Cosleeping with toddler and newborn

[phaedra13]

We are having baby #2 in February and baby #1 will be two years old. We currently have the toddler sleeping on a twin bed next to our king bed on the floor. We'd like to keep it that way. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how this will work, though, with a newborn. I don't think we can put them int he same room (we'd like the newborn to sleep in our bed) and leave them there unattended. This feels unsafe b/c the toddler travels in his sleep. So do we put the toddler to sleep somewhere else and then move him? Do we put the baby to sleep somewhere else and move him? Would love to hear tips from families who have been there and done that. Also, if you coslept with kids this far apart in the same room, how did that work for you, in general?

We are not interested in sending hubby to another room with the toddler. We are open to sidecar-ing a crib or using a bassinet for the baby.

[Adaline'sMama]

Is your king bed on the floor and your toddler bed on the floor? Personally I would put the king on a low frame will rails and leave the toddler right where he is.

[ericaness]

we are in a similar boat, with baby #2 due late january/early february. but currently ds sleeps in the king size bed. so our plan is to continue to have him sleep there, and to have the newbie sleep in a cosleepr or bassinet until we come to bed. but that is just the plan we have now, i have a feeling things are not going to go as planned.

[lifeguard]

We start ds off in his own bed in his own room. Most nights he comes into our room at some point. What we are doing so far (dd is 2 weeks old) is that dd stays with me pretty much all the time - so she doesn't go to bed until I do (if she falls asleep before that she generally sleeps on me or I might put her in the bassinette in the livingroom). Dh is sleeping in the spare room so that there is enough room for me & both children. When ds comes in with me he now sleeps in dh's spot but usually has a cuddle with me & dd before he falls back asleep.

Not sure if that helps at all.

[blackbird2]

OP, we had a similar set up, but noise has been very influential.  Had a spare twin set up in another room - DS (3ys old) asks to sleep in "the quiet room".  (nak)

[sundaya]

We have the whole merry crew in a king size bed. DD (almost 3) and DS (14 weeks) are separated by me while asleep. DH sleeps on the other side of DD. I either keep DS with me after DD goes to sleep, and he sleeps on me, or I do things in the room while both are sleeping on opposite sides of the bed. DS is a quiet good sleeper (knock wood) and has never once woken DD up. DD is a very restless sleeper, so I"m not comfortable being out of grabbing distance. I think you can have all the plans you want, but you won't know for sure how it will work until everyone is here and you try things out. And something might work for a few weeks, or months and then not work. Our original plan was the Arms' reach co-sleeper that serves as a catch-all on one side of the bed. I liked the plan, but DS wouldn't sleep there. 

Hope that helps.

[Tobi40]

We are in the same boat. Baby number 2 is coming in late Jan/early Feb. We are currently in a queen bed with my daughter, 2, in a side car crib. I have a portable cradle for the new baby, but doubt that the newborn, like her sister, will spend much time there except to nap in the living room where I can see her. Not sure how it will all work out as my husband is very tall (6'4"), my daughter loves to snuggle and I am in the middle with little room to spare as it is. Wishing/asking for a king sized bed has not worked yet, finances are a factor. Perhaps hubby is going to have to spend more time in the guest room, huh, he'll love that suggestion.

[Mom31]

I slept in bed with dd newborn on one side and ds 30 mo on the other.  It worked fine for me.I coslept until about a week ago just this way but after they fell asleep I generally was waking up and moving to couch as they are now 8 and almost 6 and big and it was not comfortable. they now sleep in their own beds.