Questions for Co-Sleepers

R - posted on 12/31/2010

1. Queen. DS sleeps on which ever side he's nursed last on, either in the middle or between me an a rail (made from mesh fabric).
2. My DH and I pretty much use different blankets when our DS was smaller (17 months old now). We both went down to only one thin pillow. I pretty much kept him head at breast height so he wouldn't get near the pillows.
3. Once he started rolling, we disassembled our bed and put the mattress and boxspring on the floor. We then put his toddler bed in a sidecar arrangement right next to the bed until he was able to get in and out of the bed without help. Now he sleeps half the night in his own bed and half with us. We still use a rail on my side.
4. I wear PJ bottoms to bed and either a nursing tank or a comfy loose long or short sleeve tshirt that can be pulled up easily to bed. When it's cooler, I wear both together.
5. Can't think of anything at the moment...
6. I either wore him for naps or he sleeps on a low couch or futon (only when he was old enough to move his head when he slept and not roll off - no fluffy rule still applied) or in his own bed. Which ever happens to be convenient at the time.

Jessica - posted on 12/31/2010

Hi Krystle,
Bassinet beside the bed is still 'co-sleeping' - you are in arm's reach of your baby. That's what everyone should do for the first six months! If you actually want to bedshare in addition, this is our experience:
1) How big is your bed? How do you arrange yourselves in bed for everyone to have enough room?
For the first 3 or 4 months, queen bed with baby in a carry-cradle on my side of the bed. When she got too big for the carry-cradle, we got a mesh bed rail for that side, and shoved rolled-up towels into gaps between the bed and the wall at the head. When she got to 1 (and started sleeping horizontally!) we got a king size bed as hubby likes his space :) We also put the cot next to the bed instead of the bedrail, and that works better now she can stand. Just have to check each night that it is still pushed right up next to the bed, no gaps.

2) How do you prevent the covers going over baby's face?
Use sheet and breathable blanket only, and as someone else mentioned push pillow behind my head so it's not near her face. Breathable pillow too, I stuck my face right in the middle and checked! She will crawl up the bed out of the covers though, so not much of a problem for us.

3) Once they are rolling over, crawling, or walking, how do you keep them in bed?
Bed rail, though if she is awake and wanting to get up, there's no way to keep her there! We taught her to slide off the bed feet first, the room is baby proof and the door is shut when we're asleep. If I could convince hubby, I'd put the mattress on the floor.

4) What do you wear to bed? (Nursing top?)
Nursing bra only when I needed nursing pads in to soak up milk leakage. Now just a top I can BF in - long sleeved in winter, short sleeves in summer. In winter I also find a short scarf round my neck useful - has to be short and wide enough that baby couldn't wind it round her own neck though!

5) Any other ins & outs/ tips & tricks I'm missing?
She gets warmer than me when sleeping, so if she's dressed in about the same clothing thickness as me, she'll be as comfy on top of the covers as I am underneath.

6) Does baby sleep in adult bed during naps too?
Not unless I am there with her. Otherwise, it's on my lap after a boob, or in her sling, or carseat if we've been driving, or recently (14+ months?) on her cot mattress on the floor. We tried her in the cot and she hates it, still (that's why we started co-sleeping in the first place), but mattress on the floor is ok. Eventually the plan is for her to sleep on her own mattress at night too, but she's not ready yet, and we are doing ok still bedsharing so happy to continue.

Rachel - posted on 12/31/2010

I've been sleeping with my daughter since the day she was born, she turns 2 in feb. Co- sleeping was really the only way she would sleep. I have a king size bed, and she sleeps in it durring naps too. when it comes to covers Mia kicks them off immediately, so I just dress her warm enough. Up until recently,I have slept topless so that Mia could just roll into me when she wanted boobie. now she just drinks her water, that I keep in bed with us. My daughter will always stay in the bed until i wake up.

Mary Renee - posted on 12/31/2010

1) King Size. I'm on the left side, Papa on the right side, baby in the middle (Although sometimes I alternate in order to nurse her on both sides in the side lying postition but our bed is big enough for me to do that)



2) I was just very aware of my baby even when I was asleep. It's strange. I always knew where she was and that her face wasn't covered.



3) Once they are rolling over, crawling, or walking, how do you keep them in bed? This is a tough one I'm struggling with now! I'm not going to lie, my daughter surprised me by rolling off the bed when she was 3 months old and started rolling over. Luckily I was visiting my mom and my suitcase full of folded clothes was next to the bed and that's what she fell into! She never even woke up! This was during a nap when I wasn't in bed with her.



Now she's 7 months and crawling and I line the bed with pillows to buy me some time and I use a video monitor during naps so I know as soon as she wakes up. I think I'm going to look into to buying those side things they make for toddlers to prevent them from falling off the bed.



During the night though while I'm there with her, she's usually snuggled in my armpit after nursing with my arm around her so I feel if she moves



4) Low-cut tank top. I just pull it down under my boob when I need to nurse.



5) Co-sleeping wasn't anything I planned. I had my daughter in the bassinet for the first four or five weeks until she just would NOT stay asleep for more than ten minutes by herself. It was totally by accident that I would pick her up to nurse her at night and a few times I fell asleep with her in my arms. I never dropped her, I was always aware that she was there. Eventually I just started putting her asleep in a basinett next to the bed, picking her up in a few hours to nurse her, and then falling asleep with her in bed with me after that and then I had a much easier time nursing her and still be able to sleep myself. We haven't used the basinett in MONTHS, she's almost 8 months old.



6) Baby sleeps where ever she will sleep during naps. Sometimes if she falls asleep in the car seat during a normal nap time I just bring her carseat in and let her sleep in that. If it's the stroller I let her sleep in that. If she falls asleep nursing sometimes I put a blanket on the floor and let her sleep in the living room while I do chores around her. Sometimes if we're BOTH tired, we nap together in the adult bed too. I'm lucky though, I have a very flexible daughter, some babies won't sleep just anywhere.

Becky - posted on 12/31/2010

1) How big is your bed? How do you arrange yourselves in bed for everyone to have enough room?
Queen size bed, my little guy snuggles with me in between my chest and my arm, with his head on my arm, so when I have to turn over to nurse on the other side I can just hug him and roll over. Sometimes he'll get away and I used to have my side of the bed against the wall, but now his crib is open instead of all 4 sides and its next to my side of the bed.

2) How do you prevent the covers going over baby's face?
Keeping him sleeping the way we do the blanket stays across me where I keep it, usually across both of our chests.

3) Once they are rolling over, crawling, or walking, how do you keep them in bed? Sleeping how we do, he rolls over, and I wake up, and he wakes up. Sometimes he'll sit up, but, he never gets far.

4) What do you wear to bed? Nursing bra..

5) Any other ins & outs/ tips & tricks I'm missing?

Thanks!

New question (Dec 23):
6) Does baby sleep in adult bed during naps too? Sometimes. He falls asleep nursing laying down, so sometimes I'll move him to his crib, usually I just leave him on our bed though.

Beibhinn - posted on 12/31/2010

We have a double bed that sits one side against the wall.
A large nursing cushion between the wall and Dad, then me and baby on which ever side she is nursing on and another big cushion on the outside of the bed.
Baby has never fallen out but like that I always waken just before she stirs and we love being all cuddled up together.
We have a big duvet and a large cellular blanket so we can all stay warm, Dad usually has the blankets up to his ears and I'm the same, whereas Baby loves nothing more than to hold all down with her feet :).
I wear a button down night shirt with jammi bottoms.

When Baby naps during the day, which is less frequent now she is 14 months, she nurses to sleep and then I pop the two cushions on the bed around her (like a giant circle) and it is all good :)

Hope this helps!

Janice - posted on 12/30/2010

It was/is (were trying to stop) my daughter, husband, 70 lbs dog and me in a queen size bed. We started co-sleeping when my daughter had colic and we started falling asleep on the couch when she finally stopped crying between 2-4 am.

Anyways, when she was little she would sleep on the outside next to me and I would either not put the blanket on her or I would just put the edge of it over her legs. I would rest my head at the edge of my pillow so most of it was behind me and not near her. I would wear a sports nursing bra and a t-shirt to bed or when it was warm just the bra. Once my daughter was bigger 6-7 mo. and on, she began sleeping between my husband and I. When she is in bed with us I am such a light sleeper so I would wakeup and fix the blanket if it was creeping up. My daughter napped on me when she was little (under 7 mo.) but now she always naps in her crib when we're home. She is 14 mo. now and does crawl around the bed (has for months now) and twice she fell but was ok thanks to pillows on the floor. At the moment she flips on her belly and gets off the bed safely feet first so its not a major issue. Oh and the dog has always slept at the foot of the bed so that wasn't/isn't an issue.

Personally I always felt less nervous with her in my arms than in her crib. I could always sense what was going on with her and so blankets and pillows never became a major concern.

Sally - posted on 12/30/2010

My 14 month old was ready to sleep by herself by 9 months. She still sleeps next to me because she nurses 2-4 times most nights. We just don't cuddle anymore while she's snoozing. It wakes her. Her now 6 year old sister wasn't ready for that until she was almost 3 years. Every kid is different.

Lise - posted on 12/30/2010

My 14 month old started out the night last night in her own bed - no problems. She woke twice and got herself back to sleep without ANY tears. Then I was ready to go to sleep, so I grabbed her and brought her to bed. It was great. Still got to snuggle her throughout the night but she slept fine by herself.

For those who say that their babies can't sleep on their own because they coslept, I wonder if maybe those babies just aren't ready yet. My daughter wouldn't sleep alone a month ago, but last night did fine. Will it be a smooth transition? I doubt it. ;-) But she's on her way!

Cheri - posted on 12/30/2010

lol well for starters co sleeping is the worst mistake I ever made! My 14 month old will not sleep anywhere other then my arms or my bed with me. At first my husband was very reluctant due to being scared that we would roll over on our lil guy. But as he got bigger, even daddy brings him to bed. He always sleeps beside me closest to the wall, and has his own blanket. He stays in bed so long as Im nursing him whis causes havock on my nipples. Next baby will most definatly be in its own bed. Ive learned my leason no matter how comforting it may be. Mama and Dada need there alone time lol.

Chloe - posted on 12/30/2010

1. Double bed one side pushed against wall... Baby sleep on all fours agasinst wall and I sleep on edge of bed...
2. Baby hates covers so never sleeps with them... Always kicks thwm off... Even in cot so just sleeps with a vest (house is always warm)
3. Once baby is awake he climbes onto me wanting to be nursed so we cuddke and feed at the same time...
4. I don't wear anything to bed apart from PJ pants
5.
Baby sleeps in cot durin naps or on sofa next to me
6. U didn't go wrong... I belive I went wrong by co sleeping... Jordan-lucas is now 15 months and refuses to sleep in cot at night I wish I neva started lol x

Carol - posted on 12/29/2010

1. Queen, baby in the middle
2. We used a pillow for baby (regular pillow, longways), positioning it away from the blankets and covering baby with sleepsack blanket.
3.Once baby is up, I am up. There are things you can buy to put on the sides of the beds, I don't know how you call them. Also, my bed was next to a wall, so I would put baby on the in side if her father was not in bed and it was just baby and me.
4. Pijama shorts or pants, whatever top with easy access for nursing. No t-shirts.
5. One time I put pillows next to the bed in the floor, caus baby was taking a nap and I did not wanted to wake her up. Also, I had the crib next to the bed, but when she woke up for nursing I would leave her on the bed most of the times.
6. For naps she usually sleeps in the crib, unless I want to nap too, then we sleep together.
You do what works the best for you. Co-sleeping was what allowed us to get more sleep.

Andrea - posted on 12/29/2010

1) Full size futon on the floor (just baby and me, single mom)

2) Live in Maui so I more likely use a fan for her and blanket for me (she is warm blooded). When visiting in CO she would move from the blankets, so have to dress her warmly to keep her from getting cold.

3) I have a futon on the floor and a play yard (the kind that you can add or take off sections) and have that around the bed so that it keeps her in. She just turned 2 and it still works. No fear of her "falling out" but more a problem with her getting up and getting into things! Works for us, and has plenty of room (for the two of us, at least!).

4. Light weight nightgown with nursing bra or just a tank top with built in bra. In CO wear fleece top (with buttons) and pants....what I wore before I had her.

5.If I could nurse her back to sleep before she woke all the way up, she would sleep through the night from about a week old (when I figured it out). She doesn't move too much in her sleep, though, so it isn't bad. I've heard of some kids that are all over the place...so maybe depends on the temperament of the child, too! And the circumstances. Not sure I'd still be co-sleeping if I had a spouse in bed with us too...maybe I'll find out the next time around!?

6) Yes, same bed for naps and sleep at night.

Hope this helps!
Good luck! :)

Sally - posted on 12/27/2010

#1 With first baby, king size. Baby next to me on the side she nursed most recently. With 2 kids, a row of twin matresses mashed together so baby can't fall between, same baby position. Luckily, most nursing moms who sleep with their babies naturally end up sleeping on their side with their arm around baby. This helps keep baby on the bed and other co-sleepers off the baby.
#2 With first baby, she slept in a fleece bag on top of the blankets. By second baby I had learned that even a newborn will bat blankets off their face if it interferes with breathing and will fuss if they can't do it. I still try to keep the blanket off her face, but don't really sweat it if it's not bothering her.
#3 First baby--bed rails. Second baby--mattresses are on the floor so falling off the bed won't hurt her.
#4 Whatever is comfy.
#6 At our house, yes, but I'm usually asleep with her then too. :)

You probably didn't go wrong. It's much faster and easier for the pediatrician to say "get a crib" than to teach you how to safely co-sleep. Unfortunately, the baby furniture companies can afford a lot more "safe sleep" PSA's than the studies showing how much proper co-sleeping drops your SIDS risk. Sleeping with him where you could see, hear, and touch each other was MUCH healthier for him than putting him in his own room. You did the best you could with the info you had and are a good mommy for trying.

Noreen - posted on 12/27/2010

My daughter is 15months old and has been co-sleeping since birth. It wasn't planned, it just kinda happened.

1) How big is your bed? How do you arrange yourselves in bed for everyone to have enough room?
We have a King size bed. Abby sleeps either in between us in my arms, or on the other side of me in my arms.

2) How do you prevent the covers going over baby's face?
When she was little, I would tuck the blankets under my arms and have her sleep on top of them. Now she sleeps under them with me. They don't cover her face. She keeps them off her face.

3) Once they are rolling over, crawling, or walking, how do you keep them in bed?
She has never tried to crawl off the bed. But I did have one of those mesh safety gates on my side of the bed to prevent her from rolling off.

4) What do you wear to bed?
I usually wear a nursing top or tshirt to bed.

5) Any other ins & outs/ tips & tricks I'm missing?
Don't think so. She sleeps in my arms...

6) Does baby sleep in adult bed during naps too?
No, she sleeps on the couch next to me or on my chest attached to the boob. :)

Amber - posted on 12/27/2010

my daughter is 9.5 months and she's only slept in her crib once. i'll probably try again when shes a little older.



i usually keep her high up to nurse and keep the blanket under my arm so it doesn't ride up over her. when she was really little, i kept her on top of the blanket with a footie sleeper or sleepsack on.



i keep a small box on the end of the bed with diapers and wipes so i dont even have to get out of bed to change her. this sleeping arrangement is the only way i was able to get any sleep at all the first 4 months!



she usually just naps while im holding her, or in her car seat if we're driving. sometimes i lay in our bed and nurse her to sleep so i can get stuff done while she naps.

Hailey - posted on 12/27/2010

Hi Krystle. For your new question....they slept where ever i was, if i was down stairs cleaning up, id put them on the sofa or if i was upstairs, id put them in my bed. they were only 16 months apart so id try and get them to nap together and in one place because i tandom fed (and they had to be close coz i cant stretch too far!) Also they would have a 2/3 hour nap in the afternoon and would only feed to get to sleep, quite exausting being a human dummy and after an hour or so a little boring so id like to be by a telly. It was all a bit weird and would never tell anyone or have them round between 11 and 3. It kept the kids happy and well slept though.

You didnt go wrong, i felt like i went wrong too. We get so much 'advice' from everyone and profesionals us new mums never know what to do. Just do what u think is right and it normally is. Every child is different, some like to co sleep, some like a bit of space. My son likes his own bed some nights. If you didnt feel right co sleeping then thats good you followed your own advice. I have had so many people tell me i should go back to work, get a break, give everyone a bit of space, But it didnt feel right, so i didnt. I strongly believe with kids involved, use your intuition.

Krystle - posted on 12/26/2010

Awww Thanks Jodi! That's nice of you to say!

Thanks to all of you for your experience and advice! :)

Jodi - posted on 12/26/2010

Krystle, generally co-sleeping refers to EITHER bed-sharing OR room-sharing, both reap the same benefits in the long run, so you didn't go wrong anywhere with co-sleeping!

Ruth - posted on 12/26/2010

oh yes she sleeps in there during her naps as well!!!

Ruth - posted on 12/26/2010

We have a Queen size bed and she sleeps in the middle, i tend to not worry about having a top on as its more of distraction than anything, she feeds to sleep then I wait a few minutes then gently slide her up so her head is level with ours,to start out with try to have both of you sleep on your side facing baby, then as you all get used to it it doesnt really matter, I found that she will let us know if we get to close also because of the extra body heat she doesnt need as many cloths on it took us a while to figure this out cos she kept waking up. she started out sleeping in the bassinette but ended up in with us basically because she has never taken to the cot, and we are now training her to sleep in a big girls bed (she is 14 months old.) She has fallen out of bed because she crawled out of bed a couple of times but soon learnt not to and we trained her that if she wanted out she had to turn around we had a thick rug under the bed so she didnt hurt herself.

Lise - posted on 12/24/2010

Codie: in regards to your "how are you romantic with your child in your bed?" question, I'll just respond that there are many places to be romantic - not just the bed! ;-)

Tricia - posted on 12/24/2010

The only advice that's not already posted: once baby started crawling, we taught him to slide feet-first off the bed. The master bedroom is baby-proofed and the door stays closed at night, so I can doze for a little longer in the AM while he plays with his toys.
He slept in our bed for naps once he outgrew his bassinet (around 7 or 8 months). Also, the intended "baby's room" is actually a spare bedroom with a nice full sized adult bed for kissy time.

Emily - posted on 12/23/2010

haha our couch has become the romance spot

Codie - posted on 12/23/2010

1- queen bed or bigger is best unless only you and baby are in bed. when daddy is in bed with us too i still put him on either side he's breast feeding on. if ur bottle feeding i'd put baby on outside.
2- as far as blankets i lay on my side and arrange blanket so that it goes around baby at my knees and over only MY shoulder. i swaddle baby so baby isn't cold ( sommer swaddler wrap not blanket).
3- i keep my arm around baby all night so he doesnt roll but he usuall doenst anyway. my baby isn't crawling yet but i'm putting him in his own crib now bc i got tired of not getting a restful nights sleep.
4- i personally sleep without a shirt on. i'm sorta lazy and its much easier than trying to pull up your shirt or finding the breast holes.
5- i personally put baby in his own crib when he started showing signs of attempting to crawl. i would rather do that and get a sound sleep knowing he won't fall out of bed than to go and buy bed rails which baby can still crawl around. also if you're really in tune to baby you should feel every movement and hear every noise. if you do not, its NOT safe to co-sleep.
6- i rarelly put baby in adult bed during naps for fear he would never sleep in his own bed. i wanted to teach him he can sleep by himself and in his own bed. i don't want a 5yo who thinks he still needs to sleep with mommy and daddy. thats adult space and needs to be spared after a while. how are you romantic with your child in your bed?

Lydia - posted on 12/23/2010

we have a crib with one removable side, so we removed it and attached it on my side of the bed. so our daughter sleeps in her crib next to me can cuddle and breastfeed without any big getting up during the night. Important to make sure there is no room between the baby's mattress and your bed. with this no covers over her and she can't crawl out of the bed so easy. she needs to get over me first...

Lise - posted on 12/22/2010

1) Queen. We moved our bed against the wall (which I prefer anyway ;) ) so it's wall, me, and then my husband. My daughter is next to me, of course, but switches sides depending on what side she's nursing on.

2) That's a good question! Someone else can help you with that. My daughter has been kicking the sheets/comforter off of herself since she was 6 weeks old. Can't stand to have anything on her. Last winter I kept her dressed warmly and she was on top of all the blankets.

3) Rolling over made us move our bed next to the wall. As for crawling, that was hard for a while - she'd crawl like a mad woman towards the edge of the bed. Some people I know put their mattresses on the floor, but we have dogs so that's not an option. I just always woke up whenever she moved, and if she wouldn't settle back down we were up for the day.

4) Anything I want, but I'm most comfortable in pj pants/sweats/shorts and a tank top or a low v-neck top that I can nurse in.

5. Enjoy it. :) Ignore the people who make negative comments.

Melanie - posted on 12/22/2010

i have a queen size bed but when we get income tax we're buying a king. the answer to most of your other questions (for me) is to sleep with my arm over the baby. not near the head of course. i keep the blankets at waiste level or below. and when they learn to rollover they can also get their own faces out of bad places for the most part. some of the things you need to know is never to sleep with a baby if you know youre going to sleep super hard. say if youve had a half glass of wine, or have taken maybe a medicine that makes you super tired, or if you just worked really hard that day. if you do at least put the baby a bit away from you. etc.... keep them comfortable. they have recenly linked sids to overheating. and of course if the baby is sick already they are more apt to have troubles breathing. when my baby is sick my husband sleeps on the couch. he puts off a lot of heat and was afraid he might roll over on her. thus my arm is always over her and my legs always curled around her. this all works well for us.

Beverly - posted on 12/22/2010

1) King, we kicked hubby out of bed to the spare room cuz his snorning was keeping us awake! I sleep straight up and Noah moves in every direction through the night.

2) Noah uses his own blanket for this reason, I was finding myself constantly waking up to check on him. Although he doesn't keep it on, he seems to be always hot.

3) We got bed rails, they are great! I was able to sleep better once they went up! But once he was able to slide off the bed I had to get up too. unfortunately, one of the things we lose when we have these precious little things, is sleep! But if I'm really tired, we move to the couch, he watches some Nock Jr and I get a little more shut eye for a half hr or so.

4) Curious on why this question, but regular pajama pants and t-shirt.

5) Keep tissues nearby, and don't keep too many pillows or stuffed animals near them.

Emily - posted on 12/22/2010

I just have to echo what Jodi said.. I agree that baby in the middle is usually not the best plan. Only because daddies usually don't have the "6th sense" that a nursing mommy does at night. We did this with my first, and once or twice I woke up horrified to find my husband's arm laying over my baby's face. I did NOT sleep well in those days. lol

Emily - posted on 12/22/2010

1) We have a queen size. With my first little co-sleeper, he slept between us, though it would have been better to have him sleep on the outside, with a bed rail. When our second child came along, we put her in a co-sleeper attached to the bed, and my son continued to sleep with us for awhile. Now my daughter starts out the night in the co-sleeper, and when she wakes at night to nurse, she climbs up in bed next to me.

2) I never put covers near my babies. I would tuck the cover around me and use a separate blanket for the baby, or a sleep sack. I also always keep my pillow away from the baby.

3) I don't know.. guess my kids have always just stayed in their spot pretty good. I get out of bed when my daughter wakes up, so I can help her off the bed.

4) My clothes. I'm lazy. lol

Sylvia - posted on 12/22/2010

Caveat: My baby is now 8, so my memory may not be 100% accurate!

1) Queen. Baby in the middle, or tummy-down on mom's chest (this was v. popular for about the first 3 months, IIRC). Bed is a futon, only ~12" off the floor.

2) IIRC, mom under covers, baby on top (in warm PJs). DD often slept either on my chest, as noted in (1), or kind of scrunched up with her head in my armpit :P

3) I didn't. She learned how to get out of bed safely (backwards, feet first) pretty early on. See above re: bed very low to the floor.

4) ... I totally don't remember. Probably pyjama pants and a t-shirt?

Jodi - posted on 12/22/2010

I havn't read the other replies, but here's my 2 cents:

1) we have a queen sized bed, to practice safe co-sleeping (meaning, reducing the risk of suffocation for baby) baby always sleeps on the outside and the bed should NOT be pushed up against the wall, baby never sleeps between mom and dad!

2) We turned the heat up and/or dressed warmly and mostly only used a top sheet or very light blanket, we never used comforters or thick/heavy quilts.

3) We used a toddlers bedside rail that slips under your mattress, it's mesh and breathable and keeps baby from falling out, although it won't prevent him from crawling around it. We ended up putting our mattress on teh floor instead of on the stand.

4) pj shrots and tank top if it's warm, long pants and long sleeved shirt if it's cooler.

5) we put our pillows underneath our fitted sheet so that they couldn't slide down over our daughter's face, worked wonders and saved having to wash pillow cases! I also suggest you look up safe co-sleeping practices if you havn't already.

Hailey - posted on 12/22/2010

we have 4 in the bed and the little one said....lol. Me, hubby, 4 year old and a 3 year old, all in a King size bed! lol. They like sleeping with us and have done since birth because i breast fed and tandom fed for a while to, they screamed if i tried the cot. I am due baby number 3 in july so should really get at least one in their own bed for a bit of room.
I came to terms with the fact they are in my bed and use a cot side on it once they crawled (hubby on the other side so they dont fall off) Sleigh bed so it has high ends.
We dont have enough room, legs and arms every where. For me, i get a better nights sleep knowing they are close and can hear them. My little girl has a slide and hide out on her bed and my boy has a car for a bed, so we have tried. Would never force then though, they love snuggles.

Daniela - posted on 12/22/2010

1) We had an ordinary double matrass on the floor at first, and when that got too small we turned it side-ways and added a single matrass where our feet are. Doesn't look that pretty but works. Nina is on the side she is nursing on, which varies throughout the night.
2) Dress warmly and you won't pull the blankets up too high. Cut a tight, long-sleeved shirt open where your breasts are and maybe put a breastfeeding nightgown over it. Also, have the heating on a little.
3) I'm up when my daughter is up, I think that's kind of standard though.
$
4) Long-sleeved shirt under nightgown with pyjama pants. Oh - and a night-time nursing bra. I don't know why - I seem to have it all out for her all night anyway!
5) Can't think of anything now, but might come back to it later.

Catherine - posted on 12/22/2010

1. We have a queen and baby sleeps either in the middle or between me and the bedrail.

2. We dress warmly for bed and keep the heat a little higher so that we don't have to pull the covers up.

3. My son is really good about staying on the bed even when he's awake, but for safety's sake, we got bedrails and we took the bed apart and put just the mattress on the floor.

4. I usually wear pajama pants and a sweatshirt in the winter, or pants and a t-shirt in the summer.

Sarah - posted on 12/21/2010

1. Queen, baby in the middle.
2. Husband and I use separate blankets, and Clara remains uncovered. She runs hot and she'll let me know when she's uncomfortable.
3. You just have to be diligent. Jack will put his body pillow where he usually lies, but once Clara is up, I'm up. Clara has made her way off the bed twice.
4. Pajama pants and night time nursing bra or t-shirt. Which ever is clean.
5. I've thought about getting bed rails.