5 Products You Need when Bed Sharing with Baby

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In the western world most mothers don’t start off with bed sharing with baby. Instead it’s the result of unrealistic expectations set by our society leading many to struggle. All we want is to maintain an ounce of sanity here!

The lack of bed sharing guidance by part of obgyns and pediatricians, often results in unsafe sleeping arrangements. This can include an inebriated parent in bed, too many pillows and blankets around the baby and nothing preventing the little one from rolling off the bed. That is why I’d like to share this check list of what I consider the best products for safe bed sharing.

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What Do I Need in order to Bed Share with Baby?

When starting our bed sharing journey I had no idea that there were so many products for safe bed sharing out there because honestly… no one talked about it! Also, these products were not advertised for bed sharing so they were harder to search for. 

To write this checklist of must have’s for safe bed sharing, mamas like us are forced to struggle through the discomfort as we sift through various hack ideas. After a lot of trial and errors and countless dollars spent we have finally found the right set up.

Now that I have plenty of experience with the good, bad and right out uncomfortable aspects of bed sharing I want to spare you the trouble and give you the answers right away. 

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Best Products for Bed Sharing with Baby in 2021

Just like other aspects of parenting life, safe bed sharing comes with its own checklist of products to make those long nights with your baby a bit more manageable.

Disclosure: Some articles on this site may contain affiliate links, meaning, at non additional cost to you, Mama Questions may earn a commission iff you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

1. Half Moon Back Pillow

When bed sharing its common to be nursing at night. Balancing on your side is not comfortable for sleeping. get this pillow as back support while baby breastfeeds.

Laying on your side requires some support for your lower back as we want to lean away from our baby while sleeping. I spent a long time stuffing a spare pillow behind me and struggling with back pain trying to get comfortable. When I finally discovered the half moon back pillow I was able to find relief and get a better night’s sleep. 

The reason I really like the half moon pillow is that it’s nice and solid (memory foam) but at the same time light-weight. It doesn’t slide around and is easily packed away if going on a trip. 

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2. My Pillow  & Slim Sleeper

I have a special set up when it comes to pillows. If you are just starting off with a newborn you want them to be sleeping on a flat and clean surface. Your pillow needs to be far away from their head.

I highly recommend the MyPillow which can be found on Amazon. I’m not the type of person that invests in TV advertised pillows. We had bought this one for when my elderly mother in law was coming to visit us and now it’s a staple in Luca’s and my bed. 

The density of My Pillow is perfect for bed sharing because it molds easily into different positions without being too thin. I can adjust this pillow to be far from my nursling head yet support my own. 

Once your infant becomes a toddler it is common to introduce a small pillow. Our setup has a flat but long pillow for our toddler Luca and then my pillow (MyPillow) up above and usually pushed up against the headboard while the low pillow is flat against the mattress. 

I’m not sure exactly where I got my flat pillows but this is an alternative that would be perfect for the aforementioned setup. I highly recommend getting two of these flat pillows to create a longer stretch across the bed.

It’s shallow profile makes it a safe choice for slightly older bed sharing babies. At around 2 years old Luca started rolling away from me when falling asleep. The consistency in pillow height across the bed helped to not wake him up.

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3. Waterproof Sheets

Many people have waterproof mattress protectors on their beds already due to pets. If you don’t already have one under your sheets I highly recommend them.

Reason being there is a lot of leaking in general when bringing a baby back home (from both mom and baby) from the hospital and spit up if your nursing in bed. The mattress protector will spare your mattress the messiness during those first few months. 

(Now at 3 years old our toddler keeps spilling food and drink on his bed. The mattress protector has been a saving grace!)

If you haven’t used a mattress protector before, it’s easy to imagine it being a plastic type material and that it’s uncomfortable. In reality the one we use has a soft texture on the surface facing outward. On the underside there’s a thin layer of water resistant material against the mattress which you don’t notice. 

I use this one on both our bed and our (now) toddler’s bed that he and I sleep in. 

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4. Bed Rail Bumper

I LOVE this product so much. All of us in the family use this in our own way without even moving it from its position. This side bed rail bumper creates a gentle boundary at the edge of the bed. When your little one is moving around half a sleep the bed rail stops them from tumbling over.

In general bed sharing families all suggest having a floor bed. Even if you are sleeping on a floor mattress, an additional measure of security is always good for a restful night. 

Luca loves using it as a pillow, lounging around and playing on it with his toys. It also makes him feel cuddled in bed when laying up against it. 

My husband likes it because of the additional boundary for Luca when he’s putting him to bed. When not nursing his sleeping positions are all over the place. This often results in him inching his way closer to the edge of the bed. With the bed rail bumper he can leave Luca alone without worrying about potential sleepy falls.

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5. Bed Rail

We mainly used this bed rail when sleeping in our master bedroom. The mattress was on a tall bed frame and we were worried that our baby would fall out of bed. The mesh makes me feel more assured Luca is safe and can breathe. (there is a natural gap between rail and mattress that allows for breathing as well).

This particular product does required there to be a bedframe as the way it attaches requires straps that wrap under the mattress. However it is very easily secured and can be folded down when desired.

Once we moved Luca into his toddlers bedroom (where I sleep with him) and on a floor bed we switched to the bed rail bumper.

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Bed Sharing with Baby is Possible

I always take for granted that everyone has these products but when I think back on how I found them it was really by spending a ton of time searching through blog posts. I eventually figured out what others were using through facebook groups like The Beyond Sleeping Training Project. They were very helpful and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a support system around them.

So many parents are too scared to bed share due to risks of SIDS. However is can be safe! Get your Safe Sleep 7 Checklist here and start bed sharing today!

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