Are portable cots safe for babies to sleep in every night?

[Pretty Butterfly]

Kane has been in the porta cot since birth, as his brother is still in the cot!!

I put the snuggle bed in the porta cot till about 4 months, now he just uses the porta cot, cushioned with padded blankets, under a fitted sheet. Works perfect, and we still get to have him in our room!!

[flower gal]

thanks, yes the snuggle beds look great too. can you use these sitting on a table next to the bed? Rather than in the cot or in bed?

[Snacks]

Hiya flower gal, I personally wouldn't sleep bubs on a table, even in a snuggle bed. I'd use the port a cot with the snuggle bed inside, or else get one of those portacots with the bassinette attachments.
I didn't think you could adjust the height of portacots to have bubs sleeping beside you side-car style?
Personally, I think Australia has very good safety standards and so I've never had a worry about portacots. It is only when you are using extra bedding (blankets, doonas, pillows, ill-fitting mattresses) that you need to be particularly mindful of safety issues IMO.
Also, are the portacots you've seen that much smaller than regular cots?

[flower gal]

thanks for your advice. yes, i have been thinking it could be unsafe to have a basket or snuggle bed sitting on a table.

I'm thinking that a bassinet would probably be our best option. And then after 3 or 4 months if we still want to have the baby in our room then we will have to find another option, or try to squeeze a cot in I guess.

[Snacks]

You might be able to find a really cheap one on ebay

[~Trish~]

You can buy actual cot sidecars that are like a portacot, but line up with your bed with the side down (an alternative to co-sleeping with bub in your actual bed). I'm not exactly sure what they are called though, but you could probably Google them?

ETA - Google "Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper" (within Australia). You can buy them online at Mothers Direct.

[ShootingStar]

We have a cradle for when Keira comes home from the hospital but if Jesse isnt out of the cot by the time shes grown out of it, she will be going into the porta cot. Was talking to the CHN today and she said its perfectly fine to have them in the porta cot. She said actually alot of people do do that these days as its easier to move the babies around, esp if they sleep in your room.