Co-sleeping with a newborn- Side rail, bumpers, or rolled towels?

[poema304]

I am due in November and have been considering how we will make our bed safe for co-sleeping. I originally thought I wanted one of those infant beds that go on your bed, but with only a queen mattress, having enough space to be comfy is crucial. So I started looking into side rails which clamp down on top of the mattress so there is no gap. I like this idea because I can keep baby right next to me and not have to lift him up to be able to nurse. While I was researching the rails, I stumbled across a product called Magic Bumpers which is a foam wedge that goes under the sheet and lines the edge of your bed so baby can't roll out. I though this would be better than a rail since I would be able to get in and out of bed easier than with a rail in the way. Lol, now while doing some research on these, I found that most people complained that they smelled terribly of chemicals and they instead rolled up towels to "nest" baby in. 

I am drawn to the towels since it is the most economical and does not introduce any nasty chemicals or hard plastics. I am curious what people's experience have been with these different methods.

[CascadiaMama]

I used a pool noodle on the outside edge of the bed, but more to prevent me from rolling out as I'd adjust around the baby (who was usually in the middle). Occasionally, I'd put him on the outside--but only when he was very small and didn't roll yet. I used one of those rails when visiting my parents solo, so it went on the side where DP usually slept. That worked well.

[katelove]

We use First Years bedrails on our bed. They fit tightly against the mattress (adjustable) and are strong enough that I can lean against them while I feed lying on my side. We like them because they don't take up any mattress space and maximise the sleepable area. You can also detatch the rails so when we put J's mattress next to ours we took off the inner rail on each set. We now have a single and queen mattress butted up against each other with a rail on the outsides.

http://m.toysrus.com.au/first-years-double-bed-rail/i1197510/

[Littlebmama]

We used the infant bed in our king bed and a bassinet while I was healing from my caesarean. Neither were very successful. A friend of mine used the towels and it worked great. We now use the safety first secure top bed rail and I love it. We also had to put our mattress on the ground once my LO got mobile. Good luck!

[Chloe'sMama]

I have used a rolled towel quite a bit, while on trips away from home.... they work pretty good.  DD2 was 17 months and was able to roll off even with the towel (2 nights in a row... CRAZY).  I have never had any other problems with the towel though.  I do worry about them putting their faces on the fabric and not being able to breath when they are super small, so I didn't use the towel until they had head and neck control.

I also have a bed rail that i use at home.  We are going to have 5 in our bed coming Feb, so baby will have to be on the outside and I have one of the bedrails with the mesh fabric, so we will be using that.  

We do have a king and a twin pushed up together, so there is plenty of room for everyone.  

[chel]

Rail here as well. The pool noodle under the sheet sounds promising.

[kassandramolle]

towels for sure. now that my sweetums is ten months old and walking, our king mattress is on the floor (no box spring), with tones of pillows around the bed, door closed just in case. works beautifully:)