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Maybe you've already made the decision to co-sleep with your baby. But other moms who will be putting their new babies in their own beds often wrangle with what's better -- a bassinet, a cradle, or straight to the crib.
But with a newborn the crib just seems so ... big. Not cozy at all. At least that's the way I felt.
KaetlinC was even wondering if it's safe to put a newborn straight in the crib.
Tons of moms in the Advice for Moms thread said they put their babies into the crib from day one with no problem. It is perfectly safe as long as the crib is safe (in good condition; without gaping slats that can catch a head or limb; no bumpers, pillows, loose blankets or stuffed animals) and you plug in a baby monitor if the crib is in another room.
Moms said bassinets are great for those who are breastfeeding, since those babies wake up more frequently than formula-fed infants. You can put the bassinet right next to your bed. Plus, new moms check on their babies all night long, and this will save you a few groggy-eyed steps.
I used a bassinet the first couple of months for both my children for exactly those two reasons. My babies were only arms length away from my bed, so when they were hungry, I'd just sit up, reach over, grab the kid, and plop them down next to me in bed. Often we'd both fall asleep and I'd put them back later. Worked like a charm.
A couple months later when they started to sleep a little longer I felt comfortable putting them in the crib, which, with a couple more pounds of kissable little baby fat filling up the space, didn't seem as cold and cavernous anymore.
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Comments (16)
Funny enough, we bought a crib for my son...he ended up co-sleeping (while breastfeeding it was easier for me) so he never slept in his crib. LOL
My daughter is formula fed and she sleeps all night. You'd think I would put her to bed in the crib in her own room, but it just seems so far away and she'd seem so small and all alone. So she sleeps in her travel sized pack n' play in our bedroom - literally two feet from my bed.
So far, the crib has been largely unused (except for the occasional nap or two)...so in reality, we could have saved a lot of money by not purchasing a crib at all. A bassinet in the livingroom and a pack n' play in our room was all we really needed. Oh well, live and learn I guess...LOL
Co-sleeping all the way. We have a queen sized bed so I didn't think it was enough room for the baby to sleep on the edge safely. The solution? Push the crib with one side off (in toddler bed mode if yours does it) against the wall, push my bed up against it. Make sure it's even and voila. Of course, we don't use the crib, lol, but she's not rolling off.
Co-sleeping isn't the right solution for everyone, of course. There are rules to co-sleeping and if you can't follow them then you're putting the baby in danger. For those who can't co-sleep, put the baby in the room with you. There are rules to crib and bassinet sleeping, as well. Make sure you know them so your baby is safe. Studies do show, though, that babies are healthier and sleep better when mommy is near so sleeping in the same room is recommended. : D
We had an old used bassinet that someone gave us when our oldest was born. The wheels were missing on the legs and since our bed was just a mattress on the floor we folded the legs up and just wedged it between the bed and wall so the baby was always within arms' reach. All 4 of our kids slept in that bassinet.
We didn't even get a crib until our oldest was 7 months. That week I found out I was pregnant with our 2nd child. He slept mostly in his carseat the first 3 months because of reflux and then in the bassinet (although he had basically outgrown it by then) and then the pack-n-play until the was 10 months old and his sister (then 2) moved out of the crib.
He only used the crib for 10 months then started climbing out and our 3rd child (then 7 months) moved from the pack-n-play to the crib.
Our youngest used the bassinet until she was 10 months old. Because it was on the floor we didn't worry about her falling out and it wasn't until she was 10 months that she started crawling out of it. She slept in the pack-n-play until she was 2 and then got her own bed.
I had a cradle for one and a pack-n-play with the bassinet top for my latest. I co-sleep with my first but that was not a good option with the others. So I wanted them in their own beds but I didn't want them that far from me so the cradle or bassinet were the way to go for us. My 8 yo only stayed with us in our room for a couple of weeks when he started sleeping through the night. Our youngest just made the move at 11 weeks to her room now that she sleeps through the night. Now the pack-n-play will be used at families houses when we visit and when we travel.
We bought a crib while I was pregnant because it seemed the thing to do.
Never put her in it once, she's 2 and has slept every night since birth between us in our bed - we all sleep great, co-sleeping is fantastic.
Co-sleeping! That way I actually GET sleep. I have a cosleeper, but Aurora wakes up the second she's put down.
www.ambybaby.com
Amby bed was literally sent down from heaven for my reflux baby, I swear it.
It may sound horrible, but both of mine slept in their swing until they were about 5 months old. Neither one of them would sleep on their backs. We have a cradle - which has pretty much never been used except for the occasional time when we were in the shower (but mostly used the pack and play). Both girls have had their own cribs. The cribs were used exclusively when they turned about 5 months old and could roll over on their own. Once they could do that, they had no problem sleeping in their cribs. We're hoping our new addition will actually sleep on his back and then he will be in his own room in his crib.
All 3 of my kids never cared for the bassinet. They all slept in there crib with a sleep positioner. It worked for me. My baby girl, 3 1/2 months, loves her crib and enjoys sleeping in it. she has been sleeping through the night since about 2 1/2 months now. I love it. They also all slept on there tummies and I have never had a problem. I think, it just depends on the child.
Both of mine slept in a pack-n-play. My DD slept in hers till she was probably about 9 months old and my son will be 7 months tomorrow and still sleeps in his.