Bassinets and cots

Hi

Just would like to know if people think its really necessary to have a bassinet before a cot? Or is it ok to use a cot when baby first comes home and just put the baby and blanket etc at the end of the cot?

I just ask this because I have no idea on what I should be getting. Someone offered me a bassinet and cot, then took back the offer (grrrr to them!), and theres no one else that can give me one they are no longer using, so it looks like we will have to buy them ourselves.. so I'm just wanting to get some feedback on whether you really need a bassinet or did just the cot do?

Also, if you have a bassinet, how big is it? Would it be, say the size of a washing basket on legs or are they much larger? I've never even seen a bassinet before, so I'm realy unknowledgeable when it comes to this sort of thing. I havent had the chance to go to a baby shop just yet, so just trying to gather some ideas at the moment.

thanks in advance for you help!

Hi Karina

I only had cots when I bought my boys home from hospital, but admittedly they would not settle in what probably seemed like a wildnerness to them after having been so snug for so long :) They ended up sleeping in their rockers for at least a month (not recommended as they don't lay flat enough). That said, some babies seem to settle well in a cot from the word go! Next time around I am thinking of investigating those baby hammocks, they are suppose to be brilliant.

Good luck with your search!

Karina,

Have you thought about a baby hammock? Olivia & Charlie (and Alexandra, when we get home!) have all used a baby hammock for at least 9 months, then moved to a cot.......

Let me know if you want more info.....

We have been using a bassinet since we bought Tori home from hospital and it has been great, in the early days I had it where ever I was in the house during the day, so that was usually out in the living room, and at night we had her in the bedroom with us which was also great when she was waking up lots because I could just lean out of bed and get her and feed in bed. We are only just now talking about moving her into her cot at night (she has been sleeping in it in the day for the last month or so) because she is starting to get to big for her bassinet.

Hi Karina,we used a cot straight away as this was all we had. Next time (hopefully not too far away) we will be buying(or hiring) a bassinette because our first baby will probably still be in the cot. We think we might hire as they aren't in them for all that long. It's up to you and your finances. Happy baby shopping.

We will use the pram bassinette for the first 4 weeks as my dad is coming to stay and we don't have a spare room for him to use so he will have the babies room. We also did the same with Alexander when he was born but i do prefer them in their own room as i sleep better that way.

Thanks for your responses. I'm still not too sure on the bassinet idea, and at this stage, I'm just leaning towards a cot only. Also, I dont want to have to buy both only to use the bassinet for a short while, as it sounds like we'd only use it for a couple of months anyway. Maybe if we could hire one it would be quite handy though. I might look into that. I know you can hire capsules, maybe same with bassinets?
With the bassinet: are they normally on wheels so you can move it around?

Lucy, can you tell me more about the hammocks? Are they attached to a frame or do they hang from the ceiling? Do thy have a little mattress in them? Do they move when baby moves or are they secure?

I am sorry for all the Q's. I really am completely clueless on all this.
I'm the youngest in my family so have never had a baby in the house before.

Karina if you google baby hammocks you should see some great Amby hammocks. That is the one Lucy has as well as we do now too!! I can't wait to use it.

They are attached to the frame, are really secure & have a mattress :)

Ive always used a cradle or bassinette for the first 3-4 months. Ive found it so useful in being able to move it around the house according to where I am. Bassinettes are just fantastic in how smooth and portable they are...and are relatively cheap for how long you use them for.

Jo

I was surprised at how cheap the bassinett was as well Jo.

I used the bassinett for the first 3 months maybe... being a winter bub it was great to keep him warm and right by my side in my bedroom. There was no way I could fit a cot in my room so the bassinet came in handy. It was also excellent for being able to easily prop up the mattress a little which helped HEAPS when Em had a cold and was congested. They generally do have wheels (at least mine does) and I moved it into the nursery for a week or so before moving him permanently into the cot (which we had no hassles with BTW). I did think it would be great for wheeling around the house but my house is small so he generally stayed in one spot lol!

The hammocks are great too though I've never used one myself. With the hammock you could even put off the purchase of the cot until after bubs is born which could work well for you.

We bought a second hand bassinette of a close friend for about $40 I think? It was in very good condition.
I was basically like a big open cane basket about the size of a large laundry basket, and that sat on a trolley with wheels.
It sat next to our bed for the first 4m, and then we moved the cot into our room where she stayed for another 2m.
I definitly rate the bass, and would only change moving the next one out of our room a little earlier.
If you can pick up a reliable second hand one, I would go that way.

My babies have always settled more easily into something smaller than a full sized cot for the first 4-5 months. I agree they find the space of a full size cot a bit overwhelming at first. Also the mobility of a bassinette or cradle is very very handy. Luckily we discovered all this with our first when we were leant an old fashioned white wicker bassinette... it was also on wheels which made smooth moving around the house easy. After we returned the bassinette and planned our further children we knew that we wanted a similar arrangement so got a second hand cradle. Having an Emmaljunga pram with a bassinette attachment as well as the seat has also been wonderful.

Our 3 month old baby at the moment is sleeping mainly in the pram bassinette and the cradle... after his 3am feed we co sleep if he won't resettle into the cradle beside my bed (we do the same as Ali). We are now putting him into his full size cot for day sleeps which is working well.

So I highly reccommend borrowing or buying something smaller than a full sized cot for the first few months. Good luck.

Kaitlyn was in a bassinette for the first 3months and then moved into a cot. She was a very unsettled baby and I think the bassinette was smaller and she felt more secure.

Thanks for all your replies. Has definately given me something to think about. Initially I wasnt interested in the bassinet, but now its starting to sound like not such a bad idea..

Ooh Karina I had to reply because you're due on my birthday :)
We had a cradle, but for the next one I'm either going to get a bassinette or a hammock. Darcy learn't to roll sideways very early and kept hitting her head on the side of the old fashioned cradle, hence we had her in a cot pretty early. The wheels really appeal to me as it's nice not to have to wake them if youneed to move them somewhere.