Infant in a Maggiolina

[R_Lefebvre]

Next summer I'm going to have to figure out some kind of sleeping arrangement with my wife and I in our large Maggiolina with our baby girl. She'll be around 6 months at the time. I had seen these things and liked the idea of setting this up at the foot of the bed, but I didn't realize how big they were. I thought it was more like a little "bivy sack" for a baby, but it's much bigger and just won't work.

http://www.kidco.com/main.taf?p=4,5

I guess I'll be left trying to fashion some kind of small bassinet that can sit on the bed at my wife's feet (she's shorter). I was also thinking that some sort of hammock or hanging bassinet arrangement would work and leave more space on the mattress. But I would be a bit nervous hanging a bed like that. What if it fell, or she climbed out, etc.

Anybody else worked out any good setups?

Probably the simplest solution will be a tiny bassinet made of plywood and upholstered that will just sit on the bed. Just to keep her slightly segregated from us so we don't smother her

 

[articulate]

Roger Moody is probably a good candidate to ask advice in this department. How big is the Magg?

Similarly, my wife and I have a small Eezi-Awn, the 1200 that measures 4'x8' inside. We sleep head to toe when we're camped with our daughter because that gives enough space for everybody that way.

I wouldn't hang a hammock. Find a way for everybody to fit on the mattress, or get a larger tent (I'm not suggesting this last one is practical . . .). A bassinet will take up more space than you want, then nobody's happy. *Edit* We did pretty good when our daughter was a newborn and infant by setting up a little "pad" thing using 2 blankets coiled up to contain her in an area about the size of a bassinet. Give that a shot.

Also, open the tent in your driveway one weekend and get everybody up there to test out the space.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

We took my son out at 8 months and just slept with him between us under the blankets (queen size bed). It went down to the mid 20's at night, so we had to keep him close. We just used a couple of rolled up clean rags and placed them on either side of his "area" so that we wouldn't roll over, and he wouldn't roll out. We're both pretty light sleepers, especially with the cold, so we didn't have to worry about rolling over on him. He loved the whole thing and had a great time.

Don

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[Hltoppr]

Maybe McVick will chime in here. He and his wife, young son and daughter have all been using a Mag. for some time...and it's not even the "large" model!

I would likely have the kiddo at my head, or between adults.

Of course, my final decision when faced with the same issue was to get a nice OzTent for family camping, and keep the Mag. for solo/two person use.

-H-

 

[DaveM]

There are these crib insterts you can find that have a soft pad over a stiff board with thick padded sides and top (imagine an upsidedown padded U, the baby sleep between the uprights). The baby sleeps in this and it keep him from rolling around or you from rolling on him. They are pretty small and would be easy to set between mom and dad in a queen size sleeping area. I'll ask my wife if she remembers the brand.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

The bed is a queen size, basically, 60x80. So technically there's plenty of room, and I know bed sharing is common in lots of cultures. But, it's not something we've ever done. I'm terrified of SIDS as it is right now, and even more afraid of smothering her if she just slept between us. So that's why I'm looking for some kind of bassinet, or even just some foam contraption as David is suggesting. Just something to make it a bit more obvious when we're sleeping that that is her space. Or I guess some rolled up towels is another option.

I could put her in the kids sleeper in the trailer with our son, but I'm not sure we're ready to have her down there yet. For reference, here's the unfinished kids sleeper in our trailer:

It's basically like a teardrop trailer turned sideways with the Magg on top.

 

[DaveM]

We did the co-sleeping thing with my son for most of his 1st year. You realize after a while that even while asleep you are keenly aware of where they are. That said, in the confined space of a RTT I'd want some extra protection, the sleep pad I mentioned or even a home made version from some foam tube.