cot or cotbed? and drop-sided or not? arrrrgh

[emeraldgirl1]

help! Am trying to decide between what feels like about a million different options and my head is in a spin...

First off, would you get a cot or a cotbed? We are a little limited on space AND I have just had an hour's opinion-sharing from my mum about how she thinks cotbeds are a waste of money and a trad cot is a better option. I guess if we do have another child it is likely to be within 2 years of this first one so if we bought a cotbed we would still end up having to carry on using it as a cot and move the older child into a child's bed at that point anyway. Plus I quite like the smaller, neater-looking cots over the cotbeds. But is it a false economy and is it better just to get a cotbed? Any thoughts??

Secondly, in either case, what is the point of the drop side option and is it a good/bad thing? I assume is something to do with ease of lifting the baby out? Or is there more to it...? I have a bad back so anything that eased the difficulty of hoiking a baby up and down would be good. But are the safe? Having visions of super-active baby eventually working out how to drop the side by themselves and setting out for freedom...

Oh, and teething rails?! What are these?

We of course plan to have the baby in Moses basket at first but I do want to try to get the cot lined up and there are some good deals in sales still on at the moment... So I feel I need to make a decision!

Going a bit mad here...

[Littlemissexpecting]

You have had lots of good advice here so I don't have much more to add other than to look at mamas and papas as they do good deals on bundles for cot and dresser. We are also tight on room in our bedroom which I'm hoping will last 4-6 months then a m+p cot bed. We are also hoping to have no2 in a couple of years but the cot we like in m+p is a cot bed rather than cot so decision made for us really. Can you go to look at any, it may give you a better idea of what you want, real size etc

[Springforward]

YY to a dropsided cotbed, IMHO. Drop side is essential for your back , especially once you've set the base to the lowest level when DC can stand up in it.

DS is 4 and still sleeps in his cotbed in bed configuration, we're just about to turf him out so we can turn it back into a cot for inbound DC2. We have found it good vfm.

DS slept massively better in his big cot than he ever did crunched up in a moses basket, we had him in the cot from 6 weeks on. This time I plan to use the cotbed from day one, with a travel cot downstairs for naps.

[elizaregina]

is cost is an issue look in local paper as well - ours always has good selection of baby stuff on sale, but once again, i would forget all else and for the first instance get a side car cot.

unless you have seen one or spoken to someone who has one its hard for people to grasp what wonders they are - but they are wonders because they let you sleep and baby sleep! and SLEEP becomes a very rare commoditiy with baby!

[elizaregina]

After dd1 was in moses - we moved her to cot bed - we liked it because she is still in cot as a bed now -

at 5 and it means her room isnt dominated by a huge bed.

when i reluctantly have to move DD2 out of the side car cot - co sleeper - it will probably be for a cot - from ikea or freecyle - or ebay - and by the time she is ready for something larger - dd1 will be into a small child bed proper.

[elizaregina]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Arms-Reach-Co-Sleeper-Bed-Side-Cot-/281058078726?pt=UK_Baby_Nursery_Furniture_ET&hash=item41705df006

[elizaregina]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Arms-Reach-Co-Sleeper-Bed-Side-Cot-/281058078726?pt=UK_Baby_Nursery_Furniture_ET&hash=item41705df006


this - the arms reach co sleeper is THE best thing I have spent any child related money on - and I have one DD who is five and one who is four months.

I got it for 75 pounds, it goes by the bed and means baby can sleep right next to you but in thier own space, This is invaluable in my opinion when it comes to sleep.

First of all the baby is that extra bit comforted as you are RIGHT by it - if baby stirs you can easily manuvre it - without much disturbing it to feed, then put it back....meaning neither you or the baby have to wake up much in the night! If you hear a noise etc you dont have to lift up head and look in moses basket - you simply open your eyes...

My second DD is a wonderful sleeper - and I have had a virtually undisturbed sleep - compared to DD1.

I am now an evanaglist for these cots.

BTW it looks like a ridge but in reality is isnt one.

I would say to anyone like you - ditch everything and get one of these - they also re sell really really well.

As for moses - we got one from baby market - a fab mamas and papas with all the trimmings - really nice quality for a tenner. Kept it down stairs for the first few weeks.

[forevergreek]

Cotbeds were def worth it here. With two in them they fit nicely next to each other. A cot and single bed wouldn't fit. Also means that family with say 2 small bedrooms can easily fit two cot beds in one room a lot longer without either having to move or somehow use bunk beds ( they aren't usually ok for top bunk until over 6 years)

[LapinDeBois]

I've never really seen the point of cotbeds. Same as I've never seen the point of kids' beds. (Except in unusual circumstances/spaces, obviously.) We had a traditional cot for our boys, but it was quite a big one, so plenty of room to be comfortable. DS1 came out of it when he was nearly 3; DS2 is now 2.5 and is still in it. Once DS1 came out of it (for DS2 to go in), we moved him straight into an adult single bed. We'll do the same with DS2 some time in the next six months. Ours was a Mamas and Papas cot (very similar to this. Incidentally, it has weathered so well that I will be able to sell it on ebay in near perfect condition, in spite of it having endured nearly 6 years of housing small boys!

[cupcake78]

If your planning on another in 2 years then cot will be just fine. Cotbeds tend to be larger than just a cot. When it comes to getting beds, bunk beds maybe best for space and for any siblings. Toddler can sleep on bottom bunk till it gets used to not falling out.

Same applies to teething rail, if you want cot to be used again get one!

Definitely drop side, save your back when you can.

[DaveMccave]

Have you looked at bedside cots? (One side tucks underneath so you can pull it right up to your bed and co-sleep without compromising safety or space) mothercare do one.

[CrackleMauve]

Ikea cotbeds are excellent and very cheap. Would definitely recommend.

[KFFOREVER]

We went for a cotbed with dropside. Like you there is no room in our bedroom so we've planned for baby to sleep in a crib in our room. Health visitor did say by 4months the baby may outgrow the crib but as our place is small the baby could be in its room in the cotbed earlier than 6months. I decided to go for a cotbed as i wanted to make use of it longer than i would if i had a cot. Have a look at babies r us there prices are not too bad and i think they have a sale on.

[emeraldgirl1]

We're being given the Moses basket by SIL so it's not an additional purchase IYSWIM.

Will add Ikea to the ever-growing list... I could spend all day on this!

Just tried to ask DH's opinion as thought that might help stop me floundering and he looked v bored by even 1 min discussing it! Think I'm alone in this one... tbf to him, I get why he doesn't think it really matters or is that important, the main thing we are both concerned about right now is just getting the baby home safe!! Still, am a bit cheesed off he's leaving ALL these decisions to me...

Wish I had a fairy godmother to make the decision for me...

[forevergreek]

Yes ikea is good for reasonable prices .

Personally I would just get a cot bed to use night and only get a Moses basket if you want to use downstairs. Our cotbeds raise up different levels anyway so will a small nanny the mattress is high up anyway so prevents leaning in etc. just drop down the levels as they can sit/ stand.

Our cotbeds say recommended until 6 years which I think is good. 3 year old has loads of space in his still.

[shouldIbecrossaboutthis]

I bought mine from ikea with a 6 cube expedit to use as a dresser :)

[Patchouli]

I've never understood why people spend the extra money on a cotbed - yes you use it longer, but you still end up in a single bed in the end, so you're buying 2 items anyway over the years.
It makes sense to me to go from a cot to a bed. DD went from a cot to a single bed at 2.
Does a cot bed need a load of additional size bedding too?

[Eletheomel]

We went for a cot, rather than a cotbed as at the time I wanted the drop down option.

However, after having the cot, I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I used the drop side, so for me I probably should have discounted that as something I wanted as it transpired I didn't need it.

I think cotbeds do give you flexibility if you don't have much room as you don't know when you'll little one will outgrow their cot (e.g. when they can climb out of it by themselves) some do this at 14 months, others are over 2) and it means you can just take the sides off and make it a bed when this happens rather than having to immediately go out and get a bed.

I share your pain though - it's a nightmare trying to make decisions about this stuff, and you never really know the best option for you until you've committed to something (and just cross your fingers you've made the right decision!)

[emeraldgirl1]

Thank you AmberLav - that's really helpful info!!! I had been worrying that a cot would be too short after a few months, but it sounds like this is not neccesarily the case.

Which just complicates my decision even more...

but I hugely appreciate all the replies, it's good to have an informed decision rather than just floundering! :)

[AmberLav]

We already had a single bed in the room we use as the nursery that had to stay, so we got a cot, as it was going to have to sit in a funny position in the room and smaller was better. As a benefit, it meant that it also fit in our bedroom for the first 6 months. We bought a John Lewis one with a drop side, which DS has never managed to open, as the mechanism is a kick board just above floor level.

DS is now 22 months and is 90-98th percentile on length and he has a bit of room for growth still (he completely fills travel cots!). DC2 is due in April, so we'll move DS to the "Study" (once we've cleared it of junk!) and are buying a cotbed, so that the cot is again free for DC2. I think DS will be in the Cotbed for a good few months still before we turn it into a bed. Wouldn't plan DC3 for another couple of years at least, so they should all have time to move on to the next level by then.

[DeathMetalMum]

Have a look at boots they also have some really good deals. We just bought a second mattress from them for just under £40 it is much better than the first matteress that we bought (and half the price) as I was pretty clueless. If you have joined the baby club you might have a voucher and can get lotd of points too.

[peanutMD]

precious little one is fab too :)

we have just bought a.Kidtec sprung cotbed matress half price at £30 and they have cotbeds starting from £85.

[emeraldgirl1]

Thanks Camwombat - hadn't even thought about Babies R Us... a whole new website for me to get sucked into while I should be working :)

[Camwombat]

It will, I have a back problem which is why we got drop side. DS is a tall boy for his age, and very determined, BUT he hasn't damaged it by shaking it so it must be pretty robust.

We got ours from Babies R Us, as we couldn't find what we wanted (in our budget) at kiddicare.

[emeraldgirl1]

Thanks emsy - I am browsing on Kiddicare at the mo and they look pretty good. The only thing is that I am not sure I want to get a whole 'roomset', I just want a cot(bed) and a dresser and it seems a bit hard to be sure the woods will tone in if you buy from different brands or from different models within a certain brand. I can't get to a showroom so I'd have to be choosing from online info only... wondering if John Lewis or Mothercare are a less risky bet. But kiddcare such good value it seems!

Camwombat - I think I am leaning towards the dropside function even though it sounds unnerving if a grown baby is shaking the side!! :) I think it will just save me a lot of potential pulled shoulders though...

[Camwombat]

We started with a crib as DS never fitted a Moses basket, at about 4 months he moved into a cotbed, which he is still in at 19months. DS sleeps in a cot at my parents but has pretty much outgrown it.

A cotbed is no bigger than a single bed and I would personally go for that again, as it should last longer given the bed conversion.

The dropside has been very useful, although now he stands and (violently) shakes that side. We may be moving to a bed sooner than planned, which brings us a 'sleep crawler' issue....