Recommendations for Newborn Sleeping Arrangements?

rachel.wenger

So by this point I've read about 50,000 different things you should and shouldn't do for sleeping arrangements for a newborn. 

What are you doing?  We were considering getting a pack and play for our  bedroom for the first few weeks that we can use later on down the road too.  We already have his crib and everything, but I read somewhere that you should try to be close to your newborn the first few weeks.

Advice?  Recommendations?

FarmvilleLover

I personally want the baby close to me/us.  We're going to shoot for the pack n play in our room next to the bed.  We also have a Rock n Play that we'll use around the house and if baby has reflux issues or doesn't like the PNP, we'll try it in the bedroom too.

Cleo29

We'll be using a bassinet again which will be in our room for at least the first two months. I plan on trying to BF and even if I weren't it's just easier, plus I loved having her close to me. 

I would put her down drowsy (HIGHLY recommend this) and she would just gaze at me for 10-15 minutes before drifting off. :sigh: 

FarmvilleLover

Cleo29:

I would put her down drowsy (HIGHLY recommend this) and she would just gaze at me for 10-15 minutes before drifting off. :sigh: 

I've actually heard this is very effective in teaching baby to fall asleep in the crib/bassinet/pnp.  Better than getting baby to fall asleep on you and then moving it to the sleeping place.  That's my plan.

Of course, we'll see what baby thinks about that lol! 

rachel.wenger

Cleo29:

We'll be using a bassinet again which will be in our room for at least the first two months. I plan on trying to BF and even if I weren't it's just easier, plus I loved having her close to me. 

I would put her down drowsy (HIGHLY recommend this) and she would just gaze at me for 10-15 minutes before drifting off. :sigh: 

 

That is a great idea!  My biggest worry is the baby not learning how to sleep on his own.  My friend's 7 mo baby wakes up every two hours still because I think they rock him to sleep and haven't really sleep trained him.  I can't imagine with having to go to work int he morning!

theladyjess

LO will sleep in the stoller bassinet attachment in our room for the first several weeks.  I'm going to BF so it just makes sense to keep her close.  I've also heard that having the baby sleep in the same room as you helps reduce SIDS because the sound of your breathing helps regulate their breathing.

rachel.wenger

theladyjess:

LO will sleep in the stoller bassinet attachment in our room for the first several weeks.  I'm going to BF so it just makes sense to keep her close.  I've also heard that having the baby sleep in the same room as you helps reduce SIDS because the sound of your breathing helps regulate their breathing.

I heard about the SIDs thing too and will also be BF.  Anything to keep him safe and close!  :-)

Kristine Schilling

**being a smart a$$** Sleeping arrangments. get baby comfy, get self comfy. sleep. who cares where you are.

Really though, it worked best for us doing just what I said above. We didnt plan it that way with DD,she had a crib and we planned to crib sleep her asap. But for the first 8+ weeks I ended up sleeping with her on my chest in my reclined glider most nights. She was definatly a 4th trimester baby who lived on us, with us, part of our day constantly for a while.

Huahine

The AAP is now recommending room sharing as a way to defend against SIDS, so that might be what you read about. A Pac n Play will last you longer than a bassinet, which baby will outgrow pretty quickly.  A friend of mine loves her Arms Reach Cosleeper, which attaches to the side of the bed.

We are planning to bed share (not recommended by the AAP, but standard practice in most of the world and recommended by many other countries' pediatric associations) to encourage breast feeding the first few months and to help us all get more sleep.  

talitha712

We plan on using the PNP in our room close to our bed for a while. My goal right now is to get LO transitioned to his/her crib by the time I go back to work after 12 weeks.

luckylindy

We bought a pack 'n play with the bassinet and changing table attached. It's set up in our room and LO will be in there for the first few weeks. We'll eventually move him into his room to his crib.

cschissell

We will have a pack n play in our room that has a bassinet feature on it.  We will probably keep him in our room with us for the first 3-6 months.  Till he starts sleeping for significant periods during the night so I can have easy access for breastfeeding.  I also just want him close to us.

Cleo29

rachel.wenger:

Cleo29:

We'll be using a bassinet again which will be in our room for at least the first two months. I plan on trying to BF and even if I weren't it's just easier, plus I loved having her close to me. 

I would put her down drowsy (HIGHLY recommend this) and she would just gaze at me for 10-15 minutes before drifting off. :sigh: 

 

That is a great idea!  My biggest worry is the baby not learning how to sleep on his own.  My friend's 7 mo baby wakes up every two hours still because I think they rock him to sleep and haven't really sleep trained him.  I can't imagine with having to go to work int he morning!

I used to be a nanny and took care of kids that were rocked to sleep and it was a nightmare.  The minute you leaned over the crib to put the baby down, she would wake up and start crying again.

I (and this is my personal opinion) think it is good for them to feel comfortable in their bed, whatever they are sleeping in, right away.  I would not do CIO at a young age or anything, but i think when you see them getting sleepy, you can try putting them down, perhaps have some soft music or sound machine going and let them fall asleep on their own.  

singhanna

Huahine:

The AAP is now recommending room sharing as a way to defend against SIDS, so that might be what you read about. A Pac n Play will last you longer than a bassinet, which baby will outgrow pretty quickly.  A friend of mine loves her Arms Reach Cosleeper, which attaches to the side of the bed.

We are planning to bed share (not recommended by the AAP, but standard practice in most of the world and recommended by many other countries' pediatric associations) to encourage breast feeding the first few months and to help us all get more sleep.  

 

DITTO for us.  We're planning to co-sleep with baby in the bed with us but may break down & buy the Arm's Reach for our sanity.  

Great article by Dr. Sears about co-sleeping.

https://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/co-sleeping-yes-no-sometimes

Eleni&Josh

We've already go the bassinet set up in our room, and we are getting a pack n play from my sister soon that we will use for naps during the day in our living room, and then I will take it to my mother's house when I go back to work in her office.  This way LO will already be used to napping in it, and it won't be as big of a transition when I start working.