Cosleeping with new baby and toddler

[equinurse]

Hi,

I am due in early December and have an almost 3 yr. old dd. My dd sleeps in between my dh and I- spooned into me most of the time. I adore sleeping with her, but with the new baby due in almost no time I am trying to fiqure out how to fit the baby in without being rolled on. With my dd, my dh was afraid of rolling on her and slept on the couch almost a month! We now have a queen size bed and a single bed pushed together. I sleep on the outside, dd then dh by the wall. I have been trying to have dd sleep by the wall, but somehow it never works out...

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Margie

[Metasequoia]

My #1 Dd was 3 yrs old exactly when Dd #2 arrived. We still sleep in the family bed every night (girls are almost 6 & almost 3 now & we have a babe on the way...) My Dd #1 never moved when she was asleep & in the very beginning I used a cloth sleep positioner for the baby more for keeping anyone off of her. We also had a bed rail on both sides of the bed - it was like a huge crib. I'm not sure what we'll do when this one comes, maybe put the girls in a separate bed together & just keep the babe with us - my youngest Dd is still nursing though & probably will tandem, so that's another consideration. HTH

[TakeItEasyMama]

My three year old is a tumbler. Do you think I should get a nest or something for the new baby due in December?

[natashaccat]

My understanding of the safe co-sleeping guidelines is that a toddler in the same bed as an infant is a no-no. I side car-ed a twin matress next to ours (on dh's side of bed).

[nfpmom]

DH and I share sleep with our 2 year old and 4 month old. We have a nice big king size bed and the order is me-baby-DH-toddler. With the baby and toddler separated, it is no different than if the toddler weren't in bed at all.

I would just work on transitioning DD to the outside of the bed, maybe next to you on the other side for now (so she is still close to you while getting used to the outside), then when the baby comes, put her on the outside next to DH.

take care
elaine

[CB73]

We have the exact same bed situation that you have...queen bed with a single pushed up against it. (single bed is against a wall)

Our sons are exactly 2 years apart - with the baby being just 7 weeks old now. I encouraged nightweaning with #1DS before baby was born, and during that process, he bonded very, very firmly with DH at bedtime.

Now, it is a matter of shifting the order around...sometimes we rotate bedspots even in the middle of the night, depending on what each child needs. Our baby sleeps so much, I hardly worry about him waking -a dramatic difference from our 2YO who still wakes 1-3x each night for comfort from one of us.
Sometimes I sleep next to both kids, sometimes DH does...I worried alot about it before the baby was born, but some how, things work out. (Esp since I don't always go to bed when 2YO DS does. So I can climb in wherever there is room for me & the baby)

Can you put a body pillow along the wall where the single bed is? That helps my DS somehow...maybe warmer? Softer? Just a shape to snuggle against on that side? Or can you move your DD once she is fast asleep? Get her to accept waking on that side?

Good Luck!

[Jane's4]

We co-sleep with 3yo twins and our 6mo. old. Before the baby was born, we rotated the twins through a few different sleep arrangements so they could get comfortable with them. Some nights, they sleep together in their room. Other nights one sleeps between me and DH while the other "camps out" in a sleeping bag on our floor. And some nights they both camp out. We bought a co-sleeper and sidecarred it to the bed for the baby. He rarely sleeps in it, but it acts as bedrail, changing table, nightstand, etc., so it's been pretty useful. Our usual sleeping arrangement is: baby next to co-sleeper, me, 3yo, DH. On nights when both 3yos are on the floor or in their room, I move the baby from one side of me to the other depending on which side he needs to bf from. If there is an older child in our bed I make sure I'm between them and the baby, so baby goes back to the "safe spot" after he eats

I haven't tried it, but my brother co-slept with a 2yo and an infant using a nest and swears by it.

[equinurse]

Thanks for the ideas...What is a nest?

Thanks,
Margie

[TakeItEasyMama]

I was thinking sidecar. Definetly moving DS to the wall and me and baby to outside. Good ideas... Which nest is best if sidecar is to big for bedroom?

[kennedy444]

When my #2 was born my #1 (age 2.5) was going to bed in her own bed but joining us each night in our full bed. Before the baby was born we started making a little sleeping place with cozy blankets and pillows next to my side of the bed and told her this was her special place because now the baby had to sleep with mommy. This worked fine for us. She would still come in at night and bed down in her new spot.