Cot vs. Bassinet

[csackett]

Hi there,

Well, after much looking around we finally bought the cot on the weekend, and set it up in the "nursery". Only I woke up in a panic this morning about what to actually do with the bub in the first few weeks. The cot will probably fit in our room, but not along with change table, nappy pails etc etc etc! Is it really worth spending the money to buy a bassinet when most people say they dont use them for all that long? How realistic is the co-sleeping? I think I would be fine as I am a light sleeper but my dh is a very sound sleeper as well as a bed hog.... what to do???

[drewid]

Hi there

We borrowed a bassinette from my sister in law for our bub. He spent about 6 weeks in our room in that. But I found that when I put him into the cot at 6 weeks for a day sleep - just to see if he would sleep - I found that he slept SOOO much better in his own room and with a more supportive mattress than was in the bassinette.

I think basinnettes are a bit of waste of money really. Bubs grow out of them so quickly.

I've heard co-sleeping is great - but it didn't work for us. Andrew was never interested in sleeping in our bed, ever!

You could put the cot in your bedroom, but there really isn't a need to put the change table and nappy pail etc in there as well. Its just as easy to put a towel or something on your bed and change them there. We found we didn't use the change table a lot when Andrew was newborn, it was the bed and the floor etc that was the easiest.

Anyways thats my 2c worth! :D

[flower]

I used a 'snugglebed' in baby's first weeks and placed that next to me on the bed. Its a t-tree filled bassinette kind of thing with a bumper around it...not sure if you know what I mean, but that was nice and portable. I also used one of those velcro 'belts' that went around the baby..that way you can put him in a big bed (cot)..the sheet velcros to the bed, then his belt velcros to the sheet so he is placed in the belt and velcroed in. (I think its called Safe T Sleep?). Its hard to explain but if you go on a baby shopping website you should be able to find it. That way you can pit him in a big bed without the little one rolling away into oblivion.
O's mom.

[petster]

We invested in a thing called a Preston Ezee Rocker. It's kind of like a bassinet, but it hangs inside your big cot. I liked the idea that bub was in her own room, but was cosy in the Ezee Rocker. The other bonus is it folds up nice and flat for storage. I think they cost around $130. You can also rock bub in it (hence the name Ezee Rocker!), which was great when bub is really little. We weaned ourselves off the rocking before we moved her into the big cot at around 3 months.
The only bugger with it I found was you have to have the cot sides up in order for it to have something to hang from - it was a bit tricky leaning over to put bub in - but I soon got used to it...

If you do a google search you can find a bit of info on it - I think it's stocked in quite a few baby shops... Hope this helps!

Cheers!

[jembelina]

I personally loved using a basinette. You could probably find a good second hand one, or ask around family and friends for a lend. One of the main reasons i like them is that they are so easy to move around. In the early days we had the basinette in the living area during the day( this enables bub to begin to recognise difference between night and day), then moved to our room at night (though we ended up co-sleeping at night anyway). Also, I could wheel it to outside the bathroom door while I was showering. As he got a little bigger we moved it to his room during the day. When he outgrew it I just moved him to the cot without a second thought and had no problems at all. Also, depending on what pram you are getting, many 3 wheelers have basinette inserts that you can use at home as a bed as well.

[Harmony83]

I loved my bassinet also, I bought it second hand for $90... We used it for the first 3 months, as Jembelina said they are so small and easy to move around... We just have to decide now whether to keep it for our next one or pass it on???

[csackett]

thanks so much girls. i think i posted this in the wrong spot - i have just spent ages looking for my message in the sleeping/settling section... i really appriciate the advice and ideas. I'm fairly new to Brisbane so dont have a network of friends with kids to get hand me down things, but will definatly look into the Eezy Rocker. I have seen them and they look pretty good.

ta again

[nemosmum]

I used a 'snugglebed' in baby's first weeks and placed that next to me on the bed. O's mom.

I swear by the snuggle bed and found it great for co sleeping in those first few weeks. It was also great when we transferred DS into cot as he still felt secure and safe, we used it till he was about 6 months(started crawling) but continued to use it when over at friends/families houses, very portable!

[rynosmum]

Hi Cathy,

I notice that you're also in Brisbane. I hired a bassinet from 'a bassinet and more'. The Wesley hospital advertised them and for $100 I was able to hire a brand new bassinet exactly like the one I had in the hospital, complete with new mattress. It had wheels so it could move easily from room to room plus the clear perspex shell could be used as a bath if needed.

I had it for 4 weeks but could keep it for another $25 per week.

I didn't want to buy one as I only wanted it for a few weeks and didn't have anywhere to store it after that.

[csackett]

hi rynosmum.

i hadnt thought about hiring one - thanks!

Cathy

[mumof2girls]

My girls slept in their strollers for the firts 2 months of their lives it was easy to move around and have right by the bed (my girls were on sids monitors for the first 12 months of their lives so wanted them to be near), then the youngest went into a cot and the oldest went onto a mattress on the floor (she would scream in the cot she just hated it - don't know why)she actually wouldn't sleep in a bed until she was 3 1/2 years old and then it was only a trundle bed :rolleyes:

[Shae]

For my DD first 2 weeks she slept in her rocker layed out flat next to our bed (strapped in because we thought she would fall out - first time parents very nervous). We set up a travel cot in our room (because we put the cot together in her room but then realised it wouldnt fit through the door, doh). The travel cot was better than a bassinet beacuse it has lasted much longer and they come with extras such as bassinet insert (we layed bub width ways so she didnt look so small) and a change table bit. We travel a lot so a travel cot has been worth it.

I just had a quick look at baby on a budget (false advertising in that name)

Bassinet approx $200
Travel Cot approx $150

SO a travel cot might be a good alternative for you.

[csackett]

Have just heard from my midwife at the Birth Center that a snuggle bed is a no-no, in regards to SIDS....

[maybe1more]

I personally loved my sons bassinette, he was in it for birth untill 5 months old, it was on wheels so i was very easy to wheel around, and it was a a good height where i could peep over it from my bed to check on him, i thought my bassinette was priceless.

[Terrible2+1cutie]

I found that for the first few weeks it was so much easier to have the baby in the bassinette cause you can wheel them everywhere, whereever you go they go sort of thing but that is my own personal opinion.

[Angelmist♥]

I have to agree with Shae, our ds1 slept in his rocker for the first few weeks next to our bed! And also that a portacot IMHO, would be a much better investment. My mother bought mine for $90 at kmart (I thought she was mad!) but it is the best thing ever!
Not only did it fit into our room better but now if we have visitors with bubs, they use it. They're also great for outdoors if you don't want bubs crawling on grass or mud! Ha ha like a little play pen.
You can buy them now with newborn and change table inserts which are really groovy too.

[talon]

we borrowed a bassinette off a friend for bubs and it was the best! I was able to take it around the house with me and at night parked it right next to me in our bedroom. DS only lasted 3 months in it as he is quite a long baby and started to outgrow it. He then went into his own room into a cot with no probs.

we also bought a port-a-cot and it is worth its weight in gold. we take it everytime we stay away from home. they fold up quite small for a port-a-cot and it has wheels so once it is folded away and in the bag you can wheel it around to move it or put it away.

at the moment ds is sleeping in the port-a-cot in our bedroom for the air-con. they really are a good investment. and for the next bub i probably wouldn't borrow or buy a bassinette again as our port-a-cot has the bassinette insert in it. so will save us having to spend the money to buy one! :)

[sugar n spice]

Hi girls
I used a cot and snuggle bed with first and i found the snuggle bed fantastic. The second time round my SIL gave me her bassinet. I found it convenient to be able to move ds#2 into the lounge etc, though i thought the mattress was very uncomfortable, yet bub slept well in it. By about 6 or 8 wks he was too big for it and i wanted to move him to his own room so i used my snuggled bed from DS#1 and placed it in the cot, he loved it. I find the snuggle bed fantastic and you can take it with you when visiting or travelling and place it in a porta cot. When DS#2 grew out of it and had to sleep in the cot on the normal mattress it took him longer to sleep. I think this was due to the fact that he was supported all the way aroung. I soon bought i fimer cot matress and he sleeps incredibly well. I have never had much of a sleeping problem with either of my DS.
:)