# How long can you use a co-sleeper?



## B'shert (May 27, 2004)

Hi mamas,

I'm pregnant with my first baby right now. I have been given a rocking bassinet by my sister-in-law. It seems though that I can only use it for 4 or 5 months. I have also been thinking about buying a arm's reach co-sleeper instead. I like the closeness it provides. However, can the co-sleeper be used longer? How long can it safely be used? What happens when a baby starts to sit up? Also, with the co-sleeper being attached to the bed, was it difficult to get in and out of bed? I have a nightstand by my bed right now.

Our bedroom is too small to side-car a crib but I'd like to keep the babe in our room as long as possible. I've explored sleeping in the same bed but not sure its going to work for us. Thank you.


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## myniyer (Feb 24, 2004)

A co-sleeper can only be safely used IMO until the baby is sitting up. Once the baby is sitting up they could just *kabooom* right over the edge! We transitioned to a crib sidecar at that point.

However the Universal co-sleepers might be different as they have higher sides, I think...


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## Artmama (Apr 30, 2004)

I went through this same question... here is how it went for us. We used the co-sleeper for about 6 months or so, we were still swaddling the babe so she wasnt likely to get out. But she just got to be too heavy to lift out of it at a certain point without getting up, it just got to be easier to have her in the bed between me and the wall. Lately my husband has been sleeping in the guest room cause dd has gotten so squirmy(she isnt swaddled any more) with this arrangment he gets to sleep more (he has a stressful job) and I and dd can just roll around to our heart's content.
My advice is this... you will know what to do with the whole sleep thing as you go along... I was trying to figure it out ahead of time and there are too many variables to do that. You dont know what kind of sleeper your baby will be, etc.
The cosleeper was awesome, I do highly reccommend it for the beginning. I dont know what we will do with sleeping 6 months from now, but I know I will figure it out.We cant fit a crib in our room either. I may go sleep in her room with her or something. Good luck!


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## KariM (Mar 13, 2004)

We bought a co-sleeper and are dissappointed in it for a few reasons.

#1 the weight limit is rather low - I believe (this is from memory, so I might be wrong) that it's recommend for use only up to 35 pounds. Folks with big babies reach that 35 pounds easily in the babe's first year.

#2 There is about a 4" drop between our mattress and the co-sleeper's mattress. There is NO co-sleeping going on since the baby can't get close to you. It broke my heart to see my week old baby trying to reach up over the side of the co-sleeper to get close to me.

Now it holds extra cloth diapers, blankets, etc. and isn't used for sleeping at all.

We're toying with the idea of trying a sidecar arrangement because our queen size bed isn't big enough for DH, myself, and our very active babe.

--Kari


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## Artmama (Apr 30, 2004)

We had to put boards under our box spring to raise the mattress up to make it level with the co-sleeper, for us this worked very well. The people from Arm's reach only reccommend the co-sleeper until the baby can pull themselves up anyway, it is just for the beginning I guess.


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## *Jessica* (Jun 10, 2004)

Well Nik is one year old and we still use our Arm's Reach. I guess we're unusual. He sleeps on our laps downstairs until we go to bed and then we take him up and put him in the co-sleeper. He sleeps there for about 2 hours and then he gets in bed with us and usually spends the rest of the night snuggled up with us. Sometimes he crawls back into the co-sleeper on his own. He weighs 25 pounds and the AR weight limit is 35.

We don't worry about Nik falling out of the AR any more than we do with him directly in our bed. He could fall out of either just as easily. Same with a sidecarred crib. It works for us.


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## B'shert (May 27, 2004)

Thank you for all of your replies. They are helping. I'm such a planner but I guess you can't plan out everything. Especially, infant sleep


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## KD's Momma (Oct 24, 2004)

we have just recently moved ds out of the co-sleeper and into his crib. he will be 8 months next week. I really liked having him there so close to me but not on top of me. it was a little but of a hastle to get in and out of bed and i had to completly remove my bedside table so that the bed was up more within my reach but i would still recomend it to everyone!!


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## veganbaby (Oct 28, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KariM*
We bought a co-sleeper and are dissappointed in it for a few reasons.

#1 the weight limit is rather low - I believe (this is from memory, so I might be wrong) that it's recommend for use only up to 35 pounds. Folks with big babies reach that 35 pounds easily in the babe's first year.

#2 There is about a 4" drop between our mattress and the co-sleeper's mattress. There is NO co-sleeping going on since the baby can't get close to you. It broke my heart to see my week old baby trying to reach up over the side of the co-sleeper to get close to me.

Now it holds extra cloth diapers, blankets, etc. and isn't used for sleeping at all.

We're toying with the idea of trying a sidecar arrangement because our queen size bed isn't big enough for DH, myself, and our very active babe.

--Kari

Ours does too! The only time she sleeps in it is when we have Mommy and Daddy time...which only has been once so far. I couldn't go to sleep afterwards. I missed haaving her so close to me. And to think we were going to wait until she reached 10 lbs to put her in bed with us. She is still under 8 at 7 weeks old.


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