A better idea than I thought at the time.

Hi everyone

This is really for those new mums who are setting up nurseries and wondering what is worthwhile putting in there.

I had an idea to put a single bed in Daniel's room, mostly because I had one and had no where else to put it. The best idea I ever had. Was lying on it again today - holding Daniels hand while he went to sleep - thinking I really should post about it here.

There is nothing better than if Daniel is not sleeping well than me pushing the bed up against the cot so I can hold his hand. I can lie in the made up bed and doze while he holds my hand. I'm not sitting up and feeling restless, just relaxing and still making Daniel feel comforted. I usually wake up a couple of hours later and he's still sleeping. I have no idea when he fell back to sleep, but I know I did and he wasn't crying because he had contact with me.

It was also great some nights when he just wanted me in the room, where DH or I could sleep and if he woke, we could say "It's OK Daniel", and he'd feel better knowing we were in the room. He'd then roll over and go back to sleep.

We very rarely use it all night, but if he is having a rough night we can effectively lie next to him while he is still in his "proper" bed.

I would really recommend having a single bed in the baby's room. I wish I'd meant to do it, but it's quite possibly the best thing I ever did.

Is there anything - for those up and coming mothers - that anyone else did in their nursery that was REALLY helpful and you're glad that you did?

Thats a great gentle parenting tip, I think you can take some credit because lots of people have spare beds in the nursery but how many would think to push them next to the cot to give their bub some comfort. Well done:)

nothing really helped my bub in the first few months to sleep, except me holding her, so we barely used the nursery and it was just in mums arms on the couch a lot of the times...
however...
this is not quite the exact question u asked, but the one thing i could not live without was my fisher price cradle swing.... sometimes when nothing else would work i would pop her in there and she would doze, and i could get a break. the one thing i would not attempt motherhood without, especially if you have a colicy, refluxy bub, or a terrible terrible sleeper...

That's a great idea - pity we don't have the room but I have been using the spare room lately if DD is har dto settle. Lying there together means we can be close but I can doze and she can play happily or she might even fall asleep! We've only done it 3 or 4 times but it works when you're VERY tired!

Things I couldn't live without?? Um - well I LOVE my changetable because it has room for so much. It's a chest of drawers with table on top so very handy and looks good too. Bouncer is def worth it cause it frees your hands for awhile.

Wish I'd bought a snuggle bed for when she was really small because I feel that would be easier to use than porta cot when visitng. Porta cots are great for long stays but just visiting friends during day or night, a bit of a pain really!

I did that too Lestypuss! So helpful, especially in those early days (and since I had a c section).