Newborn sleeping arrangements - help please

[MotherPanda]

Hello, I understand that the guidance for newborns is to sleep in a cot in the parents bedroom for the first six months.

Do you think it's ok for them to sleep in the moses basket by the side of our bed for the first couple of months? or should moses baskets only be used for short naps?

Thank you

A moses basket is perfect - and you can use it until the baby gets too big. DD2 was 6 months when we moved her out of hers.

Brilliant :) Was worried there was a particular reason nobody seems to mention moses basket in the bedroom.

Wow - six months would be brilliant. Then I wouldnt have to panic about assembling the cot in the bedroom at all.

Hurrah!

Did you use a sleeping bag, or just blankets in the basket?

Both of mine slept in the moses basket for the first four or five months. It suited me far better as I could have them right beside the bed and I didn't have to get out of bed to bring them in for a feed (post c-sections).

I used a cotton pillow case over the mattress rather than a specific moses basket sheet (actually doubled these up so that I didn't need to remake post accident) and then baby was in sleepsuit to suit the temp and a tightly tucked in blanket up to about chest height.

ooh jane - that sounds snuggly.

Thank you :) Although I have been around babies lots, I havn't actually seen a baby tucked up in bed for something like 14 years. Its good to be reminded.

Though I don't think sleeping bags where around back then, I think they're a great idea.

I used a swaddling blanket, which was great. DD was born in winter though - I didn't swaddle DD1 because she was born in June and I was worried about the heat.

Sleeping bags good too.

Yes, I think probably most people start with baby in a moses basket by the bed. My babies were too big for a moses basket so we used the carrycot part of the pram on the stand until they were too big then hubby assembled the cot in our bedroom.

I used sleeping bags almost from day 1, there are really light cotton ones you can get 0.5 tog I think for this time of year

I think most babies prefer Moses baskets to cots at first as they are more cosy (although mine outgrow hers at 8wks)!! I swaddled DD at first because that's the only way she would settle but then moved on to sleeping bags.

DD2 just would not settle in her moses basket, so she ended up sleeping in the carry cot bit of her cot for the first couple of months til she moved into a cot.

I know this isn't your question but I second the pillow cases as Moses basket mattress sheets-much cheaper!!

I used one of these for the first six months or so (DD very small) and it was great because I could have her right up on the bed beside me without full-on co-sleeping (which I'm not much good at) so the best of both worlds.

Moses basket sounds great, if your baby's happy in that, it's ideal.

A room temp of 24 degrees or so calls for a 1.0 tog sleeping bag. Much higher (27 degrees plus) a 0.5 tog.
I swaddled at that age, though. You can get muslin swaddles from Aden & Aden - much cooler than a blanket.
I also used a Peke Moe sleeping bag (where arms and hands are in, not out as in Gro-bag type SBs) and was very pleased with that too.

Thanks for all the advice guys! Will definetley have a go with the pillowcase :)