This is the newest conflict on my mind. I'm reading some sleep books and that keeping the baby in your room from day 1 could significantly delay the baby's ability to sleep throughout the night. I'm wondering if it's better to have a monitor and keep the baby in the crib in her room from day one. Any thoughts from STMs would be helpful!
TIA!
Re: Will your newborn sleep in the same room as you? STMs help!
Yes, DS slept in our room for about 6 months and this baby will do the same (well, possibly a little longer if we don't find a bigger house by then...). It reduces the risk of SIDS, is easier for BFing, it's easier to check on them (because I'm sort of neurotic
We just used the top part of the pnp/bassinet. He had no issues moving to a crib in his room at 6 months.
It's entirely a personal decision. I intend to have the newborn in my room for at least the first 2 months. They wake up so often in those first few weeks, the thought of getting all the way out of bed to go feed them 6+ times a night makes me want to cry. Meanwhile, having them near enough all I have to do is kind of sit up to bring them into bed and feed them, then put them back is ideal for me (and, honestly, by the early morning hour feedings I may not put them back any more).
FWIW, I did a similar practice with both of mine, moving them to their crib around 2-3 months at night. They still often times ended up in bed with me by the early morning, but by 3-4 months they were transitioned fully and sleeping well. My oldest was STTN, more or less, at 4 months old, other than a few regressions due to teething/growth spurts. Despite similar early practice with feedings/sleeping arrangements, my youngest took MUCH longer to sleep well at night.
I nursed exclusively for the first 6 months, which affected my decision greatly. I might have made a different decision if I used formula and would have to get up and make a bottle anyway.
BFP#1 11/12/11 ~ No heartbeat 12/12/11 ~ D&C 12/19/11
BFP#2 3/25/12 ~ Heartbeat 141 4/16/12 ~ No heartbeat 4/25/12 ~ D&C 04/30/12
BFP#3 7/16/12 ~ EDD 3/26/13 ~ It's a BOY ~ DOB 2/26/13
All 3 of my kids slept in my room with the bassinet and with 2 of them they were sleeping through the night by 6 weeks the 3rd I had more problems with because she was in the NICU and her days and nights were messed up from day 1 but by 2 1/2-3 months she slept through the night. And all 3 of them were in there cribs by 3 months the latest in there own rooms.
This one will also be in my room in the bassinet and then by 3 months she will move into the nursery which is connected tomy room since the people who owned my house before made the small bedroom a WIC and connected it to the master closing off the other entrance but there still a window in it so we are turning it back into a bedroom originally we liked it as is but with 4 kids I need the space.
We're really debating this and will ultimately decide based on what feels "right" to us when the baby gets here.
I'm guessing for the first week or two he will be in our room. Then my husband will be going back to work. I think it might be best for me to go to the baby's room to nurse once my husband is back at work so he can get good sleep at night.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
DD slept in our room for about the first week while we settled into a routine for BFing, and then we moved her to her cradle in her room because everyone slept so much better that way. We'd stir every time she made a noise, which would disturb her, and then we were all awake. Her room was directly across the hall, so it worked for us- if we were on different floors she'd have been in our room regardless.
We're tentatively planning the same with this baby, but every kid is different, so we'll see how it goes. Whatever you decide, there are pros and cons, and don't feel like you can't change your plan later.
Until I get her on a sleep schedule she will be in her bassinet in our room. My first child started sleeping thru the night at 2 months.
We transitioned him to a crib in the nursery at jus over 3 mos and it was pretty painless. He is an excellent sleeper :
We plan to co-sleep with this baby, just as we did with our other 2. You might find once your baby is born that you just won't be able to handle putting so much distance between you and your teeny little baby. Seriously, trust your instincts on this one. It went against my Mama instincts to sleep so far apart from a brand new baby, so I slept much better (and baby slept much better) when we co-slept (but like I said, just wait and see and trust your own instincts).
From a purely practical stand-point, sharing a room is probably going to be easier for the first few months when baby will need to be changed and nursed every 2 hours.
DD slept in her room in the crib from the first night home. We will do the same for this one.
We have no where to put anything in our room like a basinette, rnp, especially now with this one because it has been taken over by dogs and dog crates. I am unable to BF anyway, so this is what works best for us.
Cloud Bee - Earplugs for DH. For real. I also thought about sleeping elsewhere so he could get a good night's sleep during the work week, but earplugs allowed me to get up multiple times and not disturb him. Then I had my own set for the weekends when he was on night duty (again, we FF).
Wait, your husbands don't sleep through a baby...and everything else? :P
Well, the AAP also recommends room sharing until age 1. It can also decrease SIDS since you're closer to your baby and can sense them more.
We'll probably do something in between. Baby's room is close to ours, but in the beginning I don't want to have to get up and go far. With DD, I sat up in bed and nursed her, then put her right back in the cosleeper. It was so easy for both of us.
I also agree with the PP who said that you might not be able to put your LO that far away, so go with your gut.
As with many things, I don't think this is something you can have a set plan. You can think you know what you want to do, but baby might change things up or you feel differently once he/she gets here. Just have some options and take it from there.
BFP(4) DD2 born 2.14.13 @ 35w5d due to pPROM
I have a Daughter born 2/26/2013. She is pretty much amazing!
It reduces the risk of SIDS, enough said. We also use the bassinet of our PnP.