What is a Co-Sleeper?

Several people have asked me for further information when I told them that (before Ryan's birth) I purchased a co-sleeper for him to sleep in as a newborn. The main reason that I bought one is because we didn't have something like this for Ethan when we brought him home from the hospital and wish that we had. After having stopped breathing in the newborn nursery and all of the other medical issues that Ethan had in the NICU, when we were finally discharged from the hospital I initially did not sleep at all or was constantly waking at night and going to check on him in his crib (to ensure he was breathing and all was well). Even though we didn't anticipate any health issues with Ryan, I wanted to be able to see him easily during the night to assure me that he was fine. I saw an ad on Craigslist for an Arm's Reach co-sleeper that provides a newborn with his own, safe sleeping area viewable from our bed. It gave me peace of mind to know that when I woke up, I would be able to just glance over at him, be reassured that he was fine, and easily return to sleep. Little did I know that Ryan would also experience a NICU stay. So, this proved to be all the more valuable to me upon his discharge from the hospital. The co-sleeper is very similar to a pack and play, except there is a nylon strap that runs from the co-sleeper under your mattress to a metal plate on the other side to keep the co-sleeper firmly pushed against the mattress (this is important for safety because the side of the co-sleeper that is toward the bed is lower than the other 3 sides, about equal to the height of the mattress). The "bassinette" part of the co-sleeper is pretty firm, so it provides a safe sleeping environment. It was nice that, not only could we keep tabs on him easily without leaving our bed, he was within arm's reach when it was time to nurse him. Once the co-sleeper function is no longer needed (now Ryan is sleeping in his own crib), it converts to a pack and play that I'll keep upstairs as a place for Ryan to play in the morning while I shower. I am really glad that we bought this for Ryan; It was well worth the cost for the peace of mind and ease of nursing. The full-sized ones (like our's) retail for $250, and I paid $50. Yay for Craigslist!

The co-sleeper set up next to our bed

A closer-up view of the bassinette (we're using a sleep positioner that elevates Ryan's head to help with reflux)