[Chelnae6]

So we have a crib and Lani has her own room. There's also a 3rd bedroom that, when Will's cousin move out (in June), I'm going to put a female roommate in there.

I'm debating on whether or not to put the crib in my room (which is big enough for it) or in Lani's room. Currently there is a day bed in her room but a crib can also fit. That will also be the room that family/friends will use whenever they come to visit.

Will suggested that I put the crib in my room so that when the baby cries, she wont disturb the roommate. Also since I wont know the roommate initially and her and Lani's room will be beside each other down the hall from mine, I wont have to worry about anything crazy happening to Lani whenever Lani sleeps in her own room. We have a bassinet for the first few month (or until she outgrows).

What do you think? WWYD?

[bittersweet]

We've had Jenna in her crib in her own room from day 1. It has worked great for us. I will say, the frequent feedings the first month were very hard, but now she only wakes 1-2 times per night to feed. But I think that is b/c she is used to being in her crib in her room. Most other BF babies her age that co-sleep or are in the same room seem to be waking more frequently. Plus she is a noisey sleeper. She NEEDS her own room.


I understand your concern with waking the roommate, but honestly, when the baby cries at night everyone will probably hear it. At least some of the time. I think you will have a hard time finding a roommate too. I know there would be no way I'd want to pay to live in a house with a newborn.

It might take waiting until her arrival to see what works best for all of you.

[*krista*]

If you are going to have a roommate that you don't know, I think having her in the room adjacent to the roommate could cause some major issues. I agree that you might have some problems finding a roommate either way. You will probably have to charge less rent.

Anyway, if you are going to put her in the room right next to the roommate, all I would say is I would have her there from day 1 that you have a roommate.

I'm not really much help! But I've never lived with a newborn...

[Chelnae6]

I figure more than likely the roommate that would want to room will either be a single mom, pregnant or also have a newborn/baby. I know it wont be easy to find one, so I do plan on charging less rent than most places.

[szczepanski]

We have Nolan in our room, in the bassinet part of the Pack N Play and he only wakes 1-2 times a night to eat (about every 3-4 hours).

When she gets here, you might find that you will rest better/easier knowing you can just pop your head up off the pillow, check her our and make sure she is okay and go back to sleep. Our PNP even has a little "night light" button that I can hit and it turns on a dim light right onto the bassinet so I can see him and know he is okay.

Maybe I am just extra paranoid, but he is just SO little, it is nice to be able to see him whenever I want and know he is okay. I don't plan to change this anytime soon either, especially with breastfeeding. I feel like it has helped our bond and even DH's and I's bond to have him so close to both of us.

Kirsty was in our room in the bassinet for 3 weeks, then we moved her into her own room in the cot because none of us were getting any sleep. She snores and is a noisy sleeper, moves about lots etc. And DH snores which was disturbing Kirsty. It worked much better to put her to her own room. Initially we used the monitor in our room so we'd hear her, but we didn't need to, I wake up as soon as she utters a peep.

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

I'm not really a 'paranoid new mom' like a lot of people are, for example - I didn't ever get up to check and make sure she's breathing, etc. like a lot of people talk about. But I don't think I personally would be comfortable sleeping and having my baby down the hall next to a stranger.

With all that said, we bed-share. We have the crib in her room, the pack & play in ours, and she still sleeps in the secure sleeper in my bed. I just love sleep too much to worry about getting up and walking to the other room to fetch her and put her back etc. From day one I've nursed her lying in bed, and I've never felt sleep deprived. She also never cries at night -- I wake up if I hear her starting to make little grunts etc so I can feed her before she gets really worked up and she usually falls asleep at the boob and I just put her back. So since she's never slept in her crib, I don't know if it would be any different... but I would think if I don't hear her until she's actually crying it would be more work to get her to calm down. Or maybe the monitor will do the work for you and your roommate wouldn't have to ever hear her cry.

In my PR I did a poll asking where the babies wound up sleeping the *majority* of the time. I think people were surprised how many wound up in the bed, or at the very least, in the same room. If you read through the comments most people said they 'swore they'd never do that' but wound up doing it anyway, haha.

http://www.justmommies.com/forums/f1...angements.html (sleeping arrangements)

So with all of that said, if I were you, I'd probably put the crib in her room, and plan on using the bassinet in yours until she outgrows it. (that's what its there for anyway, right?) and then don't be surprised if she winds up in bed with you. Then by the time she's ready for the crib, you've gotten to know your roommate a bit better and would probably be more comfortable with Lani in her own room, plus she'll be sleeping longer through the night so you won't have to get up as much anyway. win-win-win!

[~*sierra*~]

i agree, keep her in your room at first for all the above reasons!

[sara~b]

Baby girl will be in our room in her crib for the first six months at least. I may end up getting a cosleeper for during the week when Shane isn't home so I don't even have to get out of bed. I had Gem in her crib in my bedroom and it worked out great! I really don't like having to move much to comfort baby and then fall back asleep. I would try your room and then switch if it's not working.

[Frozendesire]

I'd keep her in your room. It's so much handier anyways. Plus since you would be back and forth back and forth between the rooms someone might run into you in your nighty! haha

[Resi]

I would put the crib in her room because she will be in your room in the beginning. You could always move the crib in your room if it becomes a problem. It might take some time to find the right roomate any way.

P.S. Your brave to have a roomate! I don't think I could ever do that again now that I'm married and have a child..

[Chelnae6]

Thanks ladies. I'm still up in the air.

I'm going to be a single mom and I'll be just about completely broke if I dont get a roommate. Wills going to be moving out once my maternity leave is over. I could always get someone to take it apart and move it into the other room if I dont like it in my room I guess.

I really dont want a roommate but I have to do what I need to do. I think I'll be more comfortable if she was in my room. Although I plan on putting her in the bassinet in my room for the 1st few 3-months anyway.

[Mars]

itto:

[*kyle*]

First of all - as someone who is in a similar situation as you, I think the roommate idea is a good one. I now live with my younger sister, and it's been great actually. She loves being around her nephew and has been a big help with him, plus I don't have to live alone. I have practical and emotional support. It helps her out because she's unemployed and struggling financially right now. So we formed a symbiotic relationship of sorts by helping each other out. If your roommate is either a relative of yours, or a single mom or pregnant herself, she will be understanding about what it takes to live with a newborn. There really are women out there in the same situation as me and you (and Nikki... and Ali...). As single moms of newborns, we might be somewhat invisible in society but we are there, and we are all looking for creative living situations and ways to save money. Also, once you've formed mutual trust with your roommate, you two could help each other out with babysitting or just trading off the babies so one can do the dishes or make a meal.

Anyway, as to your question of where to put the crib. I would start out with it in your room. From experience I can say that you might be happy to have easy access to Lani in the middle of the night. You may want to avoid a situation where you're wandering the darkened halls half-asleep with one boob out lol. Dominic still sleeps in his basinet in my room even though he has nearly outgrown it. I would put his crib in my room except it wouldn't fit. I'm so sad that I will have to separate from him at night soon.