If I was ever asked 10 months ago what I thought about co-sleeping with my baby?

I would have looked surprised and my initial response would have been this – what is co-sleeping?  “Isn’t the baby going to sleep in the nursery”  Co-wh…??

I had spent months shopping, preparing and setting up the nursery from selecting colour, nursery furniture, decor and so on. It just needed a baby to go in (Please don’t get me started on the cot vs cotbed rant).

I was aware of the concept of co-sleeping. I am sure my mum did similar as I recall my younger sister at 4yrs kept sneaking into my parents bed every morning to nap. However it wasn’t something I had come across for years and none of my friends talked about it.

I decided from the onset that I didn’t want a moses basket. For the obvious reason many babies don’t like it and some outgrow it after a few weeks. I couldn’t work out where to store the moses basket after use. My list of cons could go on and on

 During my search for an alternative I came across the “SnuzPod” and “Chicco Next to Me“. I couldn’t find a lot of comparisons at the time between these two but found a youtube video review which recommended  Chicco Next to Me. Based on her review baby did not like the SnuzPod.

I read reviews on the snuzpod was fortunate to see chicco next to me displayed in a local mama and papas store. It just reminded me of a baby travel cot (this would have been handy for our city breaks with Baby T). I wanted something different.

I fell in love with the snuzpod design despite only having viewed it online. The snuzpod also had different colour options to match different bedroom furniture or decors which in my opinion was fab.

What do I like about the snuzpod   –  6 months review

1.  Standalone bedside crib or Co-sleeping bed attachment: I could either have it set up as a standalone crib which I did for the first 2-3 weeks.

We got very little sleep, baby T spent the first week in either my mum’s arms or mine. We would often lay him down during the day in the carrycot and at night in the snuzpod. We observed that Baby T slept better in the snuzpod compared to his carrycot. It became more apparent that Baby T liked having more room so when I attached the snuzpod to my side of the bed, his sleep improved.

I wasn’t familiar with the prospect breastfeeding baby while lying down for nigh time feeding and had discouraged from onset that this wasn’t a safe option due to risk in some babies of having ear infections. So, I breastfeed on my nursing chair at night, which meant I got up for all night time feeds. (This was during a growth spurt, I was struggling to function with very little sleep and not coping with marathon feeding….)   Then, I did some reading and reviewed studies looking at breastfeeding and ear infections and found supporting evidence to suggest that breastfeeding was actually a protective factor. The risk was more for bottle fed babies

The snuzpod has helped with providing the most needed space for placing baby after feeds at night and it so easy to pick him up to breastfeed. Even when I fall asleep while feeding there is ample space for baby T. He sometimes rolls back into his spot ( I sometimes wake up to find him there so that seemed like the most logical explanation)

A friend of mine also recommended feeding with baby lying in the bedside crib without moving the baby, another way the snuzpod can be used for night time feeding

I also love the proximity to my bed as can easily just look to check on baby and ensure he is adequately dressed and covered based on the weather and room temperature.

2. Portable bassinet: This was one of the selling points for me as I didn’t have a moses basket and was handy because he didn’t like the snug fit of his carrycot

Worth mentioning was heavy for me to take up and down the stairs but my husband was able to manage.  Due to the weight I resorted to other sleeping options i.e swing etc while downstairs until we got into a routine of napping in either his cot bed or the snuzpod (he seems to prefer the snuzpod at the moment)

3.    Rocking feature: I felt this was a fab addition to the snuzpod features as being able to rock a baby back to sleep while they were lying down isn’t a bad idea.

I tried to rock Baby T in the early weeks but I found that it didn’t rock as well on our carpet except you were a bit forceful with the motions. I  have since learnt that it works better without carpets.

4.  Space saving: This was for me one of the factors that supported my decision to go for the snuzpod. The Chicco Next to me and Snuzpod had comparable length but the Snuzpod was narrower. We didn’t have a lot of room in our bedroom for his cot bed and we also didn’t want a bedside crib that would make navigating through the room difficult or uncomfortable. The snuzpod dimension was ideal for our needs.

I got worried about the snuzpod narrow width because Baby T didn’t like sleeping in small enclosed spaces and he wasn’t a small baby either. As he got older, I thought he would outgrow the snuzpod before he was 6 months and will need another interim sleeping arrangement before we were ready to transfer him to his cot bed in his nursery. This is my 6 month review.

5. Storage: The extra shelf underneath has been handy for nappies, wipes etc. It has become increasing more helpful since I discovered baby T wakes up early due to wet nappy and won’t go back to sleep or sleep for long if his nappies are wet. (This is despite using 12hrs dry nappy and I often use the next size up).

He also had bowel motions in the mornings and a clean nappy was the difference between waking up at 4/5am or 6/7am.

6. Longevity: You can use until baby is 6 months or once baby can sit up. We have now reached the 6 months mark and I am not ready for the transition to his nursery so will get a few more weeks before I find an alternative arrangement.

(Baby T can sit up but not unless he is placed in this position. I have seen him try to pull himself up.-will keep watching this space)

However, it last longer than a moses basket and has given me so much value for money will be sad to part with when the time comes.

What I dislike about the snuzpod

1.  Cleaning: It would have been handy if the fabric part of the snuzpod could be easily detached to wash. Once setup you can only wipe clean.  I found it tricky to thoroughly clean and remove all dust and stain around the rim.

2. Cost: I spent a considerable amount of time looking for online deals on the snuzpod. It cost £169 for the crib only and £199.95 with mattress. There are extras like the storage pockets ( i don’t have this), snuzpod fitted sheets, mattress protector (very useful as mattress is breathable helps keep warm in cooler climates).

There were other sheets that can be used with the snuzpod which I bought initially to save cost and used at the early stages but  because I had a tummy sleeper, the sheets that didn’t fit properly (snugfit) were more of a hazard as they came off blocking nose and so I ended up buying a pair of snuzpod fitted sheets which was a lot safer.

Despite the cost, I found it has value for money. Last longer than moses basket and you can have baby with you for either the recommended 6 months in your bedroom and in some cases much longer than this.

I got a deal on my snuzpod using Flubit.

3. Recline mode: Unlike the Chicco Next to Me, the snuzpod has no recline or tilt mode. A feature I didn’t even think will be useful at the time. Baby T had reflux and it would have been handy to have to minimize sleep disruptions and choking episodes. We used this pram wedge but I not so long again learnt about the wedgehog (not yet tried this)

Finally…

The snuzpod was so easy to set up and definitely value for money, if within your budget just skip getting a moses basket and get this instead. Despite having a narrower width when compared to Chicco Next to Me, my 9 plus kg baby is still in it. I wish we could use for longer. The benefits to co-sleeping is truly worth it but best to do this safely. Here is a new study to support co-sleeping for longer if it suits your family go for it.

I am still on the lookout for a crib or space saving cot to use once we have finally outgrown the snuzpod and it’s no longer ideal to use. I am open to your suggestions on what to use then until we are ready to transition to cotbed in his own room.

Related articles across the web

• Babies should sleep in parents’ room to for a year to reduce SIDS risk
• Meet the mother who co-sleeps with her two children and her husband
• Room Sharing Could Cut Infants’ Risk Of SIDS In Half