Would you use a hotel travel cot?

[BettyFriedan]

Hello, I have been offered a night in a hotel this weekend with DH and PFB who'll be just 12 weeks. Will be a lovely break and change of scene. The hotel have offered a travel cot for the night, which would be much easier as we are travelling there by train and already heavy laden. However I am just worried about whether it is safe for such a little baby (I mean from the mattress point of view and cot death, not whether the travel cot is secure). What would any other MNer do? Am I worrying unnecessarily?

No, I worried about the same thing when we stayed overnight in a hotel with PFB (albeit he was nearly one) prior to a trip abroad to see family.

So what I did was buy a travel cot matress from mothercare (folds up very compact and light) and sheets. I then put this into the travel cot. Also did the same at our destination as we had asked DH's family to buy us a travel cot but they didn't, they borrowed one - I was not amused!

I also had anti bac wipes and gave the cot a clean down before using it.

Seeing as how the baby is only 12weeks though - any chance it can sleep in the pram - assuming you have one that doubles up as a sleeper?

IMO only, yes - you're worrying unecessarily - It'll be fine! Just take a spare sheet with you to put over the matress. Enjoy your break!

yes you are worrying too much. it will be fine. bring your sheets and blankets/grobag with nice home smell and go for it!

yes. took own sheets and sleeping bag so he would have familiar smells.

Yes, use it. Take your own sheet & sleeping bag if you use one, to avoid any risk of reaction to detergent.

Travel cot mattresses are solid and thin, generally - not the same risks/issues as 'proper' cot mattresses.

If you are really stressed about it you could look at one of these?

Make sure you take your own bedding - as I have been given double bed sheets or even just bath towels by the hotel before now. But teh mattress itself should be OK. Mind you - hope your baby will actually sleep in a travel cot - neither of mine ever did!

at haggisaggis - oh lord i hadn't even begin to think of that

Have to say that we take DS's own travel cot with us everywhere as he doesn't sleep in anything else!

We've been in hotels and BB's all over the country. If the place is child friend
enough to have a travel cot they're usually not too bad. Take your own bedding though, it'll make the travel cot smell a bit more familiar

Take own bedding including a towel to fold up to put under your sheet. Travel cot mattresses aren't mattresses, they are fairly firm bits of fold out casing, so not soft enough to sleep on IMO.

Not a cot death risk.

We took DD camping at 10wks in the 'Pop Up Cot' (link in Stealthsquiggle reply). It was excellent and we used it until she outgrew it at 9months. Very handy for taking anywhere and folds up to the size of a dinner plate. We used it when we went to friends without kids, camping, unolded it at the airport when the flight was late etc etc. Never bothered with a huge travel cot.
At 9months we bought the next size up pop up cot!

I was the same! take bedding and gro bag etc and prehaps take a travel mattress or use towels ontop of the mattress and place bedding ontop..? Thats what we did. x

I was the same! take bedding and gro bag etc and prehaps take a travel mattress or use towels ontop of the mattress and place bedding ontop..? Thats what we did. x