Cot or Not to Cot??

Hi everyone,

Just wondering where did you put your Bubs for sleeping when you first brought them home. Did you put them straight into their cot or a bassinet or a craddle or what??

I'm just so confused. I thought I was going to use my cot but then I thought about using a second hand bassinet and just put it in the cot but the bassinet looks a bit dodgy and now I've had an offering of a second hand craddle that hasn't been used ever and only 2 years old. I just don't know which way I should go.

Any advice or stories would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

We used a bassinette on wheels for the first three months and then they all went into a cot. And that suited us fine.

I would take the cradle because for the first little bit you might like the put the baby in your room and I think they can feel a little more secure in a cradle/bassinette instead of a big cot IYKWIM? Or you can put it in the lounge room or something like that if you want too.

We had a friends family bassinette in our bedroom for a little while - it hung at both ends, but Jordy kept moving off centre, so ended up lying against the side before too long

We then put it on top of two chairs against the wall

Once he outgrew that, maybe 8 weeks of age, he went to the cot - still in our bedroom though

He did look very small in it to begin with but he's not so bad, or we are used to it now

Jen wants to keep him in our room for the first 6 months - I'm hoping it's not quite that long

We had a bassinette for Matilda but she never slept in it. We borrowed it from a friend & we tried twice, but instead she co-slept with us for the first 10 weeks and then went into her cot. This time around I have bought a baby hammock for this one.

We put Kynan in a cot but we bought something called the 'cot safe insert' and put that inside the cot. We would take the insert out and put it on the lounge, floor, or wherever so he could sleep pretty much anywhere. He slept in the insert until he was about 5.5-6 months.

Indah went straight into a big cot in her own room...

I am liking the hammock idea for the next one... But as it's our last... BOO HOO... I dont wnat to go getting stuffr I'll not REALLY need!??

Angel - can you fill me in a bit more about a cot insert. I haven't heard about them before. Where can I buy one and how much are they? It sounds like it might be a good investment.

We got it ages ago... probably with my 1st PG back in 2003 so I'm not sure if they're still around. We got ours in a baby shop in Launceston (Tas). It's such a great product - not like the usual snuggle bed things you see around. If you go here you can see some piccies of Kynan in his. If you Google 'cotsafe' you should be able to find some info on it although it all seems to be overseas stuff.

Kel,

Charlie currently sleeps in a cradle, but it looks like he'll be out of it soon, much earrlier than we anticipated. Even though a cradle is a bit bigger than a bassinet, it still turned out to be too small for a baby who is a bit of a wiggler in his sleep.

We have a hammock which Yasin stayed in until he was about 10 months old. I oved it because I could bounce it with a fingertip and he slept really well in it. Also it collapses easily for travelling. Imran was meant to sleep in it too but he's moved into our bed and he's such a snuggly, cuddly little person (especially on the cold nights) that I think he'll be there at least until the end of winter.

Mackenzie was in a cradle in our lounge room (which was close to our bedroom) for the first 2 months. Then we moved her to her cot in her room. It was great for us as we watched TV, talked on the phone etc and she got use to all the noise and slept well. We could also see what she was doing (ie was she awake, asleep etc) which helped us to learn her routine and crys. We have moved house so for the next one I'll probably just put them straight into a cot if they are a good sleeper but if not then the cradle will probably be used again as we are in a double storey house now and I don't fancy running up and down the stairs all day! Lazy I know!

I don't think there's one right way to go - your bed, sidecar, hammock, bassinet, cot, etc it just depends on what you prefer and what works when you're putting your baby down to sleep. The big advantage of a cot is that if you put them into it from day one, they get used to it and can stay there for the first few years, until they either grow out of it or learn to climb over the edge. A bassinet would be better if you want to move it from room to room, but of course they grow out of it relatively soon, as they do with a cradle. Cradles and hammocks are good it you want to settle baby by rocking or swinging.

With our #1 we began with co-sleeping plus bassinet, then moved him into a cot, but ended up going to a bed quite soon as he didn't like the cot much. #2 started exclusively co-sleeping and now spends some time in the cot, having never used the bassinet.

It doesn't matter what you decide as long as you're happy with it and you've considered the safety guidelines,

Sushee - I was thinking about you the other day!! The doppler I bought from you was the best purchase I ever made. I still use it to this day when we have a quiet day. I can't believe I've almost made it!! Not long now for me!! It's great to hear from you. I hope everything is OK with Charlie.

Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I know I would prefer them to sleep on their own in a craddle or a cot and not in my bed right from the start but we'll see what happens when this one actually arrives. I might get the craddle and see what works when we get home from the hospital.

Thanks everyone but more opinions are welcome with open arms!!

Kel. Charlie partially co-slept with us (part of the night in his cradle, part of the night in bed with us) until about 3 days ago, when he just wouldn't settle in our bed. So now we no longer co-sleep. I'm devastated coz I did enjoy my early morning cuddles!

I'll be looking out for your birth announcement, too! Wasn't that long ago we were both pg! Lol!

With the girls I used a cradle next to my bed until they were 5 months old and then moved them into a cot. With Sammy we had a bassinette. I loved how I could move it all around the house but he was only in it for 3 months before he moved into his cot.

Jo

I put a snuggle bed in teh cot and it was FABULOUS. Infact only got rid of it when she was just over 6 months. THat way she was used to the cot, but snuggled and cosy at the same time. My best investment xo

Due to his prematurity, Gus was quite small (2.3kg) when he finally came home from hospital at 9wks old. We had planned to put him straight into his cot, however he just seemed to little. We used the bassinet part of a Valco pram (not on the pram base but rather on a special stand with wheels) for the first couple of weeks until he grew a little bigger. We moved him into his cot when he was about 2.55kg. he ha! We used bassinet size blankets for him in the cot as the cot blankets were just toooo big for such a little bundle.

We were planning to go straight to the cot, but she wouldn't settle in it when we first brought her home... So we got a bassinette... And ended up only using it for day sleep (it was still worth it to be able to wheel her to different spots in the house) because now we're co-sleeping, and have been since about 2 weeks :)

We put DS into a bassinet on wheels, and had him in the family room thru the day, and our bedroom at night til he was 4 months old!!! I wanted to keep him in the bedroom next to me for as long as i could.:) Then once he turned 4 months i had to move him into the cot in his bedroom.:crying: I missed him!
I do think they feel more secure in the bassinet, as it is a similar size to the hospital crib.

We are still using the cradle for Lucy that she's been in since she came home from the hospital. As it's a decent size (Boori) I think she'll be in it for a couple more months at least. The rocking action is really good, even though I don't use it that much now. It's much easier to get her in and out of the cradle than it would be in a cot. And since it's on wheels there is the option of putting it in our room (we haven't done that, but you could if you wanted to).

Like you, we've borrowed this from friends. I just couldn't justify spending hundreds of dollars on one when they're only in it for six months! I'm hoping they'll let us keep it for #2 as well since they've finished.

Looking back, one thing I wish - that I didn't spend all that money on a cot and upgraded to a king sized bed instead!!! My daughter would never go in the cot and we loved co-sleeping anyway, then the second came along it was hilarious. Second is mostly in his bed now at 3, but our 5 year old is the one still sneaking in, and I just wish we had more room! I love co-sleeping, its the best, love the snuggles, but could have done without some aches and pains along the way!!!

DD was in the same room as me for the first two months - for day and night sleeps. So for day sleeps she was in her pram bassinette with me in the living room (or the bathroom if I was having a shower) and at night she was in a cradle next to the bed. Until she started getting her legs through the sides so then I used the pram bassinette on the floor.

So really, I could have done without the cradle but I liked the option of rocking her to sleep if she was having trouble. Having the pram bassinette was FANTASTIC especially because I had a dodgy back so really couldn't walk/bend very much and it meant I could wheel her around rather than having to carry her and walk to and from the bedroom. Plus, I reckon she got used to sleeping amidst noise. She has even fallen asleep on the floor at mothers group surrounded by crying and squealing babies.

At about 6 months (and after I'd prevaricated for MONTHS about what cot to get!), we transferred her to that but still in our room. I reckon it took her a couple of days to get used to it but no big dramas really. One of the bonuses of putting them in a cot quite late is that they look tiny again - it was like having a newborn again.

I've seen some bassinette sized things on a European site that have only one side I think and you wheel it next to the bed. So for night-time wakings all you have to do is reach in and get baby out. That would have been perfect for me because I was a bit too nervous to actually have her in bed with me when she was so tiny. DP did, mind you, and I did occasionally when I got my confidence up! Of course, now I wish I'd done it more often and I look for any excuse to put her in with me!

We put DS in a cradle that is in our family. He was only in it for 6 weeks so glad i didnt buy one myself, wouldve been a waste of money. He slept in it in our room for the first night.. then we were awake all night with his grunting and moaning in his sleep that we put him outside or door the next night. After a few nights we decided to put him in the cradle in his room and will be doing that from word go with Keira too.

My little girl was in a baby bouncer/cradle for the first 5 weeks in our room, then off to her own cot in her room after that. I think its more of a matter of what suits YOU, your budget, the borrowings/ hand-me-downs. I dont think it really "matters" - years ago friends of my mother were very poor and when an unexpected bub came along they really had nothing for it - so for the first few weeks of its little life it slept in a padded draw! (pulled out of the tall boy of course;) ). Just goes to show its all just perception, not what we really need.

co sleeping is nice, till your child is still doing it at age 7 and seems to be able to sleep in the shape of a nazi swastika - its amazing to wake up with an elbow in the face and a foot in the tummy :rolleyes:

We plan on co-sleeping but we have a cot as well next to our bed (for day sleeps/first evening sleep etc). Decided not to bother with a cradle/bassinet etc. Probably should have gone the king sized bed :lol:

I used a bassinette next to our bed when we first brought Madeleine home from hospital. Then after a few weeks she didn't like the bassinette anymore and we tried to put her down in her cot. She doesn't like that either. She has been co-sleeping with us since then and she's now 9 weeks old. Through the day, she'll only sleep in her bouncer.

Whatever works I say! She sleeps from 9pm-6am with us so that works wonders, no more night feeding. She loves sleeping with Mummy, I love her beside me. We initially got worried that she'll never go into her own cot/bed but there are people that say it's hard to put them in their own bed after co-sleeping and some say it was easy. I guess it depends on the child so we'll see. But for now, it works and she is very happy so that's all that matters.

Good luck!