Jun 5 2014

Our Bednest review journey so far…

Posted on June 5, 2014 by admin

You might remember that we’ve been reviewing the Bednest here in the Mill’s house (if you actually did then you can delete the brain training app from your smart phone as it’s no longer needed). I’ve been meaning to post an update on this for weeks but a never-ending cycle of breastfeeding, napping and crying has pretty much consumed my every waking minute since Heidi arrived. Now it’s so long overdue I’ve had to bribe Craigy into having a screaming Heidi on his lap whilst he’s watching the England game - I won’t reveal exactly what I’ve had to do in return…

It’s no secret that I wanted a co-sleeper crib for Heidi - I started researching them as soon as I fell pregnant. Not only do they look amazing (minimalist and modern), they also appeared to resolve a number of sleeping issues we’d experienced with Dexter (my first born). Craig and I have completely different views on co-sleeping. Although I hate the smell of acrid morning nappy, I find it quite reassuring to have my baby beside me as I sleep. Craig, on the other-hand finds it tricky to sleep with the children (I know I’ve copped a few elbows in the face on occasion!).

The Bednest seemed to offer the perfect solution. Heidi would be within arms reach of me, at exactly the same level. I’d be able to gently scoot her onto my breast for nighttime breastfeeds and wouldn’t have to rouse her in order to pop her back into her Moses basket.

But has it worked?

ABSOLUTELY. I’ve now fine-tuned night feeds so it’s a simple case of scooting her across the divide and laying on my side whilst Heidi feeds - a number of times I’ve actually drifted back off to sleep as soon as she’s latched (meaning I’ve only been awake a matter of minutes between 11pm and 8am - I know! Jealous, right?). If I want to pop Heidi back into her Bednest I’ll just gently push her in, otherwise I’ll leave her beside me. Heidi has become the model newborn when it comes to sleeping and I owe this (in part) to the Bednest.

It’s also so lovely to have her face within inches of mine with only a tiny barrier between us. If you’re finding parenting a bit of a struggle (like I am), it’s lovely to gaze at them when they’re silent and sleeping to remind yourself that it’s all worth it.

From an Interiors-Snob’s perspective, it’s also great. If you have a small master bedroom it’s a great way to maximise space as it attaches to your bed and you aren’t wasting any room. It fits in perfectly with our decor and is plenty big enough to house baby up to six months. In fact, whenever I mention I’m reviewing the Bednest, I’m always asked a hundred questions about it… “Has it made a difference?”, “Is it worth the money?”… everyone seems to want one, or are considering making the purchase. Well I can happily answer positively to both.

I still have a Moses basket for Heidi as I wanted it for photo-shoots and found it easier to carry around downstairs post c-section (navigating through door frames etc). As she’s used to it now, and it worked so well for us, I can’t see the point in changing things now. and she’ll continue to sleep in this throughout the day before we pop her in her Bednest at night. This said, the Bednest does serve as a perfectly functional daybed as you can lift it from its base (only the base is attached to the bed) and have it beside you in your lounge / study etc. It has also been hailed as far safer to carry up and down stairs as Moses basket handles are not always approved to carry a baby’s weight. I must admit, I find it too heavy to lift though.

We’ve even taken our Bednest on a recent hotel stay with us. The fact it folds down flat makes it ideal for slinging in the back of the car boot, and it’s also ridiculously easy to put up meaning you’re not faffing around with plastic rods as you would with a traditional travel cot.

The only thing I would say is that I’ve woken up a few times in the night having rolled onto Safebridge when it’s been fully-extended. This is where I’ve taken Heidi out to feed then fallen asleep with her nestled close to me. Because of this, I rarely bother opening up the side now, I leave it at half-mast. This is perfect for me as I still don’t have to get up in the night to move Heidi to and from our bed, but don’t have the Safebridge eating up any valuable mattress space if I should nod off.

My only reservation so far is that the standard mattress doesn’t feel particularly comfortable. Because it is laying on top of a hard surface it could have done with a deeper one (although I must admit Heidi doesn’t seem to mind it). I’d definitely therefore consider investing a little more and getting one with the coconut coir mattress - this seems to come highly recommended on all the parenting forums I’ve consulted.

I’ll be on hand with another Bednest update as Heidi gets a little older. Right now, I’d better take Heidi off her dad’s lap before England score again. If you want to buy one (from £299) or rent one (from £69) for yourself, you can visit the website at www.bednest.com, or find out more on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Coming up… I’ll post a video to show you how the Bednest works. Sit tight!

Fancy 20% off? Here’s a Promotional Code

Given Bednest’s are an investment and will be one of the pricier purchases you’ll make when you have a new baby (to buy they’re £299, but you can also rent them for 6 months at £119 (£99 rental + £20 collection and delivery)) 20% will soften the blow. All you need to do is head over to the website and type MMB20 when you checkout.

Disclaimer: This is part of an extended Bednest review. I have been given the product free of charge for 6 months in exchange for our thoughts.

Mar 4 2014

Co-Sleeping with Your Baby: Pros and Cons

Posted on March 4, 2014 by admin

The practice of co-sleeping, when parents share the bed with their child, has always been a controversial topic. Supporters believe it is better both for the infants and for the parents, as they have complete and immediate control on the baby’s needs during the night, while other studies have shown that co-sleeping could potentially be one of the causes of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

co sleeping baby mom infant sleeping Co Sleeping with Your Baby: Pros and Cons Image by Shutterstock.com

Why do parents choose co-sleeping?

Some of the benefits of co-sleeping might be:

Co-sleeping makes breastfeeding easier. It is already quite difficult for new moms to get a good night sleep during the first months of their children and having to wake up and walk at regular intervals to breastfeed does not help. Co-sleeping allows the mother to breastfeed her baby easier and quicker, directly in bed, simply rolling comfortably on one side.
Co-sleeping helps mother and child to develop the same sleep and awakening patterns, which also help both parents to sleep better. They might wake up more frequently, but there isn’t the stress of getting in and out of bed every time the baby needs them.
Co-sleeping might result in more independent children, although many disagree on that. Most researches show that children who co-slept grow up more self reliant, independent and less fearful.

Is co-sleeping safe?

Are the above benefits worth the potential risks related to co-sleeping? Despite the pros, many parents do not support co-sleeping as they find it to be dangerous for the baby, especially for infants, with the risk of SIDS. Main concern being the chance the parents roll over onto the baby, or the baby got caught in the sheets or pillows during the night.

That said, supporters of this practice said that it is very unlikely to happen as parents are conscious of the baby’s presence even when asleep.

However, if you are either a supporter of co-sleeping or you are thinking to experiment it, there are a couple of tips you might want to consider for the safety of your child.

Choosing the right bed, for example, is important for the baby. At www.bedstar.co.uk you can find different solutions suitable for co-sleeping, various beds and mattresses which might work better for you and your infant.

If you are not a co-sleeping supporter or you think it is time for your child to transitioning out of your bed, you might want to choose a crib to put next to the bed. You can even buy a device which allows attaching the crib to the bed, to simulate co-sleeping while eliminating the potential risk of rolling over your child.

When considering co-sleeping, try and think about the above pros and cons, if it is something that might suit your needs and your baby’s sleeping pattern. Remember it is a very personal choice and it might not work for everyone, it depends on how both parents feel about that and how the baby reacts.

He or she might sleep better when feeling safely hold and cuddled between his parents, others might wake up crying more often. It is a personal decision which you might want to talk to your child’s doctor as well.

Featured Post

Feb 24 2014

The Co-Sleeping Plan for Mini Madam - NCT Bednest Introduction

Posted on February 24, 2014 by admin

A few months ago I was unfortunate enough to see yet another Katie Hopkins VS The World interview on This Morning. This time she was up against Peaches Geldof and raising some quite valid objections to the attachment parenting craze, then losing the point entirely and transgressing into a bile-frothing pantomime baddie in her usual unattractive style.

Image Source: The Daily Mail

I have always stood by the idea that mums and dads should be free to parent their children in whichever style suits them best but I can’t help but agree that some AP principles are a little over the top. Although each of the ideas sound fine in theory, whether it is all 100% achievable at all times without mum and dad burning out is another thing entirely. Take, for example - “A parent’s role in tantrums is to comfort the child, not to get angry or punish her” - and it seems to suggest we should reward bad behaviour with love and affection. This smacks of fire-fighting rather than prevention and doesn’t sit too well with me. I’m also looking forward to getting my body back when Mini Madam vacates it, and I’m unsure whether I could cope with her being strapped to me by swathes of fabric all day as per the whole baby-wearing thing.

That said, I can definitely see the merits of co-sleeping. Although I’m loathe to have Mini Madam physically in bed with Craig and I, the idea of having her close to me is one I can definitely get on-board with.

When Dexter was weeny he slept beside us in a Moses Basket on a stand. When he cried in the night, despite my c-section stitches, I’d jump out of bed and whisk his basket downstairs into the lounge for a nightfeed so as not to disturb Craig (he works from 6am to 6pm as a courier and I don’t want him falling asleep at the wheel). I’d end up popping on the tv at 3am, getting engrossed in a box set of The Wire or The West Wing and not making it back to bed.

This time around, I’m determined not to repeat the same mistakes. I was exhausted from the hours spent in front of the tv and really struggled throughout the day to keep on top of my early parenting responsibilities. On more than a few occasions I’d catch myself popping his bottles in the washing machine or folding dirty babygrows to put into his drawers, and eventually had to concede I wasn’t getting enough sleep.

So here’s my plan of attack with Mini Madam:

Nightfeeds will take place in bed, next to Craig

Strictly no television during the night, I have a Kindle if I’m worried about falling asleep on duty

She’ll be (fingers crossed) exclusively breastfed (not least) to avoid fuzzy-headed formula mixing in the middle of the night

She’ll sleep in an NCT Bednest within arms reach of me as I sleep

Yep, having seen these co-sleepers up close and personal at The Baby Show, I’m ditching the Moses Basket and going for it. I never fully trusted my Moses Basket to hold Dexter’s weight when going up and down the stairs anyway, and given it’s been in the loft for over a year, I’ll leave it for the spiders who have no doubt taken up residence on the folds of plastic that have been protecting it. I’ve heard countless stories from distraught parents who have had their babies take a tumble due to faulty straps, or found their babies face first in mounds of decorative fabric. Like all parents, I just want the safest option for Mini Madam.

The Bednest is a little bit genius. Fully height adjustable, it’ll sit right next to me as I lie in bed, in line with our own mattress (this affixes to your bed to ensure no gaps). The advantages are obvious. As she drifts off to sleep, the Bednest allows her space of her own to sleep in - without risk of me rolling over and squashing her. When she needs reassurance or feeding, the side panel can be dropped down to form a bridge between her mattress and my own. This flat surface means I can slide her towards me and onto my chest for a feed or cuddle in one continuous movement.

One thing I hadn’t realised until yesterday’s demo, is that there’s also the option of slanting the Bednest’s stand so baby can sleep with her head raised. This is a perfectly safe way of helping a baby deal with reflux, colic and head colds that may be causing them discomfort throughout the night. When Dexter was suffering, we’d pop a few books under his mattress to achieve the same thing, but I often used to think how uncomfortable this must have been given how thin baby mattresses are. This is a massive bonus for me as I’m sure we’re bound to have a few hiccups on our breastfeeding journey.

They’re £299 to own, but also available to rent (£99 for 6 month’s rental). Given co-sleepers are notoriously expensive (trust me, I’ve looked around!) this is the most cost-effective way of achieving safe co-sleeping I’ve found.

This is my NCT Bednest Introduction. I’m going to be blogging all about Bednest in a series of posts about safe co-sleeping as part of an extended review with the brand. There’ll be videos, pictures, and reports about how it has (hopefully) been the ideal solution for our family. So get ready for lots of seriously cute ‘sleeping baby’ pics.