Bassinets - to hire or not to hire?

[JetGirl]

Hi folks,
Just wondering what your experiences have been regarding bassinets? I've started doing my research and it's looking like a couple of hundred bucks to hire a hospital bassinet for a few months, which was our plan. Can you hire direct from a hospital or does it have to be an external company? Is it really better than buying one?
Thanks!

[miss R]

Hi Jetgirl,
where abouts are you? i want to sell my bassinette. it is a love n care sleeping bear. It has the mosquito net, storage uderneith, 1x sheet set plus blanket and pillow, mattress and mattress protector. i wanted to get $100.00 for it. shelby used it for 10wks. If your interested let me no...
bec

[JetGirl]

Hi miss R. I'm in Sydney... I think we're gonna wait til our pre-natal classes and see what they say but I was interested in hearing everybody's opinions :) Seem to have misplaced my decision-making skills over Christmas :D

[Backflip]

I got my bassinett for $50 off ebay, Having 3 other kids, I found the bassinett was great as I could wheel it to the opposite end of the house to where the others were playing and making noise. I used a pillow case for a sheet to save some $$.
M was in it for about 8-10 weeks, then moved to a porta cot, again so I could move it ad also as his room was next to my 4yo's so I didn't put him into his cot till he was sleeping through. Didn't want to wake the others.
I found it very useful.:)

[sparklesare]

Hey Jetgirl:

I am in two minds also, not sure what to do and given I would have to purchase two I dont really want to do that if I can get away with it.

A couple of my friends have had bubbies last year so thinking of asking them if I can buy off them or borrow if they dont want to part with it etc.

I dont know how much they are to rent at the hospital yet, to be honest, had not even thought of that as an option...hmmm!! :o

[angeleish]

Hi Jetgirl,

We ended up buying a bassinet for the baby. I know I may change my mind, but for the first while, I want to have the baby in the room with me.

I figured that it could also come in handy for future babies (fingers crossed) and if not, there is always ebay. We got ours for $179 and it is on wheels so I can put it wherever I am in the house. Ours is slightly larger than others I've seen so we should be able to get approximately 5-6 months use from it depending on the size of the baby.

Let me know if you want to know more and I'll PM you!

I'm sorry but I haven't heard a lot about the cost of hiring (I have seen it advertised but haven't enquired). Maybe make a few phone calls and see how you go.

Good luck. Some decisions are tough aren't they!

[nikki08]

We're borrowing a bassinet, they really don't stay in it long enough unless they are small. Even my friend (who we are borrowing from) who has a smallish bub found that her little one was waking herself up around 3 months because she'd hit the sides so she is in the cot now. If we have a bigger baby I'd expect we'd probably only get away with just over two months so I'm happy borrowing and handing it back afterwards. I also thought out about the pram idea but we were lucky our friends offered it to us.

[HelenHasTwins]

I didn't buy a bassinett for the boys, I also thought they were a waste of money, they shared their cot in their room for 2 months and then went into their own cots...we did not have a problem at all...

[nikki08]

Sorry JetGirl was just going to add a question to your thread because it's sort of related to the bassinette thing.

While this thread is talking about bassinets I'd be interested to know also at what age people feel comfortable putting bubs in their own room. I can't fit a cot in mine so it will be bassinet for a couple of months then probably go into their cot, but the SIDS site recommends they sleep in the same room as you for six months!

Does anyone have any opinions?

[mindy19816]

I bought a pram that came with a bassinet that sat in it and you could take it out whenever you wanted. It was great because no matter where you went they could go to sleep easily, and it was easy to wheel anywhere around the house. If we have another baby we will use it again :yes:

We moved our bub into his own room as soon as he was too big for his bassinet, which was when he was about 3 months. Started off before then with a few day sleeps in his cot to see how he would go and then put him in overnight and it was fine. I recommend a sleep positioner, more for your own peace of mind so you know they haven't rolled onto their tummy.

[Chub Chub]

I got my bassinett for $50 off ebay, Having 3 other kids, I found the bassinett was great as I could wheel it to the opposite end of the house to where the others were playing and making noise. I used a pillow case for a sheet to save some $$.
M was in it for about 8-10 weeks, then moved to a porta cot, again so I could move it ad also as his room was next to my 4yo's so I didn't put him into his cot till he was sleeping through. Didn't want to wake the others.
I found it very useful.:)


This is the only reason I got a bassinett is because we already have a DD and to move bubs away from the noise. I was given one with DD but didn't really neeed to use it.

If it is your first baby.....I wouldn't bother;)

[Gruffalo]

This is my third baby coming up and the first time I bought a bassinet simply because we need one. I wouldnt hire one because you can pick them up brand new for very similar price and then you can resell later. I paid about $110 when they were on special at BigW for the Fisher Price Rainforrest one. Its beautiful and cant wait for bubs to be in it :D

[sparklesare]

While this thread is talking about bassinets I'd be interested to know also at what age people feel comfortable putting bubs in their own room. I can't fit a cot in mine so it will be bassinet for a couple of months then probably go into their cot, but the SIDS site recommends they sleep in the same room as you for six months!

Does anyone have any opinions?

hey Nikki,

Thats really interesting, I didnt know about that info re SIDS. I was planning on putting them in a basinnet in our room (if I end up getting one) and then in to their own cots as soon as they are ready and okay like yourself. Ideally I would like them in their separate cots each...mind you two of them in one cot seems very cute, I worry them moving around and getting in eachothers way etc!!! Dont know if that helps you though!! :(

[Urban Tumbleweed]

We planned on putting our DS in his cot in his own room. When we came home from the hospital and had 2 absolutely sleepless nights we headed out and bought a bassinet and put in our room. Worked a lot better!

We moved him and his bassinet to his own room when he was about 6 weeks old (started sleeping through the night the second night in his own room!!) and then into his cot when he was about 3 months old. :)

[Backflip]

Nikki, with DS1 he went straight into his cot in his bedroom- with a monitor. DS2 was in our room for one night and I couldn't stand the snuffling and grunting noises so he was moved to the formal lounge room which is next to our room as his room is waaaaay down the other end of the house. He was in the lounge room till he was about 8 weeks, then he started to have his day sleeps in his room and by 12 weeks he had moved in all the time- again with a monitor.
I think as long as you have a good monitor you are fine.

[becandbubs]

I got my bassinet brand new off ebay for $99. I loved my bassinet and we used it for quiet a while as well. It was one of the best purchases i made having a baby. I just found it easier having the bassinet in our room next to the bed.

[becandbubs]

Sorry JetGirl was just going to add a question to your thread because it's sort of related to the bassinette thing.

While this thread is talking about bassinets I'd be interested to know also at what age people feel comfortable putting bubs in their own room. I can't fit a cot in mine so it will be bassinet for a couple of months then probably go into their cot, but the SIDS site recommends they sleep in the same room as you for six months!

Does anyone have any opinions?

I had my DS in our room in his bassinet til 3-4 months. Now he is nearly 10 months old and still sleeps in our room in his cot. i find it so much easier and he sleeps alot better being near us.

[nikki08]

Thanks for all the info about sleeping arrangements. I guess I'll just get a good monitor and wait until they are sleeping through the night, our bedroom isn't very big so there is no way we could fit a cot in there anyway.

[angeleish]

Nikki - Our bedroom isn't big enough for a cot either. We will use the bassinette in our room for as long as possible and then move bub to the cot in the nursery. We have bought a monitor to help put our mind at ease a little. Also, the bassinette we have is slightly larger than some, so hopefully that will buy us a little more time.

In saying that, as Backflip mentioned, some babies are really noisy and for this reason I am aware that the "ideal" of having baby in our room may not become a reality.

Like most things with parenting, I guess it is all just a bit of trial and error.

[Urban Tumbleweed]

Just thought I would post this link of a bassinet at Target for $89 in the Babython catalogue starting tomorrow! Thought it was a good buy :) (Not sure if I'm allowed to post the link, but I will try)

http://target.dynamiccatalogue.com.au/portal/offerdetails/rachel_bassinet/12627273901665?CatalogueID=12615301035238&CatalogueID=&source=catalogueoffer&jump=&pageview=two

[JetGirl]

Thanks Meeska. We ended up getting one on special from BabiesGalore - down from $199 to $109 which is still cheaper than renting so yay!

[Urban Tumbleweed]

That's great!! We found having a bassinet really great in the first few months. Even when we had to go out totally sleep deprived 4 days after the birth of our DS to buy it because he wouldn't sleep in his cot!! :)