Travel Cots - prolonged use

[BearintheBigBlueHous]

I'm a bit put out - the lovely house we've rented for our hols advertises itself as being able to provide a cot on request. I've now found out it's a travel cot, which I think is substantially different. Most people with babies who travel a bit have their own travel cot anyway and in my view they're not the most comfy things, only suitable for a couple of days at a time, not for a week/fortnight holiday really.

On last year's holiday, towards the middle of the second week, DD screamed when she as much as saw the travel cot when getting ready for bed. Granted this may have had something to do with the 30 degrees every night French heatwave, but I'm loath to put DS through similar discomfort this year if I can avoid it (we're staying in the UK this year to avoid the heat). Interestingly, the French house had also advertised a cot, not a travel cot.

Before last year's holiday, I don't think I'd worried about using travel cots at all. Am I being too precious - is an 8 month old going to notice/suffer in any way, or should we all just lighten up and look forward to it?

Bear - a friend of mine used a travel cot permanently in her DD's bedroom and, although I wondered if it was very supportive long-term, her DD doesn't seem to have suffered any ill effects (now 3).

My own DDs have spent a week in them on various holidays and they were fine.

I agree that a travel cot is very different to a cot comfort wise. We took DD who was 12 months old at the time on holiday to Devon and took our travel cot, h=just in case the cot provided wasn't up to standard. As it turned out, it wasn't (nor was the room it was in) and so DD spent the week sleeping in our room in her travel cot. She seemed to be fine for 6 nights although she did wake more easily than she would if she were in her own cot at home.

We just put a folded bath towel between the bottom sheet and the matress of the tc for added comfort. The matresses on the tc's are basic anyway (no ventilation etc) so I didn't feel that I was compromising her safety by adding the towel underneath the fitted sheet.

I think that is quite normal for 'cot provided' to mean travel cot - we've stayed in a few places where this is the case. I personally wouldn't worry about it for a week or a fortnight, but I can understand you don't want a repeat of lastyear's problems with the travel cot.

Could you take things to make it as much like the ordinary cot as possible (toys that he normally has in the cot etc.)?

Hope you have a good holiday!

tbh I think it is fairly normal for rental places to supply travel cots. They are cheaper and easier to take down and store when not required. As long as they are in good condition we've found them fine and they seem to be safer than proper cots which become rickety when subjected to being dismantled and reassembled frequently with pieces getting lost and replaced.

ds slept in one for a week at 6 months with no problem and dd has often had to do so either when we have been away or had guests. It will almost certainly be fine but I'd take some familiar smelling sheets/blanket for the baby to reassure him (ime they more often supply a quilt).

when we went to aus our dd ( 8 months at the time) slept in a travel cot for three weeks. She slept well - no waking, no worries - it wasn't an expensive one - but she did have her sleeping bag which probably helped her settle.

no chill out bb!

DS2, and now DD slept in a travel cot in my bedroom. we don't have enough room to put a fixed cot up. The cot mattress is a bit crinkly, so we have a folded blanket between that and the sheet. Neither kids have had a problem, although DD is only 5.5 mths so far

Thanks everyone. I'll take Coddy's advice and chill and enjoy the break.