Any reason why DS can't sleep in a travel cot in our room every night?

[BigTeuchLittleTeuch]

That's it really...anyone use a travel cot instead of proper cot, once baby has outgrown moses basket?

We have 2 cotbeds, one of which is 'bed' status for boy 1 and the other awaiting boy 2 when ready - I can't really face buying a cot as well just to fit in our room.

Any recommendations on mattresses for said travel cot?

Thank you kindly!!

[toomuchmonthatendofthemoney]

its not recommended as travel cots do not provide the correct level of support for young spines/backs/necks for regular longterm sleep.
They are ok for occasional but longterm you could potentially be putting your baby's physical development (posture, strength, muscle and bone alignment etc) at risk.

If you need an analogy to help, how would you feel if you had to sleep on a halfinflated wobbly lilo for 2 years? not great i would think! Hope this helps, bite the bullet and get a proper cot for your precious little one.

[MinkyBorage]

The matresses on travel cots seem very thin, but I can't see any reason why you couldn't buy a proper mattress for a travel cot if they're the same size.

[BigTeuchLittleTeuch]

So, if I had a proper, well-fitting mattress would that be okay?

[browny]

BTLT, Hi, we bought a very expensive cot bed for my first daughter, she hated it as she kept banging her head and getting her arms stuck through the bars so we bought a travel cot and she slept through the night for the first time ever! We bought a new one for our dd2, then ds1, ds2 and recently bought a Graco one for our new baby girl. She's starting to outgrow her moses basket now she's almost five months, so she'll be sleeping in her travel cot then.

I bought the additional mattress for comfort for the travel cot and it looks soft and cosy. All my children have slept amazing well, none have problems at all, so I'd say go for it!

[Spero]

My daughter slept in a travel cot once she'd grown out of her moses basket for about four months. I haven't noticed any problems whatsoever with her physical development and she is now four. I think children are a bit more robust than some posters suggest.

[namechangedforhelp]

toomuchmonth - do you have any links to evidence?

[tangarine]

Ds2 slept in a large travel cot from 15 months until his third birthday or thereabouts. It wasn't intentional, but just worked out that way.

[MollieO]

If you have two cotbeds why can't you use one as a cot? I used a travel got when we went away but ds would never ever sleep in it as he did t like the mesh sides. Why don't you see if you can borrow a cot and buy a new mattress?

[BigTeuchLittleTeuch]

MollieO - it's purely a space issue, although we did have a bit of building and rebuilding when DS1 wouldn't settle in own room and was moved back in with us.

[elkiedee]

Do you already have the travel cot? I just wondered because I saw a proper wooden cot in IKEA last week for less than £30 including the mattress. I'm planning to get one for DS2 (7 weeks old), as DS1 (will be 2 in May) is still using his cot and it would also convert into a bed for him.

[insertwittynicknameHERE]

DD slept in her travel cot from about 2.5 months old as she is very long and quickly outgrew her moses basket. She was fine, nothing wrong with her posture etc, in fact she walked from 8mo. We did get her a proper mattress though from mother care as the one that came with her travel cots didn't look too comfy TBH.

[NellyTheElephant]

No problem at all so long as you buy some sort of extra mattress - the best thing might be to look in yellow pages and see if there is a hardware store local to you that cuts foam. I got a piece of baby mattress foam (there is special type of foam suitable for babies under 6 months) cut for my travel cot for about £12 (I think) when we were going on holiday last year.

[Eyeballsinthesky]

In the dim and distant past, when she was too big for the moses basket but before she decided that her rightful place was between me and DH, DD slept in a travel cot in our room. Was fine. We bought a different mattress for it, but only a Mothercare sponge one and it was great.

Then she got fussy and decided she preferred super kingsize

[girrafey]

We were actually told to use a travel cot for our dd1 by her consultant due to her fits. our ds is in the same one now, and he settles by pushing his face aginst the material and stroking it. we just brought a very good quality matress for both of them. we are hoping ds will stay in his till he is 3 ish, and then go into a mid sleeper due to space issues.

[BigTeuchLittleTeuch]

Thanks for all the advice and feedback people

Can anyone tell me what they regard as 'good quality' mattress? I have looked at a few online but not sure what I should be going for.

[moondog]

Says who Toomuch???
Don't be daft.
Travel cot will be fine.
I'm sure that at least oooh, 2/3 of the world's population do not have access to anatomically correct mattress.
The people that flog this stuff spin you these lines to make you part with your ££££

[mrsbabookaloo]

Thanks for this thread - had been wondering the same myself: in some ways travel cots seem more comfy, without bars to bang against, and then when you go away, you actually take their bed with them.

[Ceolas]

Are travel cots the same size as standard cots? Ours is a weird squarish shape .

Think I might struggle to get a mattress to fit. Can't see why you couldn't use one though.

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

Not sure you need to worry too much about the quality. The travel cot base is hard, so any mattress that would fit.

Mothercare are quite good at working out dimensions.

[Ceolas]

I would only be worried about the size if there was a gap around the mattress because it didn't fit exactly iyswim.