Moses Basket vs Crib

[Biscuitbreaker]

Sorry - not sure if this is in the right place.

My 2 and a half week old son hates his moses basket and cries when I put him to sleep in it. Tried swaddling, grobags, making it smell like me..

He's a wriggly baby and already moves around lots, so I'm thinking he needs more space. He sleeps well on the bed, but I don't want to co-sleep.

I have a cotbed, but it's in his nursery and too big for the bedroom. I want him to stay in our room for as long as possible (especially whilst I'm breastfeeding).

I'm thinking of getting a crib. My mum told me not too, saying he will whack his face on the bars, and stick his arms out of them etc... I don't know what to do!

Any advice?

xx

[SmethwickBelle]

If he's a thrasher he'll probably thrash whatever you put him in or on! The main thing I'd say is that at two and a half weeks it is probably a bit too early to say what he'll be like in another two and a half weeks - they change by the day so if you possibly can, watch and wait - he may begin to settle in the basket. Just being in the outside world is still all new to him at the moment.

To varying degrees mine did settle better on my chest in those early weeks but I was OK about co-sleeping which I know isn't everyone's choice. I'd co-sleep for a night then give them a night in the basket, then co-sleep if they mithered, alternating until they'd settle in the basket.

We all try a dozen different things in these early weeks though and as his mum you'll have a feeling about what might just work for him. If you think a crib would work (as you can rock it perhaps?) then go with your instincts and get a crib. Sorry if that advice was woolly and contradictory :o

[reddaisy]

I don't really see how a crib would be any better than a moses basket and everyone I know who has bought one has said they have been a bit of a waste of money for them.

A travel cot is a good idea, or could you move him into the moses basket once he is asleep?

He is still only very little so he might change his mind about the moses basket!

[ethelina]

I've got a Saplings Katie crib second hand off eBay. It's much better than than the Moses basket which Boy hated. It's material so no bars, and portable too. I paid about £40 for it and it was worth it as he's been in it now for 4 months.

[ommmward]

How about one of those sidecar jobbies, so that the baby is in their own little space but it is RIGHT next to you? We co-sleep, so I don't really know how to get a baby to like sleeping away from the milk bar, tbh.

[oooggs]

I used a travel cot with the bassinette bit

[JoJoMam]

My eldest wouldn't sleep in a moses basket at all, she wouldn't settle, wriggle all over the place and generally scream. We tried her in her cot in the nursery in the early evening and she relaxed in there fine and slept well. We weren't happy her being in there on her own overnight so young so we ended buying a crib off ebay and bought a brand new mattress to go with it, spending about £30 total (I then used it again for my second and recently ebayed it for £40, yey!).
It made such a difference, she slept so much better. Can you ask around friends, maybe someone has an old one in their attic?

[burmesegrumbler]

My DD wouldn't sleep in her moses basket, like your son, she was able to hold her head up, push her chest up from tummy down and roll on to her side from birth, she slept much better in her Stokke Sleepi cot bed made up as a crib at the end of our bed for the first eight weeks then straight to the full size cot. I think she didn't like not being able to see out of the moses basket (also hated the pram, preferred the pushchair positioned horizontally as she could see out that way). The mattresses in most moses baskets are not very nice, quite thin and hard, we tried a blanket underneath to make it softer, but the key with her was only happy being able to see what was going on outside the cot/pram/car seat etc.

[trixie123]

How far is the nursery from your own room? We put DS in his own room from about 3 weeks old because it seemed like we disturbed each other all night, we couldn't read when we went to bed, it disturbed DH less if I was feeding him next door etc. We live in a small 2 bed terrace so the room is right next to ours and we never even used monitors because you can hear everything. Is that an option?

[Biscuitbreaker]

The nursery is too far to be honest. It seems to be a hit and miss situation doesn't it... I feared as much!

[KirstyAllsoap]

crib was a complete waste of money for us. DD thrashed about and woke herself up by banging the bars. She only slept in it for a couple of weeks then we endded up co-sleeping

[fairimum]

have you tried swaddling?

[Feliena]

we worked out ours hated moses basket cus it was on a base that rocked - but was actually moving with his slightest movment. we then put moses basket in cot and in own room at 5 weeks - best thing we ever did altho we have temperary moved into room next door and have monitor (and wen he was porley i slept on landing)

[LarkinSky]

I had a wooden John Lewis Anna crib for DD, after a Moses basket for the first month.

She slept in it until she was over six months old, and it fit next to my bed much better than a full-size cot. I think she looked much cosier in it, and would definitely recommend. I was lucky enough that my Gran bought it for me, and as I hope to have more children, and it will only get light-ish use from each baby, I hope it will last for years and be a family heirloom.

If cost is an issue I'm sure there are many second-hand bargains on eBay. Hope that helps!