Getting up in the middle of the night and stumbling across the room to get a crying baby is a thing of the past - YAY!
With all of my kids, I've had to go through the same routine - baby cries, I wait a minute or so to see if they will go back to sleep (hoping desperately that they will), when they don't return to slumber-land I roll out of bed, try and find the switch to turn the lamp on, stumble across the room and fetch the baby from her crib - most times, this ended in baby sleeping with me because I was to exhausted to get back up and put them back in their crib.
Then came the co-sleeper...
With my youngest (who is now 10 months old) I bought the arms reach co-sleeper while I was still pregnant. I thought it seemed like a really good idea to be able to keep baby close enough that I didn't have to get up every time she woke up (which we all know, as infants -- that's alot of waking up).
We purchased the large model, because I really liked that it was able to change into a play pen when the baby got too big to sleep in it. I researched it and found the best deal at the time on Amazon, and because I was too pregnant and lazy to measure - I had no idea really how large it was; when it arrived and we put it together, I realized that it was pretty darn big! Looking at it now, I realize that the footprint is almost as big as my daughters crib! Thankfully we have a large bedroom and it all worked out, but if you happen to have a bedroom that's on the smaller side, you might want to get exact measurements to be sure that it will fit (or go with the smaller model).
The way the Arm's Reach co-sleeper is designed is actually pretty cool. It has straps that keep it secured to the side of the bed and directions that weren't too difficult for a 9 month pregnant woman to set it up. There were a few parts that I needed help with, but the instructions were at least clear enough that I was able to get it together in about 20 minutes. You do have to lift your mattress up in order to attach the co-sleeper to the bed and there is no way a prego should be doing that - nesting instincts only go so far!
When the baby arrived and we put her in it I thought - "wow, I wish I knew about the co-sleeper when the others were born!"
It was so nice to have her near to me, because I am one of those mom's that has to randomly check to see if my baby is still breathing - The co-sleeper actually let me rest easier because I was able to have her next to me, but not in bed where we feared rolling over her or having her suffocate in our crazy mound of pillows.
The only downside was that in order to get out of our king size bed, I had to scoot to the end of the bed to navigate around it. It's really not that big of a deal, but if you have a C-section or are in pain, I would imagine that might make things a bit rough. Although, on the other hand, this thing is high enough to where you don't have to bend down too far at all to pick up the baby and that's always nice - C-section or not.
Now that our baby is older and grown out of the sleeper, I have it setup as a playpen which resides in our office or living room (or wherever we drag it). I believe it's actually quite a bit larger than the pack-n-play we had with our other kids - which does mean it's a bit heavier, but it's still light enough that one person can lift it. I do wish it had wheels, but then again, if I had my way it would contain a microwave, refrigerator and maybe drink holders - haha!
For what it is, I think the Arm's Reach co-sleeper really a good product. It's well made, sturdy and the fact that it converts into something that lasts well beyond those infant bassinet years (that are all too short) is priceless in my opinion.
Arm's Reach Co- Sleeper Benefits:
- Keep baby close, so no stubbing toes on the way to get baby from a crib
- Enables mom to have baby close to bed without having the baby in bed where it could be dangerous
- Transforms into a play yard when baby is done with the bassinet
- Super sturdy construction
Arm's Reach Co- Sleeper Drawbacks:
- Large version is big and bulky (there is a mini version which is not nearly as big)
- More expensive than a pack-n-play (but to be fair I think it's made better)
The Mrs. gives Arm's Reach Co- Sleeper 5/5
After owning an Arm's Reach for nearly a year, I've used it daily and still think it's great. My daughter is in it right now playing next to me as I type this. She's a tall baby and she's got all kinds of room to play with her toys in there! This thing was well worth the investment.
One last note: If your bed is tall you may need leg extenders, which are unfortunately sold separately. You can get the legs online too, but if you're handy, you could probably make something that would work to boost the height. Just be sure it's safe...don't go stuffing a book under each leg or anything 
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 Arms Reach Bedside Co Sleeper  US $30.00
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 GREAT Condition Arms Reach CO SLEEPER US $54.00
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