Cot or cotbed for PFB?

[Mamab33]

Just that really. Can you recommend one? Is a cotbed worth having if you'll need the cot part for a potential sibling in future? What type of mattress is best to go for? So many options!

Hi Mama. I've chosen to buy a Chicco Next to Me co sleeping crib as it's much larger than the mini moses baskets and cribs you find in mothercare. After that it will be a cot. I think any mattress is ok as long as it's new and bought from a reputable place and also that it adheres to all safety standards etc. I'm sure the more you pay the better/comfier it will be but as long as it's new etc there is no issue.

We have a cotbed, just so that it'll last longer. As it happens DD1 will probably still be using it when DC2 will be moving into one, so we are likely to need to buy another one!

With regards to mattresses, yes they should be new and I would suggest that you don't need the best of the best, but if you go for a cotbed get the best you can afford rather than a basic one. Once you convert it into a bed then they could be in it for a few years, getting bigger and bigger so a decent mattress would be more beneficial.

We were planning to get one of those Chicco Next2Me bedside co-sleeping thingamajigs like irishamy until DC is too big for it, which is when we'll switch to a cot-bed.

We were going to go for the Mookee cot, but having heard the bad reviews on here, we'll be going with the Ikea Gulliver cot instead as it is virtually the same anyway... I would still go for a cotbed, as it is useful as an in-between, though as you say with a sibling it might not be worth it. It does depend on how close together you'll be having your children too.

co-sleeper (we went for Fabimax, which is bigger than most) and then cotbed.

I'm wondering about this too. We have a single bed in what will be the baby's room so not sure if we should get a cot then move DC to the single bed or get a cotbed and keep single bed as a spare. Too soon to say whether we will have a second DC or not.

We had a basket for about 4.5 months (bought off eBay and then we got a new mattress). Then cotbed (East Coast Angelina) which DD is still in now age 2.2, so we've had very good use out of it!

We plan to move her into her new room in the next month, still in the cotbed, then take the sides off after a few weeks. DC2 due in December so DD will get a new bed when they're ready to come out of the basket next year.

I bought a secondhand cot bed from eBay and a new mattress for it. I got a good quality mattress because we plan for DD to use it for quite a few years and anyway i saved money on the frame. If she ever gets a sibling I'll buy another one, or just move her to a single bed depending on the timing.

Thanks for the insights. Lots to research.

We have the boori sleigh cotbed, really beautfil and massive. Also going to buy snuzpod for 1st 6 months in our room.

Another vote for East Coast Angelina cot bed here. It was a Which? Best buy and a bargain in the Tesco baby event. Plan is for the twins to share it initially then get another one when they get too big to share. For us there was no point buying two Moses baskets or two cots as these will be our only children so they will be in these beds until they grow out of thrm

We were bought a bednest co-sleeper (which has been around the whole family since DS1) and then bought a East Coast cotbed and a mattress from Kiddicare when DS was ~ 5 months old. I loved the co-sleeper, it was pricey but far and away the best piece of kit we had and perhaps worth it if you are likely to have more than one DC.

How tall are you Mamab? I chose the cot bed I did because I am petite and I really, really needed the drop side. I've really liked East Coast too.

DS is still sleeping in the bed part at almost 4, (we took the sides off long ago). Imminent DC 2 will go in the co-sleeper, then we'll buy DS a single bed and transfer DC2 into the cot bed after a while.

we hired a nct bednest co-sleeper for the first six months then moved to an ikea cotbed. I chose a cotbed as I think the move from cot to bed can be quite unsettling and wanted to try to do it with as little upheaval as possible. We haven't got to that point yet (ds 19mo) but I am pleased with the cotbed, it had two heights so before he could pull up to stand we had the matress nice and high which is better for your back.

With all the little baby stuff (cribs, prams) I'd borrow or hire whatever you can as the stuff you use from 6mo onwards is more important imo and is used far longer.

BeforeIChangeMyMind. I am tiny so I like the idea of the drop side too. I'll look at East Coast, Boori and Ikea too.

We had a cotbed which we used until 2.5 then just moved DS into a standard single. I think cotbeds are the most efficient way if you have space.

We got a cot. Our bedroom had sufficient space to fit a cot and we had planned to have a second within a few years. So she slept in Moses basket downstairs and cot upstairs until she was 6 months. Then we moved cot into her own room.

She's now 2.5 and we are expecting number 2 in the summer. She has just moved a week ago into a standard single bed and the cot is ready for when baby arrives in a few months.