Next to me cribs - any good??

[Kej13]

Hiya
My DH and I had DS1 on Saturday and are completely new to parenting so please be nice to me haha!

He's good as gold all day, such a happy little boy and eats/sleeps like a dream during the day.

This is the third night of having him here and we cannot get him to settle. Everyone keeps recommending we get a chicco next to me but before I shell out on one, can anyone let me know if they make any difference? We have a Moses basket (which he hates!) so didn't really want to have to buy a next to me too but I don't know if I'm jumping the gun and anyone has any advice on how we can get any sleep at all at night? Last night we managed 45 mins all night and that was because we did shifts 🙈 or is there a cheaper version of the next to me that you've used that's been just as good??

Desperate first time parents in much need of some sleep!!

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MNHQ

It was never close enough to me for my son, but it was a handy shelf and extra bit of bed space while he coslept

I had a similar experience to you with DD1. Very long labour (although not induced) and then she hated the moses basket. We panic bought the next to me and the sleepyhead when she was a few days old. Both good investments! DD2 currently asleep in the Next to me. We also had bought one of those monitors with the alarm. I was also annoyed we couldn't use it. But I think with the baby right next to you, you are quite aware of them anyway. Good luck, hope you get some sleep soon! And congratulations.

The fact she's ok in the day means I think you have more hope that she will be put down. I'd try the next to me and see how you go. Sleepyhead is a life saver here but as I said, it would be better if I didn't have to use it!

We had to cosleep for the first couple of weeks as we just couldn't get DS to settle unless he was right next to one of us. But gradually we were able to move him a little further away, and then into the bedside crib with an arm around him or hand on his tummy. I used to put him down in the middle and he'd shuffle all the way over to the side so that he was as close to me as possible! It just took time and patience, and by the time he outgrew the bedside crib he was sleeping independently.

We had the Tutti Bambini Cozee Crib, but the Next To Me is on sale at Mothercare at the moment so looks like good value.

Next 2 me is the best thing i bought for my DS, absolutely love him being next 2 me

Hi, luckily I was gifted one and I loved it. Except for one thing, my son was too big for it at 4 months. Hes in the 99th percentile for height so obviously I'm in the minority but I would have been upset if I'd bought it myself and it only lasted that long. Plus we only used a moses basket for the first few weeks so definitely didnt get much use out of it. It's in storage now for next baby but it is something to think about if you dont have lots of spare cash.

Also, if they are in the moses basket make sure they are wrapped up nice and warm! I know it's obvious but I had the heating on at 22 degrees and he was wrapped up and wouldn't settle until I wacked the heating up even more. If you're not sweltering its probably too cold for them lol. Newborns have hardly any fat so cant stay warm like us. As he's older he will get more comfortable with the cold. Please have the willpower to not sleep with him. He will overheat in your arms or in the bed. It's really easy to fall asleep if you're sleep deprived. Hope it goes well for you.

We just took the side off a normal sized cheap Ikea cot, adjusted the height so it lined up with our bed, and attached it to the side with buckle straps. At 5 months we put the side back on and moved it to the other side of the room. At 8 months we plan to move the whole thing into his own room.

Saves money and makes the transitions so much easier. DS is an amazing sleeper too.

Loved ours. DS stayed in it until about 8 months when we put him into his own room, and slept pretty well. I found it quite handy as a travel cot too as it fits into a bag and is transportable, so their sleep environment essentially stays the same wherever you are.

Suited us perfectly. As didn't want to completely co-sleep. Having the next to me was really useful for breastfeeding. I'll be using it again with number 2.

I had a Moses basket down stairs, which was ok as a back up. For a v short time before it was outgrown.

Oliversmumsarmy

I haven't been able to find a cot with a side that comes down anywhere! Apparently it's now unsafe. The adjustable height for mattress is now a thing instead

OP why don't you just let him sleep in the pram bassinet (as long as it's ventilated) if he's happy in there? However I have the next2me and definitely recommend it.

I loves our next to me cot, it really helped with nursing and getting some sleep.

Thanks everyone, glad to hear it's worked for so many of you!

We won't co sleep with him as I don't trust myself and would worry about him constantly so maybe the next to me is the next best thing but I do really want to use the monitor so I'm not sure...

@tinchyp he slept in the pram attachment which DH put on the Moses basket stand last night and it did work much better, I showed the midwife today and she was happy with it so we're going to see about hooking the monitor up to it tonight and try it again, see if it works or if it was just a fluke last night!

I had DS at 37 weeks so maybe he's just not ready to be on his own? He should have had at least three more weeks on the inside 😂 I don't know if that's a thing but I thought it might contribute?

We had a Snuzpod which is a bedside crib like the Next2Me. If buying again I would get the Cozee. Anyway they all do the same thing and they're all great IME. I found it particularly helpful as I breastfed (I could do night feeds lying in bed without getting up) but I'm sure it's also good if you formula feed, only you would still have to get out of bed.

A word of warning - as a newborn, DS would not tolerate being put down anywhere. We didn't have a Moses basket so I can't compare with that. But he would wake up whether we put him in the carrycot or the Snuzpod. We ended up buying a Sleepyhead out of sheer desperation and it made a big difference. I think the slight incline and the cocoon-like padding helped. However, since we used it, the Lullaby Trust has published guidelines advising people not to use them. So if I have another baby I would probably try other things first... maybe swaddling (we only tried half-heartedly) and/or a wedgehog for the Snuzpod. In our case DS had reflux caused by CMPA which meant that he was much more comfortable upright than lying down. Might not be an issue in your case but it's worth bearing in mind as a possibility.

PS Actually all the bedside cribs can be inclined so you wouldn't need a wedge hog

My son slept in the bassinet from the pram (on a stand next to my bed) until he grew too big for it at about 8 weeks, then went into a cot. I didn't see the point in spending money on a separate Moses basket for such a short time. Just check what the manufacturer says about yours... because mine (Uppababy) specifically said it was ok for overnight use so I guess some of them aren't.

We used ours until DD was 8 months. She went through phases where she needed to be in bed with us but we always went back to it to encourage her to sleep in a cot. I loved it.

We bought a compact cot from Asda just a smaller version of a normal cot but lasted from birth until our little boy went into his own room at 9 months. At first we had it with the side off and it was pushed tight next to our bed, then with the side on and we moved it further away from the bed. It then went into the nursery so he was able to get used to sleeping in there. It worked brilliantly

@namechange30 I know I really wanted a sleepyhead but can't bring myself to do it! They look so cozy too.

I will check what the manufacturer says about overnight sleeping in the bassinet but I did show midwife and she said fine so can't see why it would be an issue? Not sure how long until he'll be too big for this but for now it is working wonders! Only up three times last night between midnight and 8am! And twice so far between midnight and 4am and that's only for feeds and nappy change, massive improvement over the Moses basket that he screams at the very sight of and meant we got 45 mins sleep in a whole night the other night 😂😭 the things you do hey!

I agree that it's 100% a godsend! However I didn't buy the chicco next to me bed, I bought the cheaper version from smyths. You save alot of pennies and does the same job. Not sure if the chicco one does this but you can also lift it up at one side so baby is higher, which is good if they've got a cold or abit of reflux. Also it's so easy to just roll over and put my hand on my little boy when he stirs as it's right next to me whereas with my Moses basket I was constantly up and down checking every little noise lol. Deffo get one!xx

Hi,

We got this as a cheaper alternative to the next2me and it's been great for our newborn... www.groupon.co.uk/deals/kinderkraft-baby-cot-5

Two other things that helped us massively in week one were learning to swaddle the wee one to within an inch of her life, and randomly, either playing traditional Scots songs with bagpipes and lots of snare, or Mongolian throat singing/music (anything was worth a try in the first few days, my Spotify playlists have gotten very random since having a baby!!). For some reason both really soothe her.

I had one... baby wont sleep in it or anything that's not my bed. So we bed share. Makes night feeds a doddle - get boob out and close eyes again. I've never got out of bed in the night or lifted my head off the pillow. 6 months on and it's still working well. I really wanted the next to me to work for us, but baby just (understandably) wanted to be touching mummy/boob) all night.

I hope it works for you

@Jodie626 meant to be between 18-20 degrees, shouldn’t be too hot x

My baby wouldn’t go in the moses basket, I dangerously fell asleep with him on my chest and felt so guilty so bought a next to me second hand, so glad I did as he settled in it quickly I just had to double up the mattress so put two in otherwise it doesn’t seem to be level with the bed.... I bf him to sleep then I could slide him across without him waking up. I’d get one if I was you, anything for potential sleep.

I also had a horrendous labour so feel your pain all you want is a decent sleep , but It does get easier my 15 week baby sleeps through the night (for now ) since 12 weeks. The shift idea is great , we also did that, hang in there !

Ours was fab until she realised that she could see us from her bed and that was it - had to go in her own room because she thought it was playtime 😂