Safe Co-Sleeping and Transitioning to a Cot or Bed

You may have sworn never to bring your child into bed with you while pregnant, but after enough sleepless nights spent in the rocking chair or continually back and forth between baby and your bed, chances are you've been tempted to bring him into bed - or maybe you've just given up and done it.

Although some medical professionals do recommend it, as studies show it helps baby maintain correct breathing patterns when near the mother and can also have other benefits too, co-sleeping is accompanied by many risks, including that of suffocation or a parent accidentally rolling onto the child.

Although more experienced parents may tell horror stories of how difficult it is to get a child out of the parent's bed, it can be done fairly easily if approached the right way.

• Whenever possible, let baby sleep in their cot so that they are comfortable with it. This may mean simply putting them down it for daytimes nap when you can check on them, or putting them down in their cot for the first sleep before bringing them into bed with you when they wake for their first feed.
• The baby nest shown above is a great option to help transition into a cot. The nest is easily moveable, so you can lay it beside you in bed or simply place it in baby's cot. As they'll already be familiar with it, the transition is easier than being moved to a completely new environment. As they get older, you can slowly transition them to sleeping without the nest.