If your LOs share a room - logistics question

GuitaristsGirl

Our LOs will share a room.  In fact, we spent the weekend setting up the second crib and etc., and I love it  

I'm getting hung up on the details/ logistics, though, I'd just like some other perspectives to help me see the forest through the trees. . .

When DS was born, he slept in a travel crib in our room for the first 6 months, and we'll do the same for DS.  Our room is tiny, fwiw, the travel crib just barely fits and there isn't room for a chair or anything else.  When we woke up during the night, I took him into his room, just a few steps away, to feed and change. 

People seem to think that this is odd!, but I find it really difficult to nurse in bed - it's not for me.  Plus, we have a recliner in the nursery that I love, I kept a dim light on and read a book to keep awake (it took him approx 45 min to eat), I put my feet up and didn't worry about him falling off if I did happen to fall asleep!, etc.  There was also the changing table of course, and it allowed DH's sleep to not be interrupted too much (and, later once DS was bottle fed, mine too!).   

Now we're trying to figure out the best thing to do with DD when she wakes during the night.  It doesn't seem like it would work to use the nursery with DS asleep in there if we don't want to risk messing his sleep up, too.  The only options I can come up with are a) use the family room to feed and change - not nearly as convenient (the sofa isn't as comfy as the chair, we'd have to make a make-shift changing area, etc.), but it'd be do-able, or  b) have DS sleep in his pack n play in the guestroom or the family room for the first few months, so I can still use the nursery for DD in the middle of the night.  My concern with this option is that DS wouldn't sleep as well in the pnp - plus, it seems kind of silly to have this whole nursery set up and no one sleeping in it at all! 

Anyway, sorry this got so long.  Any thoughts or stories appreciated! 

kcisthebombdotcom

Honestly, I'd try to nurse your DD in DS's room if that's where you feel comfortable. You could change DD using the PnP (or with a towel/changing bad on your bed), then go in DS's room to nurse. If you're just sitting in there in your rocker with a book with one of those small night lights that attaches to the book itself, that might not interrupt your DS's sleep.  If he wakes up, you can change the game plan. FWIW, my DD never wakes up my DS even if she's full on crying right near him.

GL!

laura1

I was very similar to you with my first one.  I would wake up, change him in his room and feed him in the glider or in the living room while watching TV.

 With DD, we started off just buying a changing pad to put on our dresser in our room and then I would feed DD in our kitchen area in the glider that we brought out of their shared room (our house is set up funny - first floor is the kitchen and bedrooms, then the garden level/basement is the family room).  This was just too uncomfortable for me, so I moved the changing pad to the family room and kept that set up all of the time.  Then I fed DD on the couch watching TV, which was nice since I was going to bed so early, I could catch up on all of my DVR'd shows! 

We actually really liked this set up, because when DD would cry getting her diaper changed, etc, it didn't wake up either my DH or my DS since we were downstairs and they were up.  And I found the changing area in the family room to be super helpful throughout the day as well (I didn't have to leave someone in there to run up and change a diaper).  

And FWIW, my 2 do pretty well together.  DD rarely wakes up DS with her crying, although when DS wakes up screaming, he will wake DD up overnight.  Thankfully DD is a lot easier to get back to sleep!! 

firsttogo

Can you move the recliner/chair to the family room? And change DD in the guest room, or set up a changing area in the family room?

I do not like to mess with the older kiddo's sleep if I can help it, their lives are already messed with bringing home another baby, and they need their sleep at night. 

AutumnBride929

I'd probably opt to do everything in the living room only because I would feel like I was putting DS out by moving him to the PNP.  Can you temporarily move the chair & changing area to the guest room instead?

WhitePicketFence

Our girls will be sharing a room, however, DD #2 will be sleeping in our room in the PNP bassinet until she reaches the weight limit. The plan is to either feed her in bed or carry her out to the recliner in the family room during the night. I also plan to use the PNP changing table while she's in our room or else I'll just throw down a changing pad and change her on the floor or on our bed (I'll keep a diaper caddy with some diapers and wipes in there for this purpose).

detroitblondie

I ::really:: don't think your toddler will be bothered if you nurse him in their room.  This is what I do (and have always done since I stopped nursing in bed- around 2-3 months) and it has never disrupted my toddlers sleep.  Of course we've "woken" him up from time to time but not enough for him to be totally awake.  He just makes a little sound, maybe switches his sleeping position, then falls right back to sleep.  Best wishes!

roundtheworldgirl

You may be surprised.  I was unable to nurse DD1 in bed, too - it just never worked for us.  But DD2 can totally nurse in bed, side-lying, and it has allowed me to get a lot more sleep than I would otherwise.  I'd just get her on, then fall asleep.  So remember that whatever you decide now, it very well may change once the baby arrives.

That said, I would not move your older child.  There is going to be enough upheaval in his life without making him sleep somewhere else in the beginning!  Of your choices, I'd say taking the baby into the family room and setting up a changing station there makes the most sense.

One other thing to consider - they say that kids get used to sharing a room quick at this age.  If you did nurse the baby in DS' room at night, he might adjust to the noise quicker and then it might be easier to move the baby in there when you're ready!  Mine are 5.5 months and 18 months and will eventually share but I have not moved the baby in yet because I am a chicken $h!t.

 

katie052409

I would try and nurse in the nursery, is there any way you would turn your guest room into a second nursery and give them their own rooms?  We are going to find out the gender of this baby and if its another girl, then the girls will share a girly themed nursery.  If its a boy then he will take DD's nuetral nursery and she will move into a girly nursery. My DD slept through the night since birth so I'm hopefully optimistic that this baby will too (doubtful of course), so I guess I will have to address the same issue if we have another girl... Good luck and let us know what you choose to do and how it works out!

ldoo

GuitaristsGirl:

Our LOs will share a room.  In fact, we spent the weekend setting up the second crib and etc., and I love it  

I'm getting hung up on the details/ logistics, though, I'd just like some other perspectives to help me see the forest through the trees. . .

When DS was born, he slept in a travel crib in our room for the first 6 months, and we'll do the same for DS.  Our room is tiny, fwiw, the travel crib just barely fits and there isn't room for a chair or anything else.  When we woke up during the night, I took him into his room, just a few steps away, to feed and change. 

People seem to think that this is odd!, but I find it really difficult to nurse in bed - it's not for me.  Plus, we have a recliner in the nursery that I love, I kept a dim light on and read a book to keep awake (it took him approx 45 min to eat), I put my feet up and didn't worry about him falling off if I did happen to fall asleep!, etc.  There was also the changing table of course, and it allowed DH's sleep to not be interrupted too much (and, later once DS was bottle fed, mine too!).   

Now we're trying to figure out the best thing to do with DD when she wakes during the night.  It doesn't seem like it would work to use the nursery with DS asleep in there if we don't want to risk messing his sleep up, too.  The only options I can come up with are a) use the family room to feed and change - not nearly as convenient (the sofa isn't as comfy as the chair, we'd have to make a make-shift changing area, etc.), but it'd be do-able, or  b) have DS sleep in his pack n play in the guestroom or the family room for the first few months, so I can still use the nursery for DD in the middle of the night.  My concern with this option is that DS wouldn't sleep as well in the pnp - plus, it seems kind of silly to have this whole nursery set up and no one sleeping in it at all! 

Anyway, sorry this got so long.  Any thoughts or stories appreciated! 

The only thing I'd suggest is trying not to move or put out your first child too much, cause things will be rough enough as is for him/her. Other than that, make a tentative game plan, but see what happens when the baby is born. Like a PP said, each baby is different, and this one might be easier to nurse in bed than you think.

My first baby took forever to nurse and forever to fall back asleep. My second would nurse in no time flat and be right back asleep before I knew it.