Baby sleeping on duvet, worried sick

[Waaaproblems]

We bought a travel cot prior to a weekend away. I stupidly didn’t check it when it arrived. We’ve arrived at our weekend away and the ‘mattress’ is basically a series of foldable boards with a little foam on top. She screams lying on it and rightly so, it’s awful. I bought a brand new king sized duvet last week which was in the car and unopened. DD (9.5 months) was absolutely knackered and I needed to put her to bed. I’ve resorted to folding the king duvet (10 tog so quite thick 😩) around the ‘mattress’ and tucking it under. She’s absolutely sound asleep but the duvet is bunching a little. She sleeps on her front and I’m worried sick - WWYD. I haven’t taken my eyes off the monitor. We’re not staying in a hotel and there is no opportunity to buy a new mattress, we’ll do this tomorrow. How dangerous is this? I’m having kittens (yes she’s my first born)

[snowybaubles]

@C8H10N4O2

Nope, it's still bollocks.

[C8H10N4O2]

Nope, it's still bollocks

So advising her to put the duvet under the cot base instead of having it on top with the baby on it is bollocks?

How is the baby going to suffocate with a softer base under the travel cot mattress? Do tell.

[Hinchunup]

When I was 15 I was babysitting my cousin who was 12 months. I folded a duvet into his cot to make it extra comfy. I left him for a period of time I'm not sure of and when I checked on him he was distressed with his head caught in the duvet, he looked like his head was caught in it. I will never ever forget this, so you are not being unreasonable

[snowybaubles]

How is the baby going to suffocate with a softer base under the travel cot mattress? Do tell.

I don't need to 'tell' - your massive lack of understanding has only been confirmed by this latest gem.

[CareOfPunts]

I don’t think I would be able to relax. I’d take her into bed with me.

[Wilmalovescake]

Bloody hell this thread.

OP your travel cot mattress is standard issue. Just take the duvet out, put the mattress back in and hopefully you’ll get her back off before you get too knackered. No need for all this drama.

[SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing]

"How is the baby going to suffocate with a softer base under the travel cot mattress? Do tell"

If sleeping in their front they could sink too far into the soft surface, and suffocate. OP says she's very deeply asleep, which makes this more possible.

Could roll and slip down the side, between the wall of the travel cot and the duvet. Again, could suffocate

Could overheat due to massive insulating duvet. Not safe.

Even if the base is on the top of the duvet, that doesn't make if safe

Jesus..some of you are pure idiots.

[Toseland]

I think you have to go with your instinct, you are worried sick so you have to do something. Take the soft duvet out and find something else or put a towel inside a pillowcase to make a better mattress? or ask your partner to sleep on the sofa and take her into bed with you, make it as safe as you can. Then get some rest. x

[gamerchick]

Meh I've always padded out a travel cot like this. This place and it's panic stations.

Stick the mattress on top of the duvet of your worried.

Personally I wouldn't be disturbing her and the fact you've posted says it's tightly tucked in anyway.

I'd like to see anyone here sleep on one of those mattresses.

[gamerchick]

A 9 month old who can roll and rock on hands and knees is unlikely to suffocate if free to move.

[wasthatamistake]

You risk gaps and movement and the mattress not being fitted to the base properly if you put something under the mattress. Don't mess with mattresses and the bases of cots. Sheets and that's it.

[gamerchick]

Then it's fine as it is. I personally just had the folded up quilt on top. The fact they're comfortable speaks for itself.

We're not talking about an imobile newborn here.

[Xmasbaby11]

I would remove duvet. It may well be safe but I wouldn't be able to relax. We bought a special travel cot mattress as dd used hers a lot.

[BusyBusyBea]

Duvet issue aside, this thread irritates me. All these crying faces and “oh I’m worried sick” etc.

Was someone holding a gun to your head and making you keep her there? Just move her! There have been times I have found myself in situations with my kids where I have thought “nah I’m not comfortable with this”. So rather than post “waaah I’m so worried but not going to take any remedial action” on mumsnet I’ve just, you know, dealt with it...

[Groovinpeanut]

So hundreds of not thousands of people buy these travel cots, yet irresponsible parents choose to totally disregard all of the safety regulations and decide the base/ mattresses isn't what it should be in their eyes and stick quarter folded king-size duvets in, cushions, etc.
The cots are designed that way to comply with health and safety regulations.
As you're planning to wait for your husband to come back pissed and possibly stumbling around to remove the duvet by which point your DD will have had her deep sleep and be miserable all night. Common sense would have seen it removed sooner.
I really don't understand why people compromise their babies safety and well-being.

[RollOnNextYear]

All travel cot mattresses are like this she probably screamed as it's a different bed. And surroundings
Just take it out it'll be fine no need for padding

I always worried my DB and his GF. Had a ds same time as my dd. He had a moses basket. Because he was a big lad he aparantly looked uncomfortable. So they put a normal adult pillow in lengthways. From then he slept on that. I hated the thought.

[Mumtotwo82]

If you are worried you won't sleep anyway. Your instinct is telling you it's not safe so listen to it.

[managedmis]

I can’t adequately describe the mattress , it’s like a long board made up of 5 small boards so that they ‘fold’ and it’s topped with a foamy/plasticky cover. It’s horrendous.

^^

It's a Graco one, isn't it? We have exactly the same thing.

We always put a thick blanket /quilt over it and then put the cot sheet in, tucked under. You're right that the 'mattress' is basically a flexible plank of plywood.

[Bippety]

Is she crying because it's uncomfortable or because the surface is cold I wonder. Those foamy type bases, especially being close to the floor get surprisingly cold. I would see if popping a hot water bottle in the bottom (and removing before putting baby in obviously!) helps rather than using a duvet personally.

[hazandduck]

Can’t believe people are being so blasé saying “oh she’ll be fine” AFTER one poster has actually shared the fact she lost her baby at 7 months in the same conditions. It’s this anecdotal type response that undermines mothers and their fears, putting their infants at more risk. There is a reason the safe sleep guidelines exist. Yes baby will probably be fine but what if they are one of the unlucky ones?? How would the ‘oh I did it and my kids survived’ brigade feel knowing they gave someone that advice and a baby died as a result?? Irresponsible, thoughtless responses.

I’m so deeply sorry for your loss @DuckPie

Hope you removed the duvet OP and you both managed to get some shut eye.

[DobbyTheHouseElk]

Travel costs are really safe if you follow the rules.

Those mattresses are standard in all makes. Babies sleep on them fine.

[2pintsofmilkplease]

I can’t adequately describe the mattress , it’s like a long board made up of 5 small boards so that they ‘fold’ and it’s topped with a foamy/plasticky cover.

They all are, you're being hysterical.

[BertieBotts]

"it’s like a long board made up of 5 small boards so that they ‘fold’ and it’s topped with a foamy/plasticky cover"

Yes :o in the nicest of ways, we aren't misunderstanding, we know what it's like, they are all like that. I've used various - Hauck, Joie, Mothercare, someone else mentioned Graco. All the "mattresses" are the same. In fact all (of that style of) travel cots are the same, they are probably made in one factory somewhere and rebranded.

As others have said the baby is light, they don't feel uncomfortable on such a lightly padded surface although I agree it can feel cold for them to lie on and therefore wake them up when you put them down. Something very thin and not compressable like a towel or cotton knitted type blanket helps with this, under the sheet.

We did buy a folding mattress for ours because DS2 had it as his main bed for a while. But you don't need this and it is safer without (also applies to duvet under the hard/thin mattress) because the sides of a travel cot are flexible mesh so there is a small risk that a baby can get themselves into a slight gap between the mattress and the side of the cot and get into difficulty, especially if their face is pressed into the mattress/bedding.

[BestOption]

@DuckPie 💐I’m SO sorry to hear about your baby. I don’t know what to say for fearing saying the wrong thing, but big hugs & lots of love. You are very kind to share your experience on this thread - it’s just a shame lots of people often don’t read a thread before adding their tuppence worth!

@Waaaproblems. I hope you got DD resettled in the travel cot & you all slept well Which travel cot have you got? I really wouldn’t rush out buying another mattress today. You were projecting your thoughts onto her, she’s honestly unlikely to have been upset because if the thickness of the mattress!! It was a strange bed, in a strange room after travelling... I know you say it’s thinner than a normal cot mattress but I suspect it’s actually pretty standard, but it just seems thinner because your PFB is going on it 🤣 (I’d be the same!! Number 1 or number 11) but actually babies fall asleep in buggies,car seats,on the floor -they just do not need the deep mattress like we do! Putting any thicker mattress into a travel cot is risky because if the chance of them wedging themselves between it & the soft side.

Hope you have a nice weekend!

[BestOption]

@gamerchick. I’m usually with you on most of your posts, especially the ‘over reacting’ ones! But NOT on this one - if you missed it, take a look at duckpies post at 22:51 last night.