cosleeping & travelling where should babe sleep?

862 Views 10 Replies 10 Participants Last post by katsam, Jun 12, 2005

proudmamanow

Discussion Starter · Jun 11, 2005

Hi everyone,

Our beautiful 7 week old dd sleeps between us in our queen size bed. So far we have only slept with her in this bed or between us in the king size bed at the cottage. She likes to be held in the sling for naps, but will also sleep in her stroller and the car seat. She will also nap in a moses basket we have for her for short periods, and has gone down to sleep for 3 hours + at the start of the night.

So......we are going to be travelling starting next weekend (she will be 8 weeks old) to visit grandparents, aunts & uncles. We will be in at least 4 different houses, some of which don't have v. small double beds for us to sleep in, others which have big beds but soft mattresses (or the kind that dip down to the centre, creating a valley, kwim?). So we are not sure where dd should sleep. We are thinking about trying to get her to sleep in the moses basket next to our bed during the night so she can do this elsewhere, as we think it would be safer. She would still be right nearby (next to me, the bf mom) and we could get to her before she cries...but not in our bed.

Any thoughts? What is safest? Do you think we will be able to get her to sleep in the basket? We want her to feel secure & loved AND we want her to be safe....(and we want all of us to get some sleep while travelling!)

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kcocat

· #2 · Jun 11, 2005

Baby should continue to sleep with you mama. Travel is very stressful - my girl is much more fussy and nurses double to 3x more when traveling & esp. at night, as it's scary not being in the regular place that "smells right" (a major sense for tiny ones...) So baby needs to be next to you smelling you all night. My girl virtually has her head tucked into my pitt all night! We have a double featherbed/memory foam thing on our bed, so it is super mushy & we have had NO problems! If anything, it keeps her on her back because she mushes in more & can't roll over easily!! (If worried about relatives, say your pediatrician recommended it to help ovecome the stress of travel for such a little one...)

When we've been in a place with too small of beds, daddy gets the boot! He's much better suited to sleeping alone w/o getting scared - especially in a strange place!

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famousmockngbrd

· #3 · Jun 11, 2005

DS sleeps in his own bed at home (most of the night), but cosleeps with us when we travel. I think he needs the extra reassurance when he's in a strange place, and he's a pretty easy going kid. We usually end up taking the mattress off the bed and putting it on the floor - no worries about rolling off and more support for saggy mattresses.

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IncaMama

· #4 · Jun 11, 2005

i agree that if you can manage it, it's best to let dd sleep with you...DH can sleep somewhere else if there's no room or you can all sleep on the floor on the mattress or sleeping bag or something. that being said, it wouldn't be horrible to try to get her to sleep in the moses basket and see how that goes.

i guess my best advice is to be flexible and creative. whatever works, works...keeping your DD's needs at the top of the list (which it sounds like you do already) is the key, and everything else just falls into place.

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Llyra

· #5 · Jun 11, 2005

I have to be the dissenting vote, and say that if you are going to be sleeping in a bed with a very soft mattress or gaps between the frame and the bed, baby should sleep someplace else. Or you could all sleep together on the floor. And I think the Moses basket right next to you sounds fine.

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Plummeting

· #6 · Jun 11, 2005

When we have traveled we have all slept on a pallet on the floor if the bed was too soft. If the bed was too small, my husband has slept somewhere else - either a couch or the floor. I have felt, as others said, that it was extra important for DD to be close when we were in a strange place. But if you *want* her to sleep in the basket, as opposed to either of these options, then you should certainly try it. However, don't feel pressured to get her to sleep in the basket just so your relatives won't say how horrible or inconvenient it must be that she *has* to be next to you. Don't worry about what they think when you're deciding what works for you. They aren't the parent and their opinions really don't matter.

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gizzyntaz

· #7 · Jun 12, 2005

When we travel, DS sleeps next to me, just as he does at home. DH sleeps somewhere else if the bed is too small. I agree with the other posters that travel is VERY stressful for your baby. Try to make as few changes as possible...

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lplkemc

· #8 · Jun 12, 2005

there is a great co-sleeper available. It is made by First Years. We bought it at Target, but not sure if Target is in Canada. We used it when we were in the states visiting my parents. It folds up and has a handle. She loved it because it could be used between us in a soft bed or it could be used in a travel cot. Very portable and comfy.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B00012CHFI

Good luck!

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proudmamanow

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 12, 2005

baby in arms....

thanks 2 all for suggestions!!

much apreciated...rellies know we cosleep so no prob there. I guess this is really about my own anxiety re: soft beds, and it's also important to think about dd's needs! I like the in bed co sleeper, which I have seen here. The idea of dw sleeping elsewhere may be an idea too & I also like moving mattress to floor

we did try the moses basket last night-it was right next to my head- (we are temporarily in bsmt due to heat wave) and she slept 5.5 hours in it happily (I woke up a few times to see if she was ok), so this may work. But we basically brought her in bed w/us after she woke 1st time...

(btw, I do not have a dh, but a dw

)

good food 4 thought, thanks!

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alegna

· #10 · Jun 12, 2005

Another vote for in bed with moms

-Angela

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katsam

· #11 · Jun 12, 2005

I remember bringing the bassinett when DS was little, but he always ended up sleeping with us anyway, because of course that was what he was used to , so why would he sleep in a bassinett

I always just pushed the bed against the wall if I needed too, and made sure it was as safe as possible. The pallet on the floor sounds like a good idea if you are somewhere where it is not possible to have a safe bed!

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