# Arms Reach co-sleeper advice needed



## ma_Donna (Jan 11, 2003)

Since DH and I are big people, our queen size bed is already pretty full. I decided that a co-sleeper would be a great extension to the bed space, but it's not quite what I expected. I just set it up Sunday in anticipation of little one's arrival.

The bar comes up to the mattress level, but the co-sleeper mattress is a couple/few inches below that. I expected that it would be the same height as the mattress. This is fine except for the fact that instead of scootching baby towards me to nurse, I'll have to lift baby up onto our bed.

Also, the 'mattress' feels uncomfortable to me and the directions say not to add any additional padding.

My inclination is to get a piece of foam, cut to fit firmly in the cosleeper, to make the mattress the right height, then put some sort of waterproof sheet to make the co-sleeper and mattress continuous.

Are sheep skins too fluffy for bedding?

Have any of you modified your co-sleeper? Any pros-cons.
Please share!


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

I wondered the same thing when we got our co-sleeper. The different level makes it difficult to slide babe from co-sleeper to bed and back. Your ideas sound good. We didn't really end up using the co-sleeper. Ds didn't like being in it when he was a newborn, he preferred to be snuggled up to his mama. It was easy to nurse like this so I never really got into the habit of sliding him in there once he was asleep. Alot of times we fell asleep together too. Now he's too big for it. It's useful for holding dipes tho :LOL.

I just noticed your EDD. Just around the corner. Blessings on a healthy and harmonious birth


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## Naturalmomma (Apr 29, 2003)

We co-sleep, but have never used a co-sleeper. However, a good friend of mine did and had the same experience with the levelness of the matress. She did get a piece of foam from the fabric store and used this method successfully.
For us, we had a queen size bed, but found with DH, me, our 2 year old, and new baby, it would be WAY too crowded. We were going to get a king size, but that would only add 6 inches or so. Instead, we got another queen and have the 2 beds pushed right up close. It makes for one huge bed with no level issues or other problems. This can successfully be done with a twin or full as well.


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## campingmumma (Aug 13, 2003)

My co-sleeper also has the height difference but it really hasn't been an issue for me. DD starts her night there and then finishes it somewhere next to me. You're going to put the foam under the mattress?? - sounds ok.


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## littleteapot (Sep 18, 2003)

I've never thought of using a piece of foam, I should look into that!

My DD will not sleep on the co-sleeper surface. She's swaddled at night (and thusly cannot roll), and sleeps atop a pillow, on the co-sleeper. She wont' sleep any other way. But she usually ends up next to me. She's also such a supremely light sleeper that she cannot be moved at /all/ once she falls asleep, or she'll wake up and be awake for another hour. So, I have to be very careful where I nurse her when it's bedtime.


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## laralou (Nov 27, 2001)

I'm going to move this to Nighttime Parenting so you will get some more responses from people in similar situations.

Lara


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

Hello There,
I too had this problem with the co-sleeper. I could never get baby to sleep in it cause she would nurse to sleep as a newborn (she still does but that is a different thread). When I would slide her out of bed and into the co-sleeper I was completely clumsy and would always wake her up. They should really redesign this element of the baby being lower than the bed.

So foam it was - thanks to the advice of another mommy on MDC. I think we got 3.5 inches thick - which was a bit too much with the matress pad on top of it. I would go with 3 inches thick. I put a crib sheet over both the foam and the co sleeper mattress and it worked out just dandy! I know it says not to add anything to the co-sleeper in the end the choice is up to you. We did it and thankfully it worked out just fine.

Good luck and happy birth to you!


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## andreac (Jul 13, 2003)

because I have the same issue w/my co-sleeper!!! It has turned into the worlds most expensive laundry basket







I can't believe we didn't think of this ourselves! Gonna go get me some foam!


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## SaveTheWild (Mar 14, 2003)

I don't have a co-sleeper, but it is my understanding that you can purcahse leg extensions that raise the level of the co-seleeper to the level of your bed.

also, I think foam has a few problems. 1) it shouldn't be soft at all (SIDS concerns), 2) depending on the foam (and this may be true of the mattress already in the co-sleeper, it may be filled with PBDEs, flame retardants used in foam and other products that are "evil toxins".

just a thought.


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## brookelynnp (Jan 1, 2002)

FOAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a wonderful idea! I wish that I had thought of it with our first. Thanks so much for the super idea, DH is going out tomarrow to get us some to try!


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## ma_Donna (Jan 11, 2003)

Quote:

I don't have a co-sleeper, but it is my understanding that you can purcahse leg extensions that raise the level of the co-seleeper to the level of your bed.
That's what I thought until I set it up. The 1 side drops down a few inches so that it looks 3 sided. In that position the lower side is just even with the top of my mattress - so it is a perfect fit - BUT the mattress is a couple of inches lower than that bar.

SavetheWild - thanks for the reminder about offgassing of foam. the 'mattress' currently in the co-sleeper is in quotes for a reason, it's just a very slightly padded piece of perhaps glorified cardboard enclosed in a waterproof cover. It is very hard.

I definitely have in mind SIDS issues adn will make sure that any modifications I do won't compromise (including making any foam a little bigger than the space in the co-sleeper so there are no gaps around the edges).

Thanks everyone!!


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## velcromom (Sep 23, 2003)

I have seen the leg extensions in the One Step Ahead catalog, they have to be purchased separately. But my DH is handy so we made our own. Loved the arm's reach and just cried when ds outgrew it and had to move a whole 4 feet away into his crib!!


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## hasnoptnce (Jul 1, 2002)

Hope this doesn't come up twice-my computer is doing something strange.

Has anyone ever heard of a bed larger (wider) than a king? A friend saw a show on the home and garden channel with a country music star who had a huge bed for her family to sleep in. She thinks maybe she had it made for them, but I couldn't find it on their web page. Did anyone else see this, or has anyone heard of this?

I also had trouble with the co-sleeper. I wish they would re-design it!


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## mamakarata (Nov 20, 2001)

we had the same problem, so we took OUR bed off the frame and put it on the floor which leveled it out some.

and for the hard mattress, we've always used the sheepskin.

he never slept in it for long anyway, but it worked for the firsts part of the night after he nursed to sleep, then he always wound up in bed with us!

now we just use the pad and sheepskin on the floor and do the same thing.


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

Hi There Everyone,
I just wanted to let you know that after this post about (yet-again) the co-sleeper hard mattress and the fact that where the baby sits is lower than the bed .......I decided to write to Arm's Reach. I explained our points and sent them this whole thread.

Today I got a phone call from who I believe is the president of the company, and definelty the designer. And I learned some interesting things.

Both of these "flaws" are intentional and due to gov't regulations.

1.) The mattress is so firm and thin because of the SIDS alliance. They contend that anything softer could be dangerous and increase incidences of SIDS.

2.) The mattress itself sits lower because of the federal safety commission.

Sharon, the woman I spoke with, said she has been working on a new design to address both of these issues but does'nt expect any new introductions within a year to two years since everything has to be approved.

She was really very nice and a mommy too. Let's wish her luck!


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## moonshine (Dec 5, 2002)

Hmmm, definitely wondering about getting the co-sleeper now, after reading all of this. Maybe I can convince DH to put the mattress on the floor again, like we did for a while with DD when #2 comes along.

hasnoptnce, a California king is bigger than a king. Maybe that is what you are thinking of.


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## Bluegrass (Dec 31, 2001)

We got the co-sleeper because DH was opposed to bed-sharing (scared we would smother him). I never liked it because it was lower than the bed and was SO hard to get ds out of in the night. Besides, he wanted to be close to mama. Even those few inches away was too much, and I never liked the barrier between us. It just didn't work for us, he always ended up in bed (we have a king). DH loves having him in bed now (hate to say I told you so...again!







: )
We use it now mostly to hold diapers. I like it being there because when ds is on that side of the bed he can't fall off! Nothing like a $150.00 bedrail!


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## happy_mama35 (Jul 14, 2003)

Thought I'd jump into this discussion a little late. We, too, have the original Arm's Reach Co-sleeper (the diaper holder). I never thought about using the foam --- maybe next time around? I guess I have one concern with the idea of raising the mattress. My DD is a climber. With a mattress even a few inches higher, it might be a greater risk for someone with even a little mobility? If anyone has any experiences, I'd like to hear them!


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## HRC121799 (Aug 8, 2003)

We have the mini arms reach and it also is lower. I figured it was intentional, but it is annoying. When I hear ds stirring, I sit up and reach over and get him. Sometimes he sleeps great in it, sometimes he wakes up the minute I place him in it, so he ends up snuggled in bed with me (which I love of course). It does make a nice bedrail,lol.


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## Sleepymama (Oct 9, 2003)

Same issues here...we used foam and he still wouldn't sleep in it. Held diapers, my water bottle, and my glasses!

And once they're mobile (rolling, sitting etc) you're not supposed to use it anymore. I also hated that it wiggled on the support rails. It just seemed rickety! And it's just impossible to take apart and move and put together again. It weighs a ton!

It is also not portable at all, so if you are thinking of using it as a playpen think again!

I suggest just getting a pack and play bassinet and putting it right next to your bed if you don't want the baby in the bed.

Or one of those snuggle-nests (for a newborn) look neat. That would provide some separation if you're worried about rolling onto the babe (or if DH is worried about that).


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## Ceili (Nov 21, 2001)

Actually a Cal King not really bigger, it is longer than a king from head to toe, but it is about 4 inches narrower the other way.

I saw a company online that made custom mattresses, you just sent in the dimensions and they built your mattress for you. I don't remember the name of the company. I was just searching for mattresses on yahoo.


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