# Guardrails for co-sleeping??



## Casimir's_Mama (Aug 18, 2003)

Hello! newbie here! I've looked over many threads so if I've somehow missed this bit of information, I apologize in advance.

I've been co-sleeping with my four month-old son part of the time, but now that he is capable of rolling and I am thinking I'd like to commit to co-sleeping more, I'm realizing I might need some mesh guardrails. I generally just plop him safely in the middle of the bed and lie next to him, but I'd like to invite my husband back from the couch, and to do this I think I need to take some safety measures if we are going to actually utiilize more than the middle of the bed. I suppose the little guy could sleep between us, but then it's more cumbersome to switch sides for nighttime nursing.
I've read that some type of mesh guardrails which tightly hug the edge of the bed exist for this purpose, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. Does anyone know where one can find something like this, online or otherwise? Do any of you use them?
I'm not so sure I wanna just plunk our mattress right onto the floor, but it's looking like we are heading that way!


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## countrymom (Aug 27, 2002)

Hello and Welcome!
I have used a bed rail/mesh thing--often just to keep myself on the bed! I had our bed on one side pushed to a wall--and the rail on the open side--the rails are able to be unlocked and put down when not in use. I really would be stuck without it as our family bed mattress is not big enough.

I bought one at some baby chain store a few years ago--Babys R Us or something like that--it was @ $18 I think It was made by Safety First company......and I just recently got another from a tag sale for @ $3! (made by fischer Price. I thought it'd be good to have an extra for travelling--staying at family-hotel etc.

I am sure they are meant to be toddler bed rails as that's how they are marketed...but for me it did and is working great for keeping a baby on the bed.


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## Casimir's_Mama (Aug 18, 2003)

Thanks!
Yeah, as I did some more looking online, the only ones I could find were marketed for toddlers and it seems from other online discussions that that's what some co-sleepers use for infants as well. Some safety checklists that I've read indicate that these are unsafe as they may leave a gap between rail and bed...but I'm starting to wonder if that's even true or if they are just stating that so one is overly careful. Also, unless it's a more alternative company, it seems that most mainstream manufacturers don't want to touch co-sleeping with a ten-foot pole, but that doesn't mean that they are unfit for infants I guess.
I think we may just purchase that and see how it goes, unless someone suggests some line of infant-specific ones.
ah well.
Maybe it's time we got ourselves a king bed.


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## sparkeze (Nov 20, 2002)

I also used the mesh bedrails meant for toddler beds on our bed and I basically used them to hold pillows on the edge of the bed. Once DS almost fell through the bottom of it w/o pillows.

However, once he was scooting/pulling up/etc he still fell off the bed through the little spots that were not covered by the rails and it seemed to be more dangerous if he fell over the rail by pulling up on it (higher distance to fall) so we finally had to take our bed off the frame. We did keep the box spring though and I just actively taught him how to get off the bed feet first and we put a futon mattress on the floor next to the side of the bed.

That being said, I know several other families who's babies did not venture off the bed so much and using the bedrails until they were big enough to safely get off the bed worked fine. Our problem was mostly that as soon as DS woke up he would quietly play and head over to the edge of the bed - as opposed to crying or waking us up.


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## smittenmom (Mar 2, 2003)

We have the Safety First guardrail on our bed, and it's saved dd from falling off several times. There have also been a few times when she's been stuck inbetween the mattress and the guardrail because it scooted out when she fell in there. When that happens, she squawks to wake me up and let me know what's going on. She's never been hurt, just scared. We also have our mattress and boxspring on the floor, but it's still quite a ways down, and I wouldn't want her to fall off in her sleep.

I think the guardrail is fine for a baby, but they just say they're for toddler use because they don't take co-sleepers into account. And it's probably possible that babies could get hurt if they fell in the crack like my dd has and there wasn't anyone right there to rescue them. As long as your baby is supervised it should be fine.


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## padomi (Dec 28, 2002)

I think I found my guardrail at Lowe's. We have a high mattress, so it was too low for our bed, so I took a light gate we had and wired it to the mesh thing. Quite a contraption, but it works!


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## sarahsmommy (Sep 18, 2002)

We are using the snugtuck pillow for our family bed. I love it!! Wish I'd have found out about them sooner. I did a search on the internet for a guard rail or something like that and came across them. You can read about them at www.snugtuckpillow.com

The lady who makes them is a WAHM. She is super helpful and nice. I have been using mine for over 3 months now and she recently called me to see if I liked it and how it was working out.

I think I would have gotten the guard rail if I wasn't scared about my dd falling between it and the mattress. Hope this helps.


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## Casimir's_Mama (Aug 18, 2003)

Yes, he only sleeps in the bed when we are there. He naps in his crib. I worried about pillows, thinking that would be bad to roll into, but maybe not. He has no trouble waking me, so I suppose if he somehow rolled in between he's just let me know.
Thanks for all the responses. I think I'd feel better now if I got the guardrail, knowing other moms use it. Although I am definitely going to check out that pillow on the link you posted! I was looking for something just like that!


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## Casimir's_Mama (Aug 18, 2003)

Just wanted to add: I don't know why I couldn't find anything like that when I searched the internet! I tried every search word combo. At first using the words "guard rail", even with "bed/baby/co sleep.." got me some fun highway guardrail links. Don't think that would work--too much metal and too big.


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## village idiot (Feb 19, 2003)

Quote:

"bed/baby/co sleep.." got me some fun highway guardrail links








:







:

Quote:

Don't think that would work--too much metal and too big.
:LOL







:LOL


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## sarahsmommy (Sep 18, 2002)

Did anybody see the bed pillow thing for family bed's that you lay on but can detach the pillow to use as a pregnancy pillow? It was in last month's mothering in the advertisers section in the back of the magazine. It looks great and I like the part about being able to wash the part you lay on if a diaper happens to leak during the night.


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## Casimir's_Mama (Aug 18, 2003)

I did see that. I remember thinking it might not be as practical at the time, though now I don't remember why I thought that.
But I did order my snug tuck pillow! I hope it works out.


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## mcmrymoon (Jul 31, 2003)

we use the toddler one too w/the mesh front. it doesn't fit snuggly against the bed though (actually - it does but it tends to pull away after a couple of days. i do have mine right at the top of the bed though because otherwise it is hard for me to get in and out of bed (not hard but a pain to shimmey down) my nightstand is up there too so that kinda holds the railing put too. i haven't really worried about him rolling into the mesh b/c i figure he would still be able to breath if i didn't notice right away. but you mamas know that you DO end up noticing right away anyway!!! besides, once ds stops nursing at night i'll have him in his crib.


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## jenP (Aug 22, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by sparkeze_
*I also used the mesh bedrails meant for toddler beds on our bed .... it seemed to be more dangerous if he fell over the rail by pulling up on it (higher distance to fall) so we finally had to take our bed off the frame.*
Us too! The mesh bedrail seemed fine until she started pulling herself up with it. I pictured her launching herself off the bed. So, we put the mattress and a crib mattress next to it on the floor. If she rolls out of the bed it's only an inch down to the crib mattress. Now that she's 14 mo I'm trying to get her to sleep on the crib mattress so we can all have a little more room.

Jen


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## julie128 (Jan 9, 2003)

We didn't have one, but we should have because our daughter fell out once. Low bed onto carpet. She was more startled than injured, I think. The moral of the story is: GET A RAIL.


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## Peppamint (Oct 19, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by sarahsmommy_
*Did anybody see the bed pillow thing for family bed's that you lay on but can detach the pillow to use as a pregnancy pillow? It was in last month's mothering in the advertisers section in the back of the magazine. It looks great and I like the part about being able to wash the part you lay on if a diaper happens to leak during the night.*
What was the name of this pillow? I received a gift subscription for Mothering last Christmas and have yet to receive a single issue.







I keep forgetting to call them, I'm terrible about making phone calls.


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## sarahsmommy (Sep 18, 2002)

It's called the humanity family bed. free brochure 1-406-683-1272. their website is www.humanityinfantandherbal.com

it says its flannel, yummm!


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## N2theWoods (Jan 14, 2002)

Have been following this thread with interest. I too was considering getting a guardrail, but our bed is odd -- it has a super wide box spring and then a very small mattress, so most things that are designed to fit between mattress & box spring don't work well, esp. because the weight of the mattress just isn't there.

The Humanity family bed bolster looks great! But pretty pricey for me.







The Snug Tuck looks more my speed... though am worried it's not high enough once the babe starts really scootching around a lot. But, by then I'll know my babe better and hopefully be more able to evaluate choices.

Was also considering sidecar-ing a crib, but my bedroom is not huge, and again we have the bed-height issue.

Casimir's_Mama, let me know what you think of your snug tuck!!
We have a Queen bed (what size is yours?) and my only concern is the "wasted" bed space. I REALLY like having my husband IN THE BED with me - it's one of my favorite things. I would be incredibly unhappy to have to choose between my bean in the bed and my DH!


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## sarahsmommy (Sep 18, 2002)

oh my gosh, i can't believe that humanity bed thing is 199$!!!

Now I am glad I got the snug tuck. My bed is a king size and the snug tuck just runs along the edge. It fits really tight against the mattress so baby can't roll out but an arm or leg could slide under it. I've been really happy with it.


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## Peppamint (Oct 19, 2002)

I can't afford $199!!









Please do post how you like your snug tuck...


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## Ravin (Mar 19, 2002)

I was thinking the same thing about price. I've been a bit concerned about what we're going to do, because the only place our bed fits in our room there's a vent just above the head of it (the mattress is up against boxes, with a gap in boxes for the vent, so it's like having a headboard with a gap in it) in the right center of the head of the bed. I envision baby scooting in and landing headfirst on the vent...ouch at least! I put the snug tuck on my favorites, maybe I'll be able to afford it by the time the baby can scoot around...


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## Casimir's_Mama (Aug 18, 2003)

Well we've been using our snugtuck pillow for a week or so now and I really like it. We have a queen size bed and it does take up a small bit of space, but not too much. If I wanted to switch sides with him in the night I wasted a lot more space keeping him many feet from the edge.
It's like a long bolster cushion that is very firm and gives but doesn't move so far so as to allow a rolling baby to fall out of bed. I highly recommend it!
I'm not sure it would be effective if you have an older baby who climbs, but as far as keeping a little one from rolling off, it's great. At 39.99 it's not a bad price I don't think.
/snugtuck commercial.


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## brandy111803 (Apr 14, 2004)

Casimir's Mama, how much space (in inches) do you think it takes up? We have our son's crib attached to the side of our bed (rail down) even though he doesn't sleep in it, just in case he should roll or scoot off. It doesn't look too great but our bed is only a double so we can't afford to lost a whole lot of space. What kind of material is it made of? Thanks!


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