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

When we have our baby, we would like to have our baby sleeping in our room for the first 3-6 months. We are quite restricted for space, and don't think that we could fit a cot in next to the bed. I have seen some portable cots that are a little smaller than normal cots but still big enough to last quite a while and thought we could squueze one of these in instead of a normal cot.

i have read that portable cots are not really safe. is this true?

i would prefer to use a cot rather than a bassinet so that we don't have to spend as much money, and also because I would like to pull it right up to my bedside as a side car to make it easier for breastfeeding.

I am also looking into carry baskets that you either put on the floor next to your bed or put onto a bedside tabel so that it is in line with the bed. anyone had experience with their baby sleeping in a carry basket every night for the first 3 months?

HI flower girl

DD slept in a carry basket for the first 2 months and then a bassinette until 3 months b4 going in to a cot in her own room

Up to 6 months it isnt safe for a permanent sleep in a portacot as the hard flat base is not a good support for bub to sleep on.

In saying that DD has been in a portacot permanently since 9 months and will continue in her portacot until she is in a big bed (as we need the cot for bub #2 in a few months).

We have a proper mattress in the portacot for her designed especially for the portacot (about an inch thick).. HOwever this ARE NOT SAFE for bubs at the age you are looking as there is a chance they can roll over between the mattress and size and suffocate.

I am happay to have dd in there with mattress as she is older and can walk now, get herself off her tummy and the risk is reduced but i am sure a lot of girls wouldnt approve of a permanent sleeping arrangement.

Perhaps a moses basket or see if you can buy a bassinette or cot second hand?

Hi pinkpalace

thanks for your reply, and yes, I think i will go for either a moses basket or a bassinet. Do you know if you can pull a bassinet right up to your bedside and have it in line with your bed (are they adjustable height-wise?)

I dont think the trolleys you can adjust height. I always had dd in the bassinette on the floor or actually in the cot next to me?

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!!:D

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?

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?

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.

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

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.

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.