Couple + newborn in a small apartment/co-sleeping?

[Keira]

Hi,

First of all, sorry if this is in the wrong area, or if it's been discussed before, but...

My DP and I have just been thrown into a situation where we need to find somewhere to live ASAP and at the moment we can really only afford a one bedroom apartment (for the area we want to live in)...

So my question is has anyone else lived in a one bedroom/studio apartment with a newborn/baby and survived ok??? Or does anyone have any tips on sleeping with bubs in the same room (i'm not sure if bubs will sleep in our bed yet) - actually i'm not sure how the whole co-sleeping thing works if anyone can fill me in!

I'm still learning... thank goodness i have a few more months to get prepared!

Thanks so much everyone

[Lilly-Pilly]

We lived in a one bedroom appartment til DD was 9 months old. We had no problems with it at all!!!!
Will write more later when i have more time

[Keira]

Ok thanks Dee

[Astrid]

Our house is effectively a one bedroom whilst the reno is going on. The main issue I find is where to put Maggie's stuff and where to change her nappies. DH was on night shift for awhile, so I could not use the bedroom for nappy changes etc. Basically I have ended up with a Maggie corner (nappies, pj's etc) in the living room, works well most of the time, but is a bit messy when guests come around. Depending on who is visiting I will have to grab all the nappy change stuff and move to the bedroom.

It is still working for us, we did not start off co-sleeping, but turned to it after a couple of months. You probably wont know till you have your bubs whether you can sleep in the same room as them. I really liked it, I felt more comfortable knowing she was in the room and I could hear how she was going.

[Snacks]

Hi Keira, I agree with Astrid - its really hard to decide on sleeping arrangements until bub is here... I always thought we'd have Natalie in our room, but after two nights of zero sleep while I heard every little noise she made, we moved her. We have shared a room on holiday too and I just find it so hard to sleep while she's there!
It wouldn't be the end of the world if you found you felt a similar way in a one bedroom place - My mum and dad lived in a one-bedda when they had my brother. They would put him in a 'car basket' (you could use a cocoon or port-a-cot or whatever) in the bedroom at the start of the night, then when they went to bed they'd move him into the living room without waking him.
Of course, here's hoping you like sleeping with your baby, that'd be the easiest option! And totally doable, I reckon.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

We have a 2-bed place, but DH and all his junk is in the 2nd bedroom so it is like a 1 bed in a way. Co-sleeping is great so long as you know that noises in sleep are normal, don't "rescue" until the baby wants to be rescued (ie crying/about to cry). If you dislike co-sleeping, when you go to bed move the crib into the sitting room and hide it away again in the morning; you will need to get something like a moses basket for this though.

The sitting room has all DS's stuff in - we have a corner with a nappy box in and the nappies going there, the clothes in a box next to it. TBH, the clothes are usually in the washbin or in the airer so that solves that problem! Outgrown stuff is washed and folded then put in a zip bag at the bottom of the wardrobe, oversize stuff washed and folded away ready for use.

[Annikas_Mamma]

Congrats on the pregnancy!

We have a 3bd place, but Annika slept in our room for the first 5 months. She has mostly been a good sleeper (minus when she was around 4 months), and once she was asleep, she was out to it. She never really stirred even when DH's alarm clock went off. I believe wrapping her made all the difference, it kept her from swatting at herself with her arms. SIDS guidelines actually say that bubs should sleep in the parents room for the first 12 months.

I never co slept with Annika for the whole night Iwas just too scared of rolling on her or suffocating her or something. I have had her in bed with me in the mornings some times just when I was dozing, and I often found that neither or us felt as rested when we finally got out of bed. Might be different for you and your bubs though.

[mrsmac]

All 3 of mine have slept in our room until they were at least 6 months and it worked out fine. Riley co slept a bit (out of sheer desperation cause he was a bad sleeper) I couldn't imagine not having my bub in our room for the first few months but every baby is different as is every parent.

[Snacks]

SIDS guidelines actually say that bubs should sleep in the parents room for the first 12 months.

Where does it say that? I couldn't see it in the safe sleeping broshure or in their frequently asked questions sheet.

[Lilly-Pilly]

Back again
We moved into a one bedroom unit because we had no other choice. (EX) Partner was working as a pastry chef and was in his last year of his apprentiship so money was a big issue. All we could afford was a small 1 bedroom unit.
The bedroom was big enough for our queen bed and baby's cot, plus a tall boy for all her clothes and wardrobes for our clothes.
As it was once i had DD i couldn't stand her to be in a different room from me so even if we had a room for her she wouldn't have used it.
A few times I remember moving her cot out to the lounge (just outside the bedroom door) when I went to bed, but all in all she was a pretty quiet sleeper. (My nephew on the other hand made so many noises in his sleep it was crazy)
We were there a few months before I had her so the lease was up when she was 9 months old. I reasoned that she'd just be crawling when it was time to move, except she was army crawling at 5 months, crawling at 6 and walking around furniture at 7, so by then the small little unit was getting too small very quickly, but still was never a major problem.
We moved into a 3 bedroom house when she was about 9 months and that was pretty good timing for us.

I don't think it will be a problem, you find you adapt to whatever your circumstances. If you need to be in a one bedroom then it will work for you.

The other suggestion is to try a baby hammock for the first few months that you can easily move around. If there are any problems with bubs sleeping in your room you can move them out to the lounge room if needed, but you'll probably find it will work well. Its usually the males that can't sleep well with all the baby noises!!

The other thing is that my (ex) partner worked night shifts so i was home alone most nights with her and found great comfort in having her in my bed or right next to me. When he was home he was so tired he slept through everything anyway.

[Taia's Mum]

Hi! My little bubs sleeps in her basinett next to my bed in our room. And when she is really unsettled I pop her into bed with me. I find no problems with her sleeping in our room!

xoxo

[Snacks]

Ah, thanks Caro. I looked again and found it.
I know I'm hijacking a little bit here, but I was a bit surprised at reading that SIDS guidelines included baby sleeping in your room when I'd never been told anything of the sort by any of my health professionals. I'm not convinced that room-sharing is a part of SIDS guidelines which are quite simply, 1. place baby on back to sleep 2. Make sure baby's sleep environment is safe, ie firm, well-fitting matress; nothing to obstruct breathing 3. Don't smoke around your baby.
According to the SIDS and kids website, and obviously if you use your common sense, sleeping in the same room as your baby is best if you can do it - it is so much more convenient and you can check on your baby just by looking or reaching over or whatever. However, in defence of those who cannot sleep in the same room as their baby because, well, they can't sleep you have to look after yourself as well.
One of the resources that say, 'roomsharing decreases the risk of SIDS' is the same one that says, 'bedsharing increases the risk of SIDS', and I'm sure many on this forum alone would testify that bedsharing has been the best way for them and their baby to get good rest. It is safe as long as one uses their common sense and takes precautions to protect their baby, and the benefit far outweighs the risk.
Thanks for letting me have my say here - I felt a twang of guilt that my baby sleeps in her own room, however I'm now convinced there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, just as there is nothing wrong with bedsharing when both are done in a safe and loving environment.
Don't feel trapped, or feel bad about whatever decision you make.