Arm's Reach Original Co-Sleeper

Before my son was born, I knew that I wanted to have a family bed. However, I was not sure that all of us would fit in our double bed, so I was shopping for a cradle to go near our bed when I ran across this. This was the best find I could have made!

The co sleeper pushed right up against the bed, and the fabric flap, along with two clipping straps, go between the big bed's mattress and box spring to hold it securely in place, snugly against the bed. This is to keep the baby from falling out and getting wedged between the co sleeper and the bed. The baby's mattress was also slightly lower than ours which kept him from rolling out into the big bed.

I had a cesarean, so having the baby so near was a godsend for me right after delivery. Granted, having the baby in this crib did eventually graduate him into our bed. He just couldn't stand us being that close without being in our arms early on. However, I found nothing wrong with that as my husband was overseas and I enjoyed the company.

Using the co-sleeper to put him down to sleep every night also eased his transition into his own bed. If you'd like to read more about how I transitioned him into his own bed, read my review on "The Family Bed."

Once my son outgrew the Co-Sleeper, I was easily able to transform it into a traditional pack-n-play playpen.

This Co-Sleeper is very durable. My son used it for his entire first year as either a bed or a playpen, and when I lent it to my best friend who is having a son shortly, she said it looked just like new!

The Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper is a MUST HAVE for anyone who wants to attempt the family bed. Even if it is only a part-time family bed (for example, if the child is sick) it is a blessing.