Our co-sleeping journey shared with you

After the arrival of your baby, having them any more than a meter away from you might feel too far. Especially those first weeks when they’re so tiny and totally dependent on you, you will likely want and need them as near as possible. 

Are you curious if co-sleeping is something for you? A quick look online will show you all the studies and blogs and opinion pieces on co-sleeping. The psychological and developmental benefits are many but can sometimes be a little overwhelming. 

As mothers ourselves, all with our own co-sleeping experiences and journeys we’d love to share with you how it went for us and what we tell all our friends. Warts and all. 

Olivia - Founder of Hola BB

When I was pregnant with Bo, co-sleeping wasn’t really talked about in NL, the choice of co-sleepers was minimal and the general opinion of my colleagues was that babies would sleep best in their own room so move them there as soon as possible. 

I have to admit I didn’t do a lot of research or even thought too much about it. I initially bought a moses basket for next to the bed and a cot for Bo’s room for him to go in after a few months. When Bo arrived though everything was different. 

A pelvis injury meant I couldn’t get out of bed much plus the fact Bo pretty much hated his basket from the first try meant we had to look for alternatives and fast. The first night of co-sleeping is one of my favorite early memories of Bo. He gently fell asleep whilst I sang him She & Him Christmas songs, stroking his head I laid staring at him for maybe hours. We ordered pizza and ate in bed alongside our snuffling newborn baby. 

From that moment the newborn nights became so much easier. Bo was so happy and content to be with us, to instantly see us if he woke or for me to rub his belly back to sleep. My friends all had crazy stories of those newborn weeks and no sleep but for us they were some of the most peaceful and cozy nights we’ve had with Bo… Luckily this isn’t a post about the 4 month sleep regression :)

So when I set up Hola BB I knew one of the first items I had to add was the SnuzPod co-sleeper. One thing I’ve learnt during this journey into parenthood is that 1) you never really know what type of parent you are going to be and 2) you don’t know what type of child you will have. For me flexibility is key, listen to yourself and your baby and adapt to what suits you. That’s why I chose the SnuzPod, not only for it’s safe sleeping and design awards but because it allows you to adapt, to co-sleep or change to a regular crib, to rock or not. 

Most parents will tell you the key to happy babies is repetition and a slow transition when you want to move them to a new routine. One of my favourite things about the SnuzPod is how you can remove the basket and move around the house meaning when you want to transition your baby from their co-sleeper/crib you can put the basket in their cot for day naps, slowly getting them used to their new sleeping environment. It’s such a simple trick that works brilliantly! Getting you used to the new sleeping arrangement might be a different matter but after a few sleepless nights of baby monitor watching you’ll have it down. 

Aricia - Community Manager

How co-sleeping came to mind when I was pregnant I don’t really know anymore. I do know that for us it wasn’t a question whether or not to cosleep. It felt good to have our little baby as close as possible. Since after 9 months of being with me every second, sleeping so close felt as the right compromise for both the baby and me. 

Once our little man was born, my ‘mother-self’ was so happy that my ‘pregnant-self’ had guessed so well that a co-sleeper would suit us so perfectly. I remember me and my boyfriend spending minutes in bed just gazing at our newly born son trying to realize this was ‘our’ baby. The one we had been fantasizing about over the past 9 months and even since the day we have met. Even my mom and mother in law looked in awe at our co-sleeper, bummed that these bedside cribs didn't exist back in their days. 

Those first nights were magic. Similar to Olivia’s Pizza party, the night Thorgal was born we held a Sushi party in our bed. My mum, dad and sis were also present. We could not believe we now finally had met the new addition to our family. And this teeny tiny creature was lying there with us, just an arm length away from me. Resting from his bizarre journey from my safe womb out in this big wide world. Because of the cosleeper close enough to still hear, smell, see and now even feel us in his presence.  

While having Thorgal in his cosleeper did not only feel safe and cosy for both Thorgal and us. It also saved me like a 1000 times of getting up in the middle of the night standing and lifting my baby to breastfeed him, since we had everything we needed all in one bed. And also instead of walking multiple times a night to his bed to investigate if he was still breathing, I could now just check by rolling over to him, stretching out my arm to feel him or even by just listening to his breathing since he was lying next to me. Also, the reflux incline option was a lifesaver for our little puking baby. And is a relief for snuffly noses. 

My recommendations to my friends (and you), go get that co sleeper. You can’t be too close to your baby. And you will never get those first months back. With a co-sleeper you have the opportunity to be all in the moment and bond together, even when you are all asleep. 

Lauranza - Customer

Throughout pregnancy there was no question about co-sleeping, I was certain our baby would be by our sides for at least the first 6 months. I did so much research on the different co-sleepers available and decided on the SnuzPod both for it’s functionality but also the way it looked. For something to be in our bedroom for at least 6 months I really wanted to be happy seeing it. 

Eve was a summer baby and a pretty typical newborn so having her by my side for all the night feeds made sleep so much easier. Unfortunately when winter hit along with daily snowstorms and minus temperatures the huge windows in our Amsterdam apartment made our bedroom far too cold for Eve to sleep in. So we zipped up the side and moved her out into the hallway just outside our room. The first night she slept longer than she ever had and woke up for less night feeds. I was a little sad as I wanted to keep her close but it soon became clear she was ready to sleep on her own (and without my boyfriend waking her through the night). 

We decided to keep the SnuzPod as a crib and move her into her own room, where she stayed very happily until she was 9 months old! Although we only expected her to fit for 6 months as she wasn’t rolling and still had lots of room there didn’t seem the need to move her sooner. 

Just before she moved into a cot we even took the SnuzPod with us on our camping trip. We took off the top bassinet and made her a little bed across the front seats of our VW camper. Although we were in a van in the wild she still had her bed and we all slept great.

Eve is now such a good sleeper, content to be in her own room and confident with it. I believe keeping her super close but having the option to move her when the time was right helped with making her the happy sleeper she is today.

If you made it all the way through this article, you now know we are big fans of cosleeping. Especially with a co sleeper, which provides safe, easy and flexible (co-)sleeping with a newborn. 

Can't wait to start your own cosleeping adventure? Here you will find more information about our favorite crib and co-sleeper in one: the SnuzPod4.

Benefits:

• Fits almost all beds including boxsprings
• Safety tested to new Bedside Crib Standard
• Increased air-flow to help regulate temperature
• Gentle Reflux incline option
• Lift off bassinet to use around the home