# co-sleeping with a newborn - question



## MommytoTwo (Jun 20, 2004)

my question is - when you co-sleep with a nb, how exactly do you do it? Do you actually have the baby in your arms? Laying on the bed next to you? In one of those nest thingys? (I tried those with both other kids and never liked them but they seem like a good theory) I ask because I sleep with DS in my arms, which is very cozy and he is very happy but mama is not very happy because after about 2 hours my arm is numb, my hip and shoulder ache and I just want to lay on my stomach. (I am a stomach sleeper) But I dont feel comfortable just laying him next to me because DH is a bit of a thrasher and I dont think he has any awareness of where the baby is, kwim? I suppose I could put up a bedrail and put him on that side of me but isnt there still space there where a nb could get stuck? I do put him in the bassinet when I just have to get some solid stomach-sleeping time but he doesnt last too long in there...


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## waylonsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

The first week or so ds slept on my stomach. Then he started to sleep next to me. We use bedrails...they have a bar so dc won't get stuck between the rail and the bed. I am out of town until Monday so I do not know the brand we have....but I will let you know when we get back home.


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## LianneM (May 26, 2004)

I laid on my side and DS laid on his side facing me, most of the time. He would nurse to sleep and then pop off and be out. Sometimes he'd roll to his back but usually he just stayed snuggled in next to me







I would usually put a pillow against his back if he wasn't against the wall.


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## lotus.blossom (Mar 1, 2005)

I usually slept on my side with my bottom arm under the pillow and if I needed to roll onto my belly I would scoot further down the bed so he was up by my face. I had a pack and play next to the bed and I found that he would always roll toward me and never even touch the side of the bed, but that could be because our bed is a bit concave. Usually they snuggle into you though.


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## Tinker (Mar 1, 2007)

I CS most the time with DD2 and have since she was born. We also have a pillow top, so I understand your concerns. Maybe you could try a nursing nest or one of those little CS beds that sit right on your bed.


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## QuiteLikeRain (Jun 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LianneM* 
I laid on my side and DS laid on his side facing me, most of the time. He would nurse to sleep and then pop off and be out. Sometimes he'd roll to his back but usually he just stayed snuggled in next to me







I would usually put a pillow against his back if he wasn't against the wall.

This is exactly how it goes with us as well.


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## lactivist (Jun 14, 2005)

I can't ever get any decent sleep with a baby in my arms so I put baby up by my head (between dh and I). When baby is tiny I put baby on a thin blanket or sheepskin so I can easily slide baby down and up without disturbing. I am an extremely light sleeper and usually sleep with at least a hand on the baby.
Wendi


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## teeny_bean (Jul 27, 2006)

For the first few weeks, our babe would snuggle up in his dad's underarm, and sleep there. After he grew out of wanting that, I started putting him next to me on the bed. We don't have a bedrail, but we have an armchair sitting directly next to the bed, and we wedged a long pillow in between the chair and the bed. Baby sleeps on the bed next to the pillow, I am next to baby, husband is next to me. He's got his own little spot right there.


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## PlayaMama (Apr 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoTwo* 
(I am a stomach sleeper) But I dont feel comfortable just laying him next to me because DH is a bit of a thrasher and I dont think he has any awareness of where the baby is, kwim?

me too! i love the tummy sleeping. honestly, it took us a really long time for me to be able to sleep on my tummy again after ds was born because he really liked the nook that would form around him when i nursed him to sleep on my side. i had to move really carefully and kind of keep curled up around him.

my dh is a total trasher. i woke up so many times yelling, "don't squish the baby!" that's it's kind of become a joke (to me, he just glares at me). he thinks he's a really light sleeper and yet i KNOW he's not (i'm always awake to see him sleeping







: )

i usually placed myself in the middle and ds betwen me and the wall and pillows stuffed in between the bed and wall to make a nice space for him.


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## blsilva (Jul 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LianneM* 
I laid on my side and DS laid on his side facing me, most of the time. He would nurse to sleep and then pop off and be out. Sometimes he'd roll to his back but usually he just stayed snuggled in next to me







I would usually put a pillow against his back if he wasn't against the wall.

Me too, though there were times when he slept on my arm.


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## LiLStar (Jul 7, 2006)

I was a bit confused about how to do it with an itty bitty newborn too (and I'm sure next time around I'll be more experienced and make less of a production out of it!







) Our bed is wedged into a corner of the room. At first, I'd have a body pillow between me and the wall (really squished in there) and dd would actually be on her back on the pillow with her head on my arm somewhere between my shoulder and elbow and my arm around her. I was pretty freaked out in the beginning about her somehow ending up in a position that, well, compromised her ability to breathe, so for some reason having her right on the bed, versus the pillow, seemed too low down or whatever. After she seemed more "solid" and less fragile I feel we've got it down great!







On her side, facing me, with me on my side (or sometimes I switch between back and side during the night) with my arm under her head. Night nursing is a breeze! If I get sick of sleeping on one side, I just climb onto the other side of her and roll her back over so she faces me again. (never wakes her up, believe it or not!) I kinda figure my tummy sleeping days are over







First it was my big preggo tummy, and now I'm scared of getting a plugged duct from squishing my boobs all night. Oh well.


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## jessicado (Feb 16, 2007)

I have one of those little beds that goes in the middle of my fiance and I. I was so afraid when dd was born of squishing her! She is now 1 1/2 weeks, and spends most of her time at night there. I cuddle with her too at night, but I also have to roll over on my stomach after a few hours, so she eventually ends up in the little bed....









Also, our huge cat doesn't seem to recognize that she is not to be stepped on at night unless she is in that bed thingy.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Dd always just slept on the bed next to us. At boob height. Under our covers.

-Angela


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

They all just slept right next to me. We shared a pillow and blankets. Easier that way.


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## PreggieUBA2C (Mar 20, 2007)

Bottom arm under pillow, babe on a recieving blanket so I could move him up or down or to the side and dh and I keep the blanket tucked under our arms so that it doesn't come up over babe's head. This is because we have a big fluffy down duvet and even _I_ would suffocate under it. Our first two didn't encounter the duvet until they were several months old though- they just had sheets, so occassionally they were covered, but fine. I end up sleeping mostly on my side for 6 months which is a cause for chiropractic care, for sure, but once the babe is about 3-4 months, I do have the occassional two hours on my back (which is very relieving). Oh, I do put a rolled-up receiving blanket on the other side of babe, between dh and babe which is effective for dh to know where babe is, even in his sleep. Without the blanket there, dh crowds babe, but the roll immediately alerts dh to move over if he touches it.

I can't wait to co-sleep again. We have a sibling bed, with crib right up against it at the same level for the youngest, set up in their room, but dh and I have a bed to ourselves for now.


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## katt (Nov 29, 2001)

I slept on my back with him on my chest for about 6 weeks. I LOVED it.







Then I put him on his tummy in the center of the bed between DH and I. (the location was/is due to DH's request)


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## Genesis (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LianneM* 
I laid on my side and DS laid on his side facing me, most of the time. He would nurse to sleep and then pop off and be out. Sometimes he'd roll to his back but usually he just stayed snuggled in next to me







I would usually put a pillow against his back if he wasn't against the wall.

Same here.

And I can't put him in the middle of DH and I because DH has no awareness of DS next to him, and he'd roll over onto him!


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## arlecchina (Jul 25, 2006)

my baby then and now (15 weeks) nurses to sleep side lying then pulls off and uses his boobie for a pillow (we're side to side facing with my top arm around him, bottom arm under pillow)

and yeah, i wake with backaches


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## torio (Jun 14, 2006)

We've been sleeping with our twins (2 wks tomorrow) and it's been easier than we'd imagined. DH was certain he'd squash one of them, but it turns out he's very conscious of them even in his sleep. We have a queen-sized bed and both of us move a lot in our sleep. The babes lay side by side between us. We just bought a bedrail because we'd like to try sleeping with me in the middle sometimes. We'll see how that works.

One thing's certain--everybody sleeps better with the babes in the bed! Even DH is awed by how sweet it is to wake up all together.


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## MommytoTwo (Jun 20, 2004)

Anyone use the Snug Tuck Pillow? I am thinking that might make me feel better... Our bed is in the middle of the room so I dont have a wall to be up against ...

last night I put him in his bassinet the first half of the night - amazingly he stayed in there ... I missed his snuggly little self but I have to admit I slept like a ROCK till the 3 am feeding. LOL


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## FLMama092485 (Jul 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LianneM* 
I laid on my side and DS laid on his side facing me, most of the time. He would nurse to sleep and then pop off and be out. Sometimes he'd roll to his back but usually he just stayed snuggled in next to me







I would usually put a pillow against his back if he wasn't against the wall.

I did the samething. But I also have a king size bed so I can out him more twards the edge and I will cuddle daddy to the very edge and give him a lot of room. But we also cuddle and nurse. I think that it is so great and wish that I had did it with DD.


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## ~Denise~ (Dec 24, 2006)

We sleep with DS (age 9 wks) in the bed, either between DH and me, or between the (Arms Reach) cosleeper and me. I use the cosleeper for naps and diaper changes, but mostly I like the fact that I don't have to worry about DS rolling off the bed if I want to sleep on my right side (I always sleep facing him, with my top arm over him.)

I used to worry about this a lot too, and while our solution has worked great, I recently found a thingamajig that looks like it would give peace of mind to someone who is concerned about their partner rolling onto the baby or throwing the sheets over baby's face. http://shop.nurturecenter.com/nunebypepea.html Never tried it, but I bookmarked it, thinking next time I meet someone who is scared off of cosleeping I could show it to them.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

DD is such a great sleeper that I can roll away from her and lay on my tummy or whatever and as long as she can still touch me she'll stay asleep. If she wakes up to nurse I just scoot up next to her and hook her up. Shortly thereafter we both fall back asleep and find our comfy spots again and nobody else ever notices she woke. DS sleeps on the other side of me and DH is on the other side of DS. So it's DD, me, DS, DH in our king size bed. We're going to get a bedrail soon as DD is almost 4 months old and will probably start to roll eventually.


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## Jasmine_xoxo (Jan 21, 2007)

This is my third baby and first co-sleeping with a newborn...so here's a dumb question for ya...(oh and I really didn't BF with my older two, I was very young then...)....

QUESTION: If we are using an arm's reach co sleeper and I am breastfeeding, do I burp him after Bfing in the middle of the night???

It's been nearly 17 years ago since my last child was born and I am a bit rusty


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## turnipmama (Oct 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LianneM* 
I laid on my side and DS laid on his side facing me, most of the time. He would nurse to sleep and then pop off and be out. Sometimes he'd roll to his back but usually he just stayed snuggled in next to me







I would usually put a pillow against his back if he wasn't against the wall.

yup, this is what we do with our now 6 wk old..works pretty well for us. Sometimes she is next to me on one side of the bed and other times she is in between us.


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## kdtmom2be (Aug 26, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jasmine_xoxo* 
QUESTION: If we are using an arm's reach co sleeper and I am breastfeeding, do I burp him after Bfing in the middle of the night???

It's been nearly 17 years ago since my last child was born and I am a bit rusty









We burp after feeding in the middle of the night or DD wakes up again. Sometimes she relatches for a short snack again aferwards to fall asleep, sometimes she just cuddles into me and goes to sleep. We burp at night strictly over the shoulder, she will nuzzle her face in and fall asleep and I can lay down and roll her off of me onto the bed (though this does sometimes wake her again, we're getting better at it!).


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## marie1080 (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lactivist* 
When baby is tiny I put baby on a thin blanket or sheepskin so I can easily slide baby down and up without disturbing.

This worked well for me when DD was a nb.


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## Jasmine_xoxo (Jan 21, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kdtmom2be* 
We burp after feeding in the middle of the night or DD wakes up again. Sometimes she relatches for a short snack again aferwards to fall asleep, sometimes she just cuddles into me and goes to sleep. We burp at night strictly over the shoulder, she will nuzzle her face in and fall asleep and I can lay down and roll her off of me onto the bed (though this does sometimes wake her again, we're getting better at it!).

Thank you!! I know that he and I wil come up with a routine quickly, but it's still nerve wracking







:


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## locksmama (Jun 7, 2007)

I also want to co-sleep with my newborn and beyond. A couple problems though:
1) We only have a full size bed and no money for a bigger one (too many things to pay for lately with new baby coming etc.)
2) We have a crib that was given to us, but dh doesn't think it will fit and I can't seem to convince him it will ( I measured--it would be tight but doable) as our bedrrom is a bit of a weird configuration
3) DH is not sold on co-sleeping yet as the munchkin is not here yet and he hasn't been researching like me about this stuff

I can move the bed against the wall no problem, but that still leaves what I believe is a space issue. I can give about a foot width to sleep, but that won't work as she gets older will it? Plus we'd all be prety cramped I think.
As her birth approaches (anyday now) I'm getting increasingly nestish and desperate to figure out a way to do this. I have a bassinet but I don't want to use it, I want her right there so I can feed her and she can feel mommy's warmth and all that good stuff.
Tips?? Help!







:


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## ~Denise~ (Dec 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *locksmama* 
I also want to co-sleep with my newborn and beyond. A couple problems though:
1) We only have a full size bed and no money for a bigger one (too many things to pay for lately with new baby coming etc.)
2) We have a crib that was given to us, but dh doesn't think it will fit and I can't seem to convince him it will ( I measured--it would be tight but doable) as our bedrrom is a bit of a weird configuration
3) DH is not sold on co-sleeping yet as the munchkin is not here yet and he hasn't been researching like me about this stuff

I can move the bed against the wall no problem, but that still leaves what I believe is a space issue. I can give about a foot width to sleep, but that won't work as she gets older will it? Plus we'd all be prety cramped I think.
As her birth approaches (anyday now) I'm getting increasingly nestish and desperate to figure out a way to do this. I have a bassinet but I don't want to use it, I want her right there so I can feed her and she can feel mommy's warmth and all that good stuff.
Tips?? Help!







:

You could create a sidecar: http://groups.msn.com/SteveandLishsF...decarcrib.msnw
(Sorry, I bookmarked the site but don't remember where I got it--I believe it was from a mama here at MDC.)


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## incorrigible (Jun 3, 2007)

.


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