baby room? or sleep with us?

Hi there,
Our daughter slept in a crib with us for 16 weeks and then in her own room. Then she slept through the night. (Which is quite early, haha.) As long as she’s fed a lot at night, it’s handy for mom and dad if she’s close by. And for the little one, it’s often nice to hear you too. In the womb, she hears your heartbeat and intestines, for example. Some kids actually prefer their own room; you only find out once your child is here and you get to know them . There’s no right or wrong; choose what feels good and be flexible if your child later prefers to be with you or sleeps quietly in their own room. It’ll work out!
Greetings, Floydi

If you have the space at home, I'd definitely set up a nursery beforehand, but without a crib or bassinet just yet. It's nice to have the baby close in a bassinet in your room, especially during maternity leave when you're not doing much anyway. Night feeds are easier, and indeed, many babies aren't ready to sleep alone right away. For our daughter, even the bassinet felt like a big step; she only slept right next to me. I'd then move her over or practice with gradually more distance. Eventually, she slept in the bassinet attached to my bed, and then on her own. At 4 months, we moved her to her own room because she'd wake up when we turned over or moved around. It's also recommended for the baby to have their own space initially, so you can keep a closer eye on them (and I couldn't sleep without the baby nearby anyway). You'll just notice naturally. If you see that it's better for the baby to have their own room, or if you're no longer sleeping well, that's a good time to start. You'll just notice, and your baby will tell you

One thing I really appreciated was that our daughter was still small when she moved to her own room. She was clearly ready for it, but I also think it's important that she can eventually sleep without you and in her own bed. My daughter did sleep with us for a while when it was necessary, but then we gradually phased it out. I sometimes see older kids really struggle, whereas it was easy for our daughter. Parents' sleep is important at some point, and it's also important for the baby's rhythm. The main point is that you can't really go wrong; follow your gut and follow your baby. They'll show you when they're ready for their own room

Oh, and those contradictory pieces of advice, they just keep coming haha. Next thing you know, it's all about how many bottles, whether or not to let them cry it out before sleep, fruit snacks. Just do what feels right for you Most people mean well, but they're coming from older advice or habits or whatever.

Do what feels right for you!

My advice, set up the baby's room. Put the crib in your room. For the first few days, see for yourself how long you want to keep it that way.

We have 4 kids here. The oldest was moved out at 6 weeks. She wasn't sleeping, woke up at every little sound. Same story with the second one. Kept the third one longer. About 4/5 months, I think. The fourth one even longer. She was the only one who had long-term breastfeeding. When she kept waking up whenever we went to sleep, that was it. She was almost 2 then.

All our kids slept in our bed from the moment they got separation anxiety. The youngest, now 2.5 years old, still sometimes sleeps nicely in our bed. Still gets breast milk, not at night anymore though.

Do what you want, you can always change your mind later. I wouldn't buy an extra crib for sure. Just see how it goes once the little one is here first.

We had everything ready so the baby could sleep in her own room right away... but we decided to put her crib next to ours for the first few hours after birth. In the end, she slept next to me for almost 6 months. Really handy if you're breastfeeding, so you don't have to get up every time. At six months, we started waking each other up, so we decided to let her sleep in her own room. On tough nights (sick, teething...) or if she wakes up way too early, she ends up between us sometimes. We're totally fine with that!

For me, it was the first 2 nights in my room, and then in the nursery. Also because otherwise I couldn't rest enough to keep up with the feedings. It was a tough birth. I definitely don't see sleeping in our own room as a bad thing, and I'd do it again if I had another baby. I've rarely had issues with sleeping in the nursery.

I really don't find it any trouble at all to get out of bed for those extra few meters when I have to feed anyway. Feeding in bed isn't always ideal for posture, so it has to be in the baby's room anyway.

However, after the postpartum week, I sometimes had him in my bed at night. Just because I hadn't recovered enough to keep walking around, and he sometimes calmed down during growth spurts or cluster feeding days. In the beginning, I did check often to make sure he was still breathing. But on the other hand, I suddenly woke up at every little sound. Still do, a year later.