' bed, so we do DD1&me&DD2, although I am almost at the point where I don't care about DD1 and DD2 sleeping together.

When we started cosleeping when DD1 was born, it was the three of us in a King bed. We bought the Queen (and a new King) when I was PG for DD2.

[hippiemama76]

Oh - and advice: For the first month, DD1 and DH slept in the guest room. Once DD2 got her nights and days straight, they moved back in. It's been fine - if DD2 is having a hard night, then she and I will go hang out in the living room, but those are pretty rare.

Now that they are older, they do tend to play a lot at bedtime. DH has been putting DD1 to bed in the guest room (she does have a toddler bed in the playroom, but DH wants to lie/snuggle with her rather than just sit next to the bed) while I put DD2 in the bedroom. Then, we get up and have grown-up time and just move DD1 to bed when we're ready to sleep.

[orangatan]

I stressed about this way to much when I was pregnant with DS. We ended up, from left to right, on our queen size, newborn-me-dh-DD. DH cuddles DD and keeps her from climbing over and when DD wants to nurse in the morning (she is night weaned, mostly) we switch babies and he then cuddles baby for the early morning while DD and I cuddle, nurse and wake up. Not sure what we'll do when DS is mobile in terms of position and keeping him from falling off/climbing over/all that fun stuff.

[pdx mama]

I am so glad I asked! I knew I'd get some good ideas from people who've shared the same situation. Sleeping has always been a bit challenging for us (DD1 was always, until a few months ago, a very light sleeper, and fell asleep nursing each night after a long time, often two hours), so I keep thinking in the back of my head, "How in the world is sleeping going to go for all of us once the baby's here?" I know it'll all get worked out one way or the other, but I do like hearing how other folks have done it. Thanks for your good advice.