# Wondering About Bed-Sharing & Newly Mobile Baby



## not_telling (Mar 31, 2008)

DS is 8 months and has just figured out how to crawl. It's still very new and he's still rather shaky at it. He's been rolling tummy-to-back for several months but we never saw him roll back-to-tummy until last night. From his tummy, he can, obviously, get onto all fours. He's also started pulling up (on me and DH, on his crib when we put him in there to play or hang out for a few minutes, etc.).

Our sleeping situation thus far has been this:
DH and I have a full-size bed (no upgrading in size because of the size of our room). We have a mini co-sleeper pushed up against my side (there's a wall along most of the other side of the co-sleeper). DS has been sleeping in our bed every night since he was born. In the past few weeks we've been starting him in the co-sleeper at bedtime (which is the same time as our bedtime) because we're hoping that (someday







) we'll be able to take advantage of having the bed to ourselves...and, also, it's just really kinda crowded in our bed. After his first waking, DS moves into our bed.

So far, anytime DS wakes up (either in his co-sleeper, or in his crib, which we've recently started using for one nap per day), he just cries for someone to get him. He hasn't really attempted to move anywhere when he wakes up. But, now that he's figuring out how to move around, I'm wondering what this means for our sleeping situation. I know that technically we're not supposed to keep using the co-sleeper if he can get on hands and knees and pull-up. I'm considering kind of barricading all sides of the co-sleeper with furniture and the wall so that we can continue to use it until he reaches the 23 lb. max. We're not sure yet if there's enough room to side-car his crib...and I have mixed feelings about side-carring. I think I'd want all four sides of the crib intact for naps. Also, our bedroom is on the third floor and DS's room (and crib) are on the second floor. For daytime naps I think I might prefer him on the second floor...but, on the other hand, maybe there'd be less noises to wake him if we do move the crib up to the third floor.

I guess I'm wondering, once they know how to crawl, what are the safety issues I need to know about continuing to co-sleep? I should say that our bed is a platform bed and, thus, relatively low to the floor (still far enough, though, for big ouchies)...and that we have no desire to just do mattress straight on the floor (did that for the last 4 months of pregnancy - so happy to have a "real bed" again...). Do crawling babies crawl around in the shared bed without parents knowing? If we kept using the co-sleeper and didn't "barricade" it, will baby be going overboard and breaking his head or neck?


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## Jesskathand (Dec 30, 2007)

We put our mattress on the floor when DS started rolling around and getting mobile. Is this an option?


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## LilMomma83 (Jan 20, 2007)

We just have a mattress on the floor also...no help here lol


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## rzberrymom (Feb 10, 2005)

Since it's a low platform bed, could you put his crib mattress or a twin size on the floor next to it when he starts pulling up in the cosleeper? I don't think I would sleep well with my kiddo in a cosleeper once she could move around.

Although, we did put the mattress on the floor at that stage too--it was very temporary and it's back in a bed frame now that no one is flying off the bed.


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## Chloe'sMama (Oct 14, 2008)

well, we still sleep with dd at night, naps and before we come to bed we have a little bed on the floor for her. We move her into the bed when we go to bed. I don't worry about her crawling or rolling off the bed once we are in there.


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## carrie a. (Oct 2, 2008)

I'm having the same issue with naps. I'm not thrilled about the idea of putting the bed on the floor. We have a king so there's plenty of room and DD sleeps in the middle at nap time and I just stay in the room. I would love to get some stuff done downstairs though. We're thinking about crib as a side-car (not even sure she'll sleep in it) but won't she be able to crawl right out the front onto the mattress?? Any other suggestions out there besides putting the bed on the floor?


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## not_telling (Mar 31, 2008)

I'm still thinking about all this...and thankfully DS still seems to think he's stuck when he's on his back and he always fusses or cries when he wakes up - so I have a little more time to figure it out.

My latest idea is to move the crib to the third floor (which means getting a baby monitor that actually works) and put it at the foot of the bed. Keep the co-sleeper next to the bed, but use it more as a "bedrail." Start DS off in the crib at night (this may be a bit of a trial...he takes one nap per day in his crib, but I can only put him in if he's asleep...it's been easier to put him down awake in his co-sleeper - probably because I'm lying right next to it...practically in it myself - but, hopefully he'll get more used to the crib).

When he wakes, pull him into our bed and, I guess, continue to sleep with my arm around him...that way I'll know if he's starting to move around.

I do love being snuggled up with my bugaboo, but, honestly, I don't think I'd complain if he suddenly started to get real comfortable with crib sleeping. My arms and shoulders would be happier. DH and I would get more snuggle time. I guess I'd love it if, ultimately, he spent most of the night in the crib and then the last few hours in bed with me.


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## vocalise (Mar 6, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Chloe'sMama* 
well, we still sleep with dd at night, naps and before we come to bed we have a little bed on the floor for her. We move her into the bed when we go to bed. I don't worry about her crawling or rolling off the bed once we are in there.

I don't worry about during-the-night movement, either. I just bought a children's bed rail to put at the side of my bed, and have the bed firmly against the wall. If dd tries to go anywhere, I'll know.

Also, I plan to put her in either a crib or playpen (not sure which yet) for naps and before I come to bed soon. Though, of course, I don't have either of these yet! (She's four months.) With my older ds, I had my mattress and boxspring on the floor (no frame), which put everything about a foot off the ground. He slipped off once or twice, but he didn't even care, it was so low. And he learned to climb up and down really quickly, which could be either a positive or a negative depending on how you see it!


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## *Erin* (Mar 18, 2002)

when mine got mobile, we put the mattress and boxsprings right on the floor, and pushed them into the corner, tight up against the walls. then we used a bedrail for the other side. also, a video baby monitor!


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## readytobedone (Apr 6, 2007)

i'd actually consider moving your bedroom (if possible)...the whole sleeping on different floors from your LO thing is probably not going to make you very happy, even if your babe does take pretty well to crib sleeping.

we ended up moving our bedroom so we could have a bigger family bedroom and so we could be across from what will eventually be DD's room (well, it is her room, but she rarely sleeps in it!).

maybe i'm wrong about the different floors, but i actually can't imagine sleeping that far away from DD now and she's nearly 2!


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## not_telling (Mar 31, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *readytobedone* 
but i actually can't imagine sleeping that far away from DD now and she's nearly 2!

yes..this has been on my mind, too. up until a year ago our bedroom was on the second floor. then we had a really nice renovation done on our third floor...essentially making it like a "master suite." DH really wanted to move up there, and I thought it would be kinda fun seeing as our old bedroom felt really cramped and the new one, though not real big, felt way more light and airy. DH and I knew that would mean having our baby and the crib up in our room for a while. for one thing, i'm far too lazy to be going up and down stairs all night...so if we haven't night-weaned, we're stuck together. then i started thinking about the what-ifs...what if there's a fire and DS is on a completely different floor and is so little that he can't get out himself?

when i bring these things up, DH does say we can always move back down to the second floor. so maybe we will at some point...though not right now cuz that bedroom is infested with clothing moths


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