Kinda freaking out... help with sleep situation...

dobbyisfree · March 2014

First I need to be talked off my cliff. I took an innocent trip to BRU because Im still trying to figure out our sleeping situation in my bedroom, where I was planning on keeping the baby next to me in the beginning. I ended up hyperventilating. How do you decide what to let the baby sleep in when everything says only the crib is definitely safe? And my cat, Doodle, I basically taught him to sleep on my face he always shares my pillow. And although he doesnt try to sleep with DH Im suddenly convinced he'll smother LO overnight. Im freaking out. Do they sell newborn cages/bubbles? Mom thinks I can use the pack and play... is that a realistic option? Or the swing? Can they sleep in those? I read something about sleeping in a rock and play but their heads might get deformed?? Obviously I can lock the cat out and hopefully hes not too pissed and lets us sleep... sometimes he body slams the door so well have to do something... ugh. Ive never felt so ignorant. I cant even figure out how to safely let my baby sleep. :-(

littlemissmarla · March 2014

First, breathe! It will be ok

I am planning to have LO sleep in the pack and play during the night in our room but hopefully get her used to daytime naps in her crib or swing.. I've read a lot of people do that and it makes more sense to me than buying an additional bassinet or co-sleeper. No advice on that cat situation though! Good luck, in sure doodle will adjust

Nichole8787 · March 2014

I think the pack inplay or a bassinet are your best options. Take a breath and maybe a bubble bath.

marsalisails · March 2014

Or your baby could be like DS and snore so much in his sleep that I had to move him from his super expensive co-sleeper to his crib after three weeks because I want sleeping even when he was!!! We just kept him swaddled just like he was next to me and kept the monitor next to my head... He was fine!

Babies adapt and adjust to everything - even if you worry and plan, there is no guarantee that it'll be what you end up with

a pack n play is fine

people used empty drawers as bassinets back in the day!

Palan · March 2014

In regards to the cat, he/she probably won't want to be anywhere near the baby, at least this was my experience. My kitty still won't come and cuddle until the boy is in bed and he is almost 4.

pantherRN · March 2014

We have a Rock and Play for her to sleep in. I'm not overly concerned about the possibility of flat spots. Hopefully we can give her plenty of tummy time and napping in other areas. If a Pack n Play will fit in your bedroom, that would work too.

Pretty much wherever my kid will safely sleep is where she's going to end up.

Babybambi · March 2014

I have been having moments I like to call "final destination" scenarios. I picture something insane like a loose screw on the crib and it crashing down or something completely crazy. I know how you feel. I am a FTM and I am also trying to figure out the safest way. Just trust your instincts and do what you feel most comfortable

BBColt78 · March 2014

Ok momma! Chill!

A RnP is fine. A Pack n Play is good too. My DD slept in her bouncy seat for the first three weeks. We couldn't stand her in our room with us after that because they make so much damn noise! If you are already getting a PnP and can fit it in your room, go with that.

AMcLaws · March 2014

Maybe start "phasing kitty out" of your room at night now, BEFORE baby comes? In my experience, they're afraid of the noisy little newcomers (baby) but you could get kitty used to sleeping elsewhere now. As for your options...they can be overwhelming. Choose what best fits your space and lifestyle. We put DD in a bassinet next to our bed

honeybee434 · March 2014

We are planning on getting a RnP for her to sleep in at night in our room (assuming we can sleep with her in there) and times we want her in the living room, etc. I plan on trying to put her in her crib as well during the day when we can. We will get a PnP for when we travel to family/friends houses, so will have that as an option if the initial plan doesn't work out. Granted I'm a FTM, so have no clue of any of this will actually work out the way I'm hoping it does.

Ylvelill · March 2014

Double sided tape in the crib/pnp a few weeks before the baby comes home should make the cat uninterested in it

abchittam · March 2014

I'm so not understanding how a RnP would deform baby's head more than a crib/bassinet/PnP?

Anyways, we used the RnP and loved it. I honestly wouldn't see the cat being able to get in it without waking the baby up, in turn waking you up. If the cat jumped in, she would pretty much be guaranteed to jump directly on the baby. I would think that would make baby cry before the cat had a chance to smother her as you said.

TurtleMonsters · March 2014

I had an arms reach cosleeper and he slept next to me in bed, and on the extra colicy nights, he was in a swing chair (he'd cry for a good 6 hours straight a night). I never rolled on him and I kept an arm around him when he was between DH and I, so he'd bump me, not the baby. We never had issues. I wake at night and I was always in the same position as when I fell asleep.

mamakiss · March 2014

We have a bassinet and a pack n play with a bassinet attachment. We'll start with just the bassinet in the room but much of her daytime sleeping will be in the pnp and if that seems to work better we will switch. I plan on attempting to switch her to crib within a couple months but if she fights it hard and hates it we can stick with the bassinet until she outgrows it.

SweetTamale38 · March 2014

I'm cracking up at the cat bodyslamming the door!!!!

bewilderingstar · March 2014

This is the Mini Arc Co-Sleeper Bassinet. It can fit right next to your bed but you won't have LO in bed with you. It's a great option if you don't have enough room for the Pack n Play or you want LO off the floor. I found that most of the Rock n Plays weren't high enough. We have three dogs and a cat so I'd like to keep our baby boy at a higher level.

ghostof5letters · March 2014

Lori_n_Lior said:

We used a rock n play the first 3-4 months and then the pack n play.

I've been debating trying a co sleeper this time but I liked rocking the rock n play with my foot in a doze and think it helped her learn to sleep without being held.

I got an extra tall gate to keep my cat out of our room. Most cats don't go near babies if they can help it though.

My big toe got super muscular thanks to rocking that sucker, lol.

RachaelandCarl · March 2014

With DS1 we had to start shutting our bedroom door 24/7 and made it a no cat zone starting about now. My older cat slept on my pillow for years at that point and she was mad, but we got her a heated bed for downstairs and she dealt with it. I needed a hair-free room, not to mention that she would wake me up and I didn't need any more distractions from sleep with a newborn. We did use a PnP next to the bed with him too which worked out fine.

brooklynesque · March 2014

I bought a mini crib. (Mine is the Bloom Alma but there are others as well -- if you google "mini crib" you'll see options.) It's made to crib standards so you have that going for you safety-wise, yet it's nice and small and I doubt my cat will want to jump into it since I'll keep it a couple feet from the bed, unlike a co-sleeper. It also has casters so I can wheel it down the hall into the nursery if baby is a snorer. ;-)

Plus it is really really cute.

ETA: I'm only planning on using this until baby is a few months old, kind of like a bassinet, but some people keep their kids in them far longer. I'm assuming I'll have to get a full-sized crib eventually.

iris427 · March 2014

Shut the cat out of your room at night. It will be fine. Kitty will get used to it. Our cat was interested in our first baby for about 2 seconds, until the first time she heard the baby cry. After that, she wanted nothing to do with her.

You can get a bassinet or co-sleeper for your room, or use a PNP or RNP. You can even bring the baby into bed with you, as long as you follow safety guidelines. Everything will be just fine. Millions of people manage to put babies to bed every night, and they aren't any smarter or more capable than you are.

foreverapartofme · March 2014

Oh you poor thing, stop stressing!!! With my DD, I just let her sleep in the bassinet right next to my bed during the night. She stayed there about three months. After that we put her in the crib, which was in my room at the time because we were in an apartment! One of my friends used the pack n play for bedtime at the beginning. Just find what works for you.

As for kitty, if your plan is to get kitty out of your room, I would start transitioning him now. Good luck!

Shelleybell · March 2014

we used the pack n play and rock n play for dd to sleep in at first.

PenelopeSnuz77 · March 2014

We are going to put the baby in her crib from day one.

mrscutforth · March 2014

I was like you with my first.

He slept between us for the first month or so because I was BF. Then after that all stopped we got him a bassinet and he slept in that until he was 6 months old and then I put him in his crib. His bedroom is on the same floor but our bedroom is on one side and his the opposite.

Like other posters have said, breath. A few trial and error methods may arise but you will find something that works for your family.

littlesparrow602 · March 2014

pantherRN said:
We have a Rock and Play for her to sleep in. I'm not overly concerned about the possibility of flat spots. Hopefully we can give her plenty of tummy time and napping in other areas. If a Pack n Play will fit in your bedroom, that would work too.

Pretty much wherever my kid will safely sleep is where she's going to end up.

Just putting this out there. We used a rock n play for our son, who is now almost 4. Within 2 months of only night time use, he had a severely deformed head, torticillis, brachycephaly, among other issues. He was in a helmet for 7 months, physical therapy for 6, and it was the worst I've ever felt in my life. I'm adamant about warning parents about using this thing as a bed. Those bad reviews are absolutely true. And it grew mold like there was no tomorrow, even with tons of washing.

squnkie · March 2014

I'll be having LO sleep next to the bed in a pack n' play (with the newborn inset). I have two cats, and decided the best way for me to keep my sanity is to lock the cats out of the bedroom at night. It is taking them some adjusting (they're used to cuddling with me and my hubby at night), but I really didn't want one of them to pounce LO awake, or hurt her in any way while I'm sleeping.

Ecomom17 · March 2014

We LOVED our Arm's Reach co-sleeper, so I highly recommend that. Makes it very safe for baby to be right next to you (personally I'm not paranoid about having baby in the crook of my arm, which I did often, too, but obviously do what you're comfortable with!) but in his/her own separate space.

I would probably keep the cat out of the room wherever baby's sleeping. Don't have experience with that myself, but that seems like a good idea if the cat is used to sleeping on your face. You definitely don't want it doing that with the baby.

dobbyisfree · March 2014

Sorry I havent responded but thanks for all the tips. Funny, i myself slept in the guest room with no cats or dog on Sat night and it was amazing - thats how you all do it? You can just sleep without animals walking on you? And use your own pillow? Crazy jealous here! Haha.

So I think what Im leaning toward this second is getting a Graco travel crib... basically a mini pack and play to keep in our room. Its further off the floor than a RnP but not as big as a PnP. we already have a big one but it will be downstairs and I think Id go crazy transporting it up and down every day. Plus the travel crib can... travel! And my parents live 2.5 hrs from here so we will probably need that option.

And I know everyone says the cat will avoid the baby but you dont know my cat. Hes more like a dog, greets guests at the door, and rubs up against everyone for snuggles. He loves anything good and warm to sleep with which will be baby. Im going to have to watch him like an absolute hawk. If baby screams so much cat isnt interested, it may be a good thing.

littlesparrow602 · March 2014

We have an arms reach co sleeper as well. Absolutely love it.

livkight · March 2014

We're planning to have baby in her crib from the get-go. Our apartment is teeny so even though she'll be in her own room, I'll still be able to hear everything in there.

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Kinda freaking out... help with sleep situation...

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