A novel, awesome invention!

Peruse any parenting magazine, website, reference book these days and you'll find the question:

Where should my baby sleep?

In the parenting world, the debate over where the best place for an infant to call his bed rages on. On one side, you've got Dr. Sears and his gang saying babies are safest and happiest sleeping beside Mom all night long. On the other, you've got the American Pediatrics Association as well as the CPSC saying NO NO NO, co-sleeping is not safe. Both have recent research to back up their opinions. The co-sleeping crowd says that sharing sleep lowers the risk of SIDS because Mom and Baby share sleep cycles, babies sleep lighter (thus safer) and both parents are in close proximity if baby does have a problem. The APA and CPSC note research that babies have been smothered by overlaying of a parent, heavy covers, etc., and that adult beds are not meant for babies. The La Leche League has gotten involved, saying the co-sleeping encourages more frequent breastfeeding and for longer duration. Even my pharmacy enclosed a pamphlet in my daughter's last prescription touting the dangers of sharing sleep. It seems everyone involved in the upbringing of children is involved and there is no easy answer.

If you are reading this review, you must be considering co-sleeping. Perhaps you have a small bed, a large husband, or are a deep sleeper and the thought of a 7 pound newborn laying next to you makes you a wee bit nervous. You are who this product was made for. The Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper was created for families who want baby within "arm's reach", but not on their adult mattress with them.

Basically, the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper is your typical pack 'n play (playyard). What is different about it is that one side drops down. The mattress of the pack 'n play is removable, and using a novel system of metal hangers and a net like overlay, it can be raised to bed level. (Though this sounds complicated and maybe slightly dangerous, it in reality is very easy to put together and very sturdy and safe. It's just hard to describe!) So you have a pack 'n play with a mattress at eye level (when laying in bed), and with one side lowered. When you are laying in bed, and your baby is in the co-sleeper, it's almost like having a REALLY wide bed! She will be safely tucked in and contained in the co-sleeper while you can happily toss and turn all night with no worries. Yet if she snorts, you can quickly reach out a hand to make sure she is ok. (Which anyone who is a first time mom knows, you will do 100 times a night those first few weeks.)

The whole unit secures to your bed with a tension strap that connects to buckles on either side of the co-sleeper. The strap goes under your mattress and a plate on the other side of your mattress holds it in place. Your job is to make sure this strap stays snug by yanking on side straps nightly to make sure the co-sleeper is securely snugged up against your mattress. We don't want any gaps in between!

When you are finished using it as a co-sleeper, you simply remove the parts that made it a co-sleeper and it returns to what it once was, your run of the mill pack 'n play.

Some added details:

The fabric cover that serves as the co-sleeper conversion kit is washable and comes in different colors/patterns. The mattress takes a standard pack 'n play sheet. There are pockets on three sides (only two of which you can really reach from bed) that were handy for storing diapers and wipes. Leg extensions are available for tall beds. The unit will attach to any size bed up to a California Kings.

Because it is a pack 'n play, the mattress is not as comfortable as a crib mattress. My daughter didn't seem bothered by this. It's also a big space for a small baby, (though a crib would be even bigger) so you may want to investigate ways for baby to feel more secure.

So, since I'm telling you all of this, you must have surmised we chose to co-sleep with our daughter. This is not an endorsement of co-sleeping, again, choose what is right for your family. (That's my last disclaimer, I promise.)

My Opinion:

The Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper has been hooked up to our bed for 4 and 1/2 months now. In my opinion, if you choose to co-sleep, THIS IS AN AWESOME INVENTION. It was wonderful to have my daughter so close, and it did make all of those late night feedings a breeze. My daughter and I would barely wake up, I would have her fed and we'd both be back to sleep before we knew it. (Though when I first looked at this product, I had visions of just "sliding" her over to me, not even having to raise my tired self off my pillow. Not so, for safety reasons, there is a 4 inch "lip" between the side of the co-sleeper and the mattress, so lazy mom's, you'll still have to sit up and pick baby up.) I was a slightly paranoid new mom, and having her right there where I could see her was so reassuring. Some nights I even slept with my hand on her belly for a while. All of this happened with out fear of rolling on her. She also slept like a champ those first 8 weeks. She slept her first 6 hour night when she was 5-6 weeks old. But, on the flip side, when she was 11-12 weeks old she started to be woken up by our noise (rolling over, my husband coming to bed late, the dog sneaking herself up on to the bed), and stopped sleeping through the night.

That said, I'll tell you the Arm's Reach has not been used in about 2 and 1/2 months. It makes a convenient place to set the TV remote, my book, and one of our cats likes to sleep in it. At about 8 weeks, my daughter figured out that sleeping next to nice warm Mommy was much nicer than sleeping in cold, flat co-sleeper. The minute I would lay her (in a deep sleep) back in it, she would start to squirm. Being a tired, sleep deprived Mommy, I didn't argue and soon we were co-sleeping without the help of the co-sleeper.

I still would recommend the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper again and again. The combination of my daughter's tempermant and my lack of spine made this product ineffective for us, but if you have a less spirited baby and a stronger will, I'm guessing you could use it successfully for quite some time. Besides, for only about 20 more than your typical pack 'n play, I used it for 8 weeks, and I still have a beautiful playyard. Also, Dr. Sear's and La Leche League alone have not convinced me that having an infant in your adult bed is the safest scenario.

Are there any complaints? If I must have one, it's that it makes it hard to get out of bed. So all of you pregnant women who are looking forward to climbing out of bed with ease, think again if you are going to use this product!

I will tell you that at about 4 months, my daughter began to tell us in her own subtle (and not so subtle) ways that she was ready for a quieter, roomier sleeping environment and she is now sleeping soundly in her crib for most of the night. What a great bedtime story. :)