Is a bedside crib really just a glorified bedside table?

[mummytobequestions]

I’m totally overwhelmed with all the options out there to buy.

I want to breastfeed, but I don’t want to cosleep. I have researched how to do it safely just in case but it would be my absolute last resort. Because of this, the side of a bedside crib would always be up in the night for us. I have read that it’s easier to stay alert and awake if you go and feed your baby in another room, like on a nursing chair in their nursery. The side down feature doesn’t seem like it will be that useful to us - though maybe I’m just being naive here!

I know so many people rave about bedside cribs for the convenience, but is it worth it in this situation? I also know a few people who have dubbed it ‘an expensive side table’ and it’s just become storage for baby clothes and quick-to-reach essentials because baby didn’t like it with it being so much bigger than a Moses basket 😂

I’m looking at the larger Moses baskets, like the Shnuggle and Snuzbaskit. They are about the same size mattress wise as a Snuzpod. Wondering if it would be useful instead (certainly cheaper) to have two of these, one upstairs and one downstairs? Or even just two stands?

I need thoughts from people who have been there, done that and got the T-shirt! Much appreciated 😊

You can still have the side down and not co-sleep. That's what it's for. To put the baby down in their own bed but so you can easily put a hand out to them to help them settle. That's not co-sleeping.

I used to get up with DC1 and feed him in another room but only until.i could work out how to latch in the dark. Once I could do it by feel I didn't get up any more. DC2 I was a pro and didn't need to.see what I was doing at all!

Having a Snuzpod type bedside crib makes all your options easier. You can change your mind about co-sleeping in the middle of the night more easily. Or you can keep them in their own space but still able to touch them for comfort.

We had a snuzpod and it was exactly that. I co slept because in reality your baby falls asleep on your breast and then you don’t want to move them back into a crib so they just stayed next to me.

im sure there are people who get up and nurse in a chair but Jesus I was too bloody tired for that.

Oh and I never had a Moses basket. Had no need for it. Just used pram bassinet downstairs.

We had a bedside crib and a moses basket downstairs. DC outgrew the moses basket before he could really go in his "proper" cot (too young to sleep alone). If you're going to drop one I'd drop the moses basket.

You can get them second hand, just buy a new mattress.

I didn't intend to cosleep, it just happened. And now I get more sleep this way.

Had a Moses basket up and down stairs. Borrowed a next to me and my child hated it. We used the Moses until they went into the cot.

I coslept a couple of times until my husband shook me awake when I fell asleep with my breast ending up on top of my child’s face smothering them. That was an horrific experience I never want to repeat!!

I bottle fed but still found a bedside crib a godsend. I had the side down and would reach over and pat their chest to help them settle, pop a dummy in etc all without needing to even sit up. I never heard about going into another room though, that seems madness, the change in temp/scenery would surely wake them more!? I just used to sit up, stick a bottle in them and then lay them back down

As pp said they outgrow Moses before they're ready for a crib/sleeping alone, so a Moses wouldn't be enough.

In our experience the Moses was great for first 2-3 weeks as baby settled better in there and then we tried again with the next to me and they were so happy in there until approx 6 months when they start sitting up so it's not longer safe with the low sides.

The next to me can be used with the sides up if you prefer, and push it away from your bed. Or sides down next to your bed. We never bothered with the straps, not strictly the safest advice but it's felt perfectly safe to me. This meant we easily switched between side up pushed away from bed and then side down later in the night if baby was more unsettled.
They're on wheels and the side just zips so it's so easy.

I always wish the next to me days because there is never a more easy sleep space after that. It's the very best it gets 😍
Beyond that you have a cot, with hard bars they whack themselves on or get stuck in and lowering them in breaks your back.
Or you have the palaver of setting up a floor bed and baby proofing the room etc.

The beautiful simplicity and ease of the next to me is great and not to be missed!

You could easily get a second hand one from someone who didn't use it much and then get a fresh mattress for it.

But whatever you decide honestly they're fab in my opinion and worth every penny

I've breastfed both of mine and most of the time I fed sat up in bed and had a bedside light on and went on my phone to keep me awake and it was fine and was glad not to have to move far. I was super fearful and careful about falling asleep while feeding, so occasionally if I was struggling to stay awake, I would go downstairs, put all the big lights on, put the TV on and feed on the sofa. But that was fairly occasional.

I had a next to me crib. For my first, I liked having the side down as putting my hand on his chest seemed to settle him, but with my second I had the side up and so it was just a small cot close to the bed. I'm glad I had the option though so that's why I like them. I had the Chicco next to me and it generally has quite good resale value. I sold mine for £50 after two kids using it.

I used a swinging crib next to the bed. I sat in a comfy arm chair in our bedroom to feed, than put DC in the crib. Put my hand through the bars of crib to pat/settle. Tied my dressing gown belt to the bars of the crib so that I could gently rock it from the bed.

Breastfeeding didn’t work for me so we didn’t fall into a feed to sleep routine. The snuzpod was really easy just to reach out and put a hand on them whilst they were stirring. I would get up to make a bottle but if I didn’t have to, I wouldn’t. The Moses basket barely got used and they outgrew it really quickly, that was essentially the dumping ground. DC outgrew their snuzpod about 5 months though because they were long and trying to roll over. They ended up not sleeping well in the snuzpod and we ended up moving them to their own room a little bit before 6 months.

I would honestly recommend the snuzpod (or others where the side comes down) because then you have options. Even if you don't want to co-sleep, your baby will want to be as close to you as possible in the first few weeks. I loved having the option of having the side down to hold my baby's hand and offer comfort. And you will be so, so tired that going to other rooms will feel impossible at times

Yes, pretty much this.

We used a Moses basket until 8 weeks for DS and 6 weeks for DD’s and then they went into their cots in their own room.

In my experience, yes!!!

With my last I didn't use a moses basket at all he went straight into his cot and has been my best sleeper.
My other 3 had moses baskets but they hated them. After a month or so they went into their cots.

I bottle feed but the next to me is a lifesaver, if means you can reach over and put a hand on your baby/put a dummy back in/check on them with phone torch etc all without getting out of bed. I have the mamas and papas lua and it rocks too, so I can rock the crib without getting out of bed.

For feeding I just put a bedside light on and look at my phone which keeps me awake. The Moses basket was handy when DS was very little but he’s outgrown it so fast and we now use the next to me for naps, with a baby monitor.

I was looking at the Lua actually but was put off by some bad reviews. Would you recommend it on the whole? X

I loved our snuzpod.

Baby just turned 6 months and she’s in her own room now.

I too didn’t know think I’d use the side down thing and thought I’d have the sides up and have her next to our bed but actually side down and attached to the bed worked really well. It made it a lot easier to soothe her and pick her up to feed in the night.

Definitely not a glorified bedside table.

I’ve never heard that it’s a glorified bedside table. The babies I know who didn’t sleep in their crib at all were definitely in the minority.

I loved our snuzpod, the bigger baby outgrew it about 5 months though and the smaller one was sitting up and climbing so also had to be out before 6m.

We had a snuz pod and it was wonderful, I fed in bed and then just transferred her over. I kept the side up because I was paranoid about the duvet going on her face from the bed(in hindsight a bit silly) Didn't bother with a moses basket just used the bassinet from the pram.
We got a second hand snuzpod for £20, new mattress and even replaced the fabric parts for another £50 (if you wash the fabric of the snuzpod do not forget to zip it up or the zips break.....)

We have a next to me, she’s slept in it since day 1 and she’s 17 weeks now. I do find feeding easier in the nursery (bottle fed only now) but sometimes I would breast feed in bed.

I actually didn’t want one as I thought it would encourage co-sleeping because the sides down. But actually that hasn’t happened at all, and I’m so glad we have it.

There's a joie compact travel cot with a bassinet level, the side lowers and mattress is firm but comfier than the next to me which is literally brick hard and freezing. My daughter slept much better in that, was cheaper, has the advantage of lasting until she was around a year and it can be put up and taken down in about 30 seconds. I recommend it to everyone!

I had a really basic Moses basket by my bed for DD. When she outgrew that she went into her cot, still in my room. No issues at all. I was the same as you in that I was determined not to cosleep for various reasons and I did stick to it.

I was looking at this! Is it the roomi? I didn’t know if it’s safe for long term use though I thought travel cots were for occasional but I dunno why I thought that

I don’t think many people really intend to or want to cosleep in the beginning, they just end up with it as it’s the only thing that works. One of the great secrets that no one tells you before you have a baby is that newborns don’t sleep alone, as a rule, at all for the first few nights. If you lower them down they will wake with the startle reflex, and they likely won’t even sleep in a next 2 me at first, and if you’ve already gone without sleep during labour you just have to find anything that works… this may not happen to you but it also may well do!