# Co-sleeping with a mobile baby



## outtajo (Feb 23, 2009)

My husband and I have been co-sleeping with our daughter from the start, but have recently run into problems as she gets more mobile. She's been rolling for several weeks already, but just today figured out how to roll more than once in the same direction (rather than back and forth). And, of course, she rolled right out of bed when we stepped out of the room during naptime. (She's fine, but damn if that wasn't scary!)

How does one continue to co-sleep when the little ones start moving and climbing and whatnot? How do you prevent them from toppling out of bed and onto the hard wood floors? (We have the bed directly on the floor, with no frame, to minimize the potential fall.)

We rigged a side bumper by stuffing a rolled up blanket under the fitted sheet along the edge of the bed, but this is only so good and I don't fully trust it. We've also started using meditation cushions as sleep positioners, of sorts. She can't roll OVER them, they're too heavy for her to move, and they keep her from rolling onto her belly and waking up crying. But this is kind of annoying as the pillows get in OUR way.

Any advice for a newbie to co-sleeping with a rolling & moving baby?

- Jo


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## dachshund mom (Dec 28, 2007)

For naps, DD either naps on my lap or on a mattress on the floor of her room. At night, we have a sidecar crib. She doesn't actually sleep in it, but it keeps either of us from falling off. At night before we come to bed, I put her on the side of the bed with the sidecar and put pillows around her, then put the monitor near her. If she moves at all, I go in an check her.


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## Chamomile Girl (Nov 4, 2008)

We've got all out beds rigged up with bedrails. It works great so far, although my kid did manage to roll off the END of the bed Saturday, and then come crawling over the heater grate in the hallway to come find me. Thank goodness the heater was not on because it gets quite hot! ANyways, now we have a gate on the door to the room too.

Sigh. Where do they learn to be so autonomous?? LOL!


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## To-Fu (May 23, 2007)

We put our mattress on the floor during that phase (once he had more mobility and self-awareness, we put it back on the frame). And we have had these on our bed from Day One:

http://www.snugtuckpillow.com/

Those two things, plus our video monitor (I can rush into the room if it looks like he's going to do something dangerous) have really made us feel better about the safety of our bed.


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## LindsC (Dec 16, 2008)

We have the crib set up in a side care position and try to have her sleep there. We also had a bedrail set up for naptime. She doesn't nap in our bed anymore though. Now she naps on a full size mattress on her bedroom floor so she is mere inches from her floor.


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## Birdie B. (Jan 14, 2008)

We have put our bed on the floor too, and use a body pillow and blankets to pad the edge in case she goes toppling off. But my main problem with her newfound mobility is that she wants to crawl all over us all night! She tries to climb on top of me and pull my hair, wants to roll around all over the place, and cries when we try to stop her.







I'm so tired of being kicked and having my hair pulled all night, but I don't know how to stop her.


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## outtajo (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! We already have our bed on the floor (no frame), but with the boxspring and mattress, it's still a bit tall. We just got a king sized bed over the weekend (from a full) so now it's even taller. Hmm.

I guess we'll just keep rigging things to try to contain her. We did bring the Arm's Reach co-sleeper out again this week and set it up. I think we're going to try putting her down for naps there, and maybe start the night there, only having her join us in bed once we'll be there with her. I'm not sure how well that will work, though, as I usually nurse her to sleep, side-lying in bed, then sneak away once she's passed out.

S'pose it's all worth a try, though!

- Jo


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## lookatreestar (Apr 14, 2008)

we just use the mattress on the floor until they figure out how to back off safely then we put the boxspring back under it.


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