Help us decide - do we keep the crib

[JamieJay]

Needs some opinions please and have lost all decision making skills during this pregnancy and DH agrees with whichever argument I put forward!

A few weeks ago we bought a rocking crib and mattress, have since been offered a cotbed by a work colleague which we are picking up this weekend. My first thought was to use the cotbed from birth and return the crib and mattress to get the refund, we?re not desperate for the money but don?t like the thought of wasting it.

The downside of the cotbed is it won?t fit along side our bed; it would need to go in the alcove opposite the end of the bed so every time I/we had to see to the baba we?d have to get up and walk round the bed and across to the cot. Admittedly it?s not exactly far but when compared with the thought of being able to reach across and rock the crib / pat baby / straighten blanket etc. without getting out of bed it?s not very appealing.

Obviously the crib may only last 3 ? 4 months but making life easier even for that short period would be welcome.

Am I being lazy or is having the crib next to bed in the early days worth it?

[littleoldme]

Ds was delivered by ecs which made him sleeping next to our bed a must for the first couple of weeks. We had him in a moses basket which also has the benefit of being easy to take downstairs for day time naps. He went straight from that into a in his own room. He was such a noisy sleeper that we couldn't keep in our room.

Do bare in mind that when you are knackered and possibly a little sore getting out bed is a big effort.

Also, if you donlt have basket for him , many babies find a cot a bit cavernous when new born and on't settle easily.

Good luck with it all X

[catinthehat2]

Don't waste your money, get the refund. Otherwise your house will be full of baby furniture you have to get rid of.

[CarGirl]

My babies never spend very long in with me (I couldn't sleep with them there!) so went straight into a cot. HOwever despite all being huge babies they went in the moses basket and then the basket went in the cot as suggested as above!

[hazeyjane]

I would keep the crib, we used ours for months with dd1 and then dd2,and will use it again for dc3. I really liked being able to rock it with my foot, reach over and get dds out and it didn't take up much room.

[JamieJay]

DH hates moses baskets, don't ask - cannot get him to change his mind, hence the crib in the first place. Will be using the carrycot downstairs for naps in the early days.

So far, it's a split - any other views??

Thanks for the good luck littleoldme

[CarGirl]

Why don't you buy a 2nd hand crib and just get a new mattress?

[vicbar]

Im on no 4 and have a crib by the bed a cot bed in the babies room ready for when they move up and a moses basket I keep that downstairs.
Could you not take the crib back and get a moses basket instead ? It would be cheaper and you can fit it next to the bed and they are great for having downstairs as well ? - you can get a new mattress for about £15 and a 2nd hand one would be about £10.
BTW you alwyas have too much baby stuff tis the way of the world

[JamieJay]

x-posted haazeyjane 1 more for keep.

If I'm honest I think I want to keep the thing and am looking for people to justify/agree with that decision but will sleep on it and see what everyone has to say

Thanks

[imamissandamummy]

my dd was a small slender baby and was swaddled for aaaaages. as a result, she was in moses basket until 6.5 months. (couldn't have done this if she wasnt swaddled so snugly) but just to say... it depends on your baby how much use you will get from it.

some people will say they used a basket/crib for a few weeks only,
others will tell you of its longevity (like me)

have a look at both the crib and cotbed and decide what you want to see your newborn lying in. (lay a newborn sleepsuit in each one to give you perspective!) if the moneys no object, id say keep the crib and ebay/freecycle or keep it for the next one once baby goes into the cotbed.

hth x

[JeanLouiseFinch]

We have a crib. Dd is 5 months old and we are still using it. It fits beside our bed and it is great to be able to reach her.

[JamieJay]

Thanks for all the comments.

Just tried DH on the moses basket again - still a firm no.

imamissandamummy it was the thought of the newborn in the crib that had me buying it in the first place , but in my defence it was on special offer when I got it so save 25% on the price.

Will think about the 2nd hand option though cargirl

Thanks again

[MrsTicklemouse]

We have this crib that DS2 was in until 7 months and now the boys have it in their room as a bench

I love it and wish we'd had it when DS1 was born

[edwardcullensotherwoman]

I would say keep it - sleep deprived and sore you'll be very glad you did in the early days/weeks when you can just sit up and reach out for the baby rather than heave yourself out of bed and stumble across the room for him/her. I had a moses basket (but can see that's a big no for you!) and it was brilliant to have ds right beside the bed in the early weeks of multiple night feeds.

Also it saves having to heave furniture around/take apart and rebuild when the baby moves to his/her own room.

As someone else said if the money isn't a huge issue use it for as long as need be then ebay/freecycle it. It's more than likely that if you only use it for a couple of months, you'll have seen it as invaluable compared to the alternative

[japhrimel]

A cotbed is even bigger than a normal cot, so the LO might be a bit lost in it at first. I think you really do want to have the baby by the bed to make life easier, so TBH, I'd keep it.

[MumNWLondon]

I am a light sleeper and each DC has lasted around 3 weeks in our room, every little sniffle kept me awake. We bought a crib with DC1 and so 3 DC later have used it for a totally of 9 weeks.

But its personal choice some people like having the baby right beside them... I was just trying to show another angle..

[floris10]

it sounds as if you want to keep the crib, so why not get yr 3-4 months use out of it then put away for your next little one. i am going to borrow a 20+ yr old crib from a friend, its still in great condition as she stores it well .. will just buy another mattress and add my babies name to the rocking legs once ive finished with it .. so far, there are babies 12 names on it !

[JamieJay]

Thanks everyone - have had a chat with DH and have decided to keep the crib

[jazzandh]

Good choice! Crib at night in your room, then once a little bit bigger - daytime naps in cot in own room (then they are used to it and it is an easy transition).

[BertieBotts]

Honestly you need to do anything to reduce the workload in the early days with night feeds, especially if you are breastfeeding and all the responsibility is on you. I am even more lazy and just had the baby in the bed with me but I understand not everyone wants to do that.

I think a crib and a cotbed is a good combination, because a cotbed is huge for a newborn, but you can use it until age 5-7 depending on the size of your child, whereas a normal cot you only use until age 2 or so. So even if you use the crib for 6-9 months you get good use out of the cotbed as well.