[aquarius9]

Hi all,

I have a baby arriving soon. I am just wondering what sleeping arrangements people have found best. We were thinking of having a moses basket next to the bed for quick easy access to the baby. Anyone used moses baskets? Are they any better/worse than the traditional bassinette? At what age do they move into a cot?

Thanks

[AvadaKedavra]

For DS1 I had a hammock next to the bed and he loved it. But he took 30 minutes to settle each sleep (and he fed three hourly night and day for six months). We spent a lot of our lives patting and shushing. He went into a cot at 5 months, and into his own room at six months. We did a solid week of controlled comforting at 5.5 months and he learnt to self-settle and has been sleeping 12 hours at night and self-settling for naps since.

DS2 hated hated the hammock from day 1, and went on a cot strike at 1 week old. From 1-8 weeks, he slept in our arms during the day, and in bed with us at night. In bed was great because I'd feed him before he really woke up, and so he got used to sleeping long stretches from an early age. At 8 weeks, he went back into his cot (he was waking me up, and I was waking him up in turn) and instantly started sleeping 6-7 hours in a row, and three weeks later is sleeping 7-10 hours in a row overnight. He still has all his day naps in a sling as I'm hardly about to spend 20-30 min settling him in order to achieve a 30-40 minute nap! (they don't start to consolidate day sleeps until 4-5 months).

I'm not much of a hippie, but I do think that having DS2 close 24/7 at an early age really helped 'set' his circadian rhythm early on. He got used to sleeping long stretches at a time overnight (because he was attuned with our rhythms, and because it was so easy to re-settle him before he actually woke), and I get to go about my life during the day regardless of when he 'should' and 'shouldn't' sleep.

Anyway, that's a really indirect answer to your question. I do think every baby is different, and its hard to know what 'product' to have. If I'd bought the hammock, or even a bassinet for this baby, I'd be annoyed at the money spent because he would NOT sleep on his own for essentially the first two months. And no amount of 'teaching' helps babies at that age, they are what they are, until about 4-5 months. And by the time he would, he was well big enough for his cot. And I wanted him on the other side of the room and he can be loud and grunty.

They are used for such a short time, can you borrow a moses basket or bassinet, and buy a cot? You will definitely need a cot eventually unless you plan on co-sleeping long term... And you really can put them in a cot from day 1 if you want.

[Sophie11]

I did the moses basket for the first baby...but with number two he just went straight into the cot.

[kelbelblue]

i used a moses basket next to the bed with my baby, was great for peace of mind especially with first bub It only lasted us about 2 months, now I have moved her into a cot in our room a few metres from the bed. The basket would probably have lasted longer if she liked to be wrapped...
I loved it because it was so easy to move around, light weight and looks cute

[greenthumbs]

They are used for such a short time, can you borrow a moses basket or bassinet, and buy a cot? You will definitely need a cot eventually unless you plan on co-sleeping long term... And you really can put them in a cot from day 1 if you want.

+ 1


DS was in a borrowed bassinette from Day 1, then into sidecar arrangement of cot, still is at 10 months.

I have a moses basket for my next one, but only because I stumbled across one for $20. I like the fact that they are lower than a traditional bassinette (and they look so nice ) because I can have it next to the bed and see into it without having to get up myself, but I would never have bought one at the normal price of 100's as bubs will only be in it for about 3 months or so - if that.

If I couldn't borrow a bassinette/moses basket, it'd be straight into the cot or co-sleeping.

[Felix101]

I was leant a bassinet and a Moses basket. I've used the Moses basket in the living area for day sleeps, although at 6 weeks he's just about grown out of it (and I'm really not sure what I'm going to do!!, but thinking its a good chance to start getting DS used to a cot...), and the bassinet is next to the bed for night.

I love having both and it works really well for me, and more importantly for DS (well I assume it does! He doesn't comment on the situation but certainly does sleep well), but as a PP said, unfortunately it can depend on the baby.

If I didn't borrow both and had to buy myself - I'd certainly have a bassinet for next to the bed but probably couldn't justify the cost of the Moses basket for 6 weeks (unless I found a cheap secondhand one...).

[soontobegran]

I used a cane bassinette on wheels for several months for all my babies.
I loved the fact it could follow me around the house and stay beside me in the bedroom.
OP, if you buy one make sure it is long/wide/deep enough to last for awhile.

[Jenflea]

I bought a bassinet and my baby used it for 7 months or so, till she moved into her own room in the cot. Mine could detach like a moses basket and be carried around the house or if we went to family so she could sleep in it.
I'd certainly use it again if I had another baby, we don't have room for a cot in our room and I wanted her in my room as long as possible.

[alxase]

Both of mine went straight into the cot when we got home from hospital, no problems at all.