19mo old sharing a room with newborn?

[KelliHope]

Has anyone successfully had a young baby/child share a room with a newborn?

After much stressing about where to put our dd (who will be 19mo when new baby arrives) and the new baby without having to remodel our whole house, we have semi-decided to let them share a room. Are we out of our minds?

The plan will be to keep new baby in our bedroom for as long as he/she wants (our dd only slept in our room til about 6weeks then preferred to have her own space - so who knows how long this baby will actually be content to sleep with us). And then we'll move them in together. I hope new baby will stay with us at least until he/she is over the stage where you have to change the diaper during the night - that way we at least wont have to turn on a light or make a lot of noise when we go in to feed the new baby. I suppose if we *have* to change a diaper we can bring her back into our bedroom where we will have a temporary changing table set up.

So tell me if you've done this and how it's worked out. Do they wake each other up? Does the bigger kid climb out of bed and poke the new baby?

Thanks!!

[ZeezMom]

I think it depends on how well your new baby sleeps. Our newbie was born when our first was about the same as yours (19 months), but does not sleep well during the night or go down easily at all. Congruently, it depends on how soundly your first-born sleeps. It took a long time for DS1 to sleep soundly through the night, so we weren't willing to take our chances with a baby who is still learning how to do so. So DS2 sleeps with us until he's ready to move in with DS1.

[_betsy_]

DD1 was 27 months old when DD2 was born. We live in a 2-bedroom condo, and had/have no thoughts of moving just because there's another baby. It helps from outsider's points of view (:rolleye) that they are the same gender.

DD1 has never been a cosleeper. Both babies slept primarily in a bassinet by my side of the bed till about 5-6 months. I started around 4 months putting baby down for naps in the girls room, in the crib, just to acclimate them. DD2 still wakes 2-4 times a night and I go in and nurse her in the glider. DD1 doesn't wake at all most times, but sometimes stirs a bit. We're in the beginning stages now of no-overnight-diaper, so I've been taking her to the potty in the middle of the night, and that's much more disruptive to her than the baby crying.

I think the older one can learn to sleep through the baby crying because it's a sound/noise/voice they are familiar with. It's not like baby only cries in the middle of the night, there's plenty of time for the older child to become familiarized with the baby's voice during waking hours.

I respond as quickly as possible, and am only 11 footsteps away from the crib, so that helps, too.

We use a sound machine and room-darkening shades in their room which seems to help them both.

HTH!

[kitikatuka]

I am in a similar situation and was just searching for the best place to post a similar question. DD1 will be about 2-1/2 when the new baby (I'm currently pregnant with) will be 6 months old and possibly ready to move out of our room.

My husband and I have talked about giving up OUR bedroom (right next door to DD1's room) for the new one, but I really don't want to sleep on a sleeper sofa in the living room or move our bedroom upstairs with two little ones downstairs.

I'm thinking maybe a room-sharing situation might be a good compromise - and it sounds like it does work for those of you who have done it. I'd love to hear from more people who are doing this!

[Pepperpot]

DD1, who has never been a good sleeper, is in the same room as the baby. So long as I don't turn the light on to diaper, soothe, nurse etc, DD2 doesn't wake up. DD2 has always been a good sleeper, doesn't wake up if DD1 calls out. The trick is DON'T turn the light on. Any amount of noise seems ok, if either wakes, they go right back to sleep.
Cheers

[shimsheree]

DS was 20 months old when DD was born and our plan was to have them share a room once DD was no longer cosleeping. DD is 9 months old now and still cosleeping, but the reason they haven't shared yet is because once DD was born, DS got more aggressive and if they slept in the same room, I don't know if DS would climb into DD's crib and do something to her.

We still plan on cosleeping for awhile, but when we decide to stop, I'm not sure how we'll ensure that DS doesn't climb into DD's crib. Guess we'll have to figure it out when we get there.