Are pillowtop mattresses safe for co-sleeping...

[buddyleebaby]

...because I came home to find that my MIL had thrown out our mattress and replaced it with a new pillowtop set from MACY's.(surprise!)
She is very proud of herself and left a note saying that they are a late wedding present. (As in 4 years late....I guess she's figures I'm sticking around.) They are very nice and I was gracious and called to thank her, but really I'm kind of annoyed that she didn't ask us first before she threw out our old mattress, since we're co-sleeping.
So does anyone co-sleep on a pillow-top with their babe, or am I destined to sleep on the pull-out sofa?

[kelly ann]

Alicia

No advice on the co-sleeping, but that is an interesting 4 year late wedding gift from MIL :) I would have freaked out if my MIL did that!

If you decide you don't want the pillowtop, then maybe the store can do an exchange. We bought a pillowtop about 5 years ago and hated it after the first night. Both DH and I woke up with backaches. JcPenny took it back with no complaint and we exchanged it for a firmer mattress.

[dowlinal]

I asked this question a few months ago when we were buying anew mattress

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=37&topic_id=147283&mesg_id=147283&listing_type=search


Ultimately we bought the pillowtopped one. I still co-sleep with Madeline but she was 10 months when we bought it. With this next baby I'm not sure yet what I am going to do. I have a bassinet that I plan to keep right next to the bed and if that doesn't work I will probably invest in a snugli.

[C99]

Does she know that you are co-sleeping? Wonder if it's some passive-aggressive MIL trick?

But otherwise, sounds nice! We replaced our mattress last year and did not get a pillowtop b/c of the co-sleeping issue.

[caheinz]

I tried not to co-sleep for a long time, and part of it was being afraid as to whether or not our pillow-topped Select Comfort mattress (similar to a waterbed, but with air) was safe... I couldn't really find the info anywhere, and, well, long story short, DS is still sleeping in our bed now!

I don't really want to tell you it's safe based on a sample size of one, but I remember how hard it was to find any info. I will say that my side of the bed is _really_ soft...

Is your babe really heavy enough to dent even a pillowtop? (in other words, is it a concern?)

On a semi-related topic, the ones trying hardest to stop the co-sleeping right now are my in-laws. It might be a hint in disguise!

I'd also try it out, and return it if you don't like it. I can't imagine someone buying a mattress for someone else! Way too personal a decision!

[buddyleebaby]

Yes, she knows we co-sleep, and she IS passive-aggressive, but in this case I really think she had good (albeit weird) intentions.
She co-slept w/my dh when he was a baby because she was too poor to afford a crib, so I can't imagine her having a problem with it.

[nov04]

I don't know anything about co-sleeping (pnp at first then slept on her floor beside her crib) but my ils did buy our mattress but we picked it out. Kind of weird to buy someone else's mattress, how would my ils have known to buy dh's side marshmallow soft and mine brick hard????

[kijip]

What an odd thing to do! But it is a nice wedding gift. Macy's will likely exchange it for you if you dicide it is too soft for co-sleeping.

OT- we just bought a pillowtop bed. It is quite high off the ground so we have a little foot stool next to it so Toby can climb up when he needs to (we don't co-sleep). When climbing up the first time Toby snuggled down into it and said "ohhh cuddly". Later that day, I sent him to our room to pick a book to read off the bookcase and when he did not return in a few minutes I went to find him...I found him lying flat on his back, arms splayed upwards sound asleep in the middle of the new "cuddly" bed.

[squimp]

We bought a king-sized pillowtop just before DD was born, knowing we'd co-sleep. It wasn't one of those super-cushy ones - they come in varying hardness ya know. DD slept with us for the first 9 months, and it was great. I never felt like it was a problem. I asked my ob-gyn about it, and she said she co-slept with both of her kids on a pillowtop, and so at the time, that was all I needed to hear.

But really on these decisions you have to go with your gut feelings. If you think it's going to bother you or make you nervous, then return it and get something more firm.

Now make sure you put a waterproof protector on your side of the bed as you get near your due date. You wouldn't want to ruin that nice new mattress when your water breaks ! I was sooo worried about that :)

[jesseandgrace]

I don't know where, but I have read not to use one for co-sleeping, but that said, I used our pillowtop to co-sleep with both of my kids. First of all, when they are tiny they are on their backs, so no problem. When they get old enough to flip, you will have to pay attention to whether it is so cushiony that their little face is too far in, but as the pp said, the baby doesn't usually weigh enough unless it is a really pillowy top. If you have any concerns i would return it for another model!

[sarahsthreads]

Well, we ended up co-sleeping on our pillow-top, in spite of the beautiful cradle sitting just next to the bed. I was super worried about it the first night Carrie learned to roll over, but when I looked closely I realized that she really didn't sink into it at all. We did make sure we had very tight-fitting sheets on it, which I think helped some.

Of course, you have to make the decision you feel most comfortable with!

Sarah :)

[starrynight]

I would be livid! Sorry I don't take meddling (even well meaning) inlaws very well.

I've never coslept on a pillow top mattress but I have safetly done it (even with 2 kids at once) on a "plush" style mattress.