Hellobee Boards

First, the couch is not a safe place to co-bed so I'm glad you're seeking out a better solution.

Second, we co-bed with a side car setup! For the most part P is one my side (usually in her "space") so she'll roll over to nurse & I often, literally, will roll her back over to her bed, since we've all gotten used to her presence she does also sleep between DH & I sometimes (I will usually move closer to her bed & so we're still mostly on my "side" and she's not really in the "middle").

Before we had to sidecar setup we took our mattress off the frame & pushed it up against the wall... she slept between me & the wall or with me against the wall & her near me in "between" us.

Dr. Sears has some great info on safely co-bedding
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/sleep-problems/sleep-safety/safe-co-sleeping-habits
And I enjoyed this write up on it as well
http://www.phdinparenting.com/blog/2009/1/11/co-sleeping-safety.html

And here's a pic of our set up. =)

We had LO with us until she was three months. We had the arms reach cosleeper attached to our bed but found it better if she was actually with us in the beginning, she slept on my side Inbetween me and the cosleeper. Once she started rolling I got nervous about having her in our bed so we moved her into the cosleeper.

We co-bedded for about 6 months. It wasn't my first choice (it was actually something I swore I'd never do), but it was the only way DS would sleep. We pushed our bed against the wall (we have a low bed, even on the frame the top of the mattress is less than 2 ft off the ground). E usually slept between me and the wall (with DH on my other side). Occasionally during the night I'd move him to my other side--I had/have some hip problems pp, I couldn't stay on one side all night (usually I would crawl over him and gently scootch him over).

Most of the time he slept nestled into my side/boobs/armpits. When he slept between us my legs were almost always pulled up with my knees bent (like I was sitting in a chair, but sideways) and my lower arm was stretched out. DH was sleeping in a separate sleeping bag at the time and never moved around in his sleep, so I wasn't particularly concerned about him, but if he did roll over he'd roll over onto my legs/arm first (which would wake me up).

I always kept the blanket at my waist and lower and wore a cardigan or zip up sweatshirt if I got chilly.

very similar to @runsyellowlites - I credit this set up for allowing us to breastfeed as long as we did.
Once he could get out and off the bed (around 7 months) the crib moved to a nook in the corner of our bedroom. He goes there to fall asleep even if he wakes up in our bed.

queen bed, between me & DH. LO snuggles right into DH's chest and they sleep in the same position. It's beyond adorable.

@sera_87: I love when my son finishes nursing and then rolls over toward my husband to sleep. My husband really enjoys co-sleeping, especially when LOs hands pat his face in the morning to wake up!

@mewtill: one thing that really surprised me is that DH will automatically give LO a kiss whenever he (DH) moves (like before rolling to the other side). It's heart-melting.

We only ever co-slept for the hours at the end of the night, so we didn't have a formal arrangement. DD would sleep between me and my husband. I usually draped an arm around her body, so I couldn't lose track of where she was. I was a light enough sleeper when we co-slept that I would never roll over on her.

With Ellie-- my ex-husband was not on board AT ALL, but I needed to go back to work and she was a crummy sleeper, so I told him that because I needed to work I needed to sleep, and I was going to bed-share with or without him. Ellie and I slept on a queen mattress on the floor in a different room. I bed-shared with her until she was four. When Mr. T and I started living together we were both uncomfortable with having her in bed with both of us, so when she would wake up in the night for the first time after Mr. T and I had gone to bed I would go in her room and sleep in her bed for the rest of the night. Usually that meant Mr. T and I got a good stretch of sleep together. Now with Lorelei we have bed-shared from the beginning with all of us in one bed. She is 16 months now and is starting to get a little bed-hoggish, so we are thinking of moving her to her room in the next several months and I will go in and sleep with her the rest of the night after her first wakeup like we did with Ellie.
**Was going to add that we do have an Arm's Reach co-sleeper, or, as we affectionately call it, "the world's largest nightstand." Unfortunately we just never ended up using it (other than to store my glasses, random books I'm reading, fingernail clippers...). But I do know lots of people who use theirs and love them, or who sidecar.

LO sleeps between us in our bed.

The PP's are right - the couch is not a safe place to cosleep. I'm a big proponent of cosleeping but ONLY when done safely.

I would recommend putting a mattress on the floor in the nursery, personally. Why is your DH against having a family bed?

I am currently in the process of transitioning my son to his own bed, but right now, he and I bunk together in his full sized bed. One side is pushed up against the wall right now.