Keep your baby close with a co-sleeper

When Florence Kabenge conceived her first born, she was very sure that when her child is born, she did not want her to sleep in the same bed with them.
Therefore, when she was shopping for her baby at eight months pregnant, the crib was one of the items she needed.
However, while she was very sure about the need to not have the baby sleep in the same bed with them, she still did not want her (the baby) to be far from her at night.

Kabenge, however, could not find the crib that fit this need. “I decided to check online and that’s how I learnt of the co-sleeper but had never seen one in the furniture shops.”

She asked within her circles about a good carpenter and got one. The mother of one explains that when she explained what she wanted to the carpenter, he told her that he needed to take measurements of her bed so that the baby will be at same level with her parents. “When he came home, he measured the height of my bed and the part of the mattress that was visible from the bed.”

She explains that when Charles Kyalimpa, a carpenter delivered the bed after two weeks, it was exactly what she needed.
According to Kyalimpa, he took the measurements of Kabenge’s bed and mattress so that he could make the baby’s crib be of the same height as her parents’.

He explains: “I had to make this crib open outward and at the level where you start seeing the parents’ mattress.”
He says he advised Kabenge to buy a two-inch baby mattress, “because with those inches, the baby would be at the same level with her parents once the crib door is opened.”

He adds that according to Kabenge’s specifications, she wanted a big co-sleeper which will be moved to the children’s room at some point.
“I therefore made the crib a 2.5 by 5 feet, the baby can sleep in this bed until they are around five years,” Kyalimpa explains.
The carpenter charged Kabenge Shs180,000 to make the crib.

Advantages
Kabenge’s daughter is now five months but has never slept in her parents’ bed and yet Kabenge does not have to get out of bed to feed her at night because while she is out of their marital bed, the baby still sleeps right next to her mother.

The first-time mother explains that the co-sleeper makes it easy for her to monitor her baby without having to get out of bed.
“I believe that with this kind of sleeping arrangement, it will be easy for me to get the baby out of our bedroom.”
According to Lukia Muhaise, a sales person at Woodland Enterprises in Kisaasi, a co-sleeper is a term used to describe a baby crib “The way you use a baby crib is what will determine if it’s a co-sleeper or not. But for a baby crib to fit within the definition of a co-sleeper, it should either be attached to or within the parent’s bed. So any baby crib can be a co-sleeper depending on how you use it.”

Design options
Muhaise explains that a co-sleeper can be in any shape but most of them are either round, curved or in rectangular shape.

Where to get co-sleepers
Since its an ordinary baby crib, it can be bought from any furniture shop or a shop that sells baby items.

When buying a co-sleeper
Kyalimpa says when buying a co-sleeper, you should consider the size of your bedroom, the duration you want the baby to use the co-sleeper and convenience when using it.

Safety
To ensure safety of the baby, Lilliane Namirembe who deals in baby items says that most mothers use cot bumpers to ensure the baby does not bump into the bed.

To keep baby safe when sleeping, make sure:
•They always sleep on their back to keep their airways clear
•They are in their own cot or other baby bed
•They are put back in their own bed after feeding – don’t fall asleep with them (to protect your back, feed your baby in a chair rather than in your bed).
Baby’s bed is safe when:
•It has a firm and flat mattress
•There are no gaps between the bed frame and the mattress
•There is nothing in the bed that might cover your baby’s face, lift their head or choke them.
•Baby’s cot is put together correctly. The cords for blinds and curtains are a danger. Put the cot away from the window so that your baby can’t reach them.
health.govt.nz