Clueless 1st timer.... sleeping arrangements!

[BlueMountains]

Hi All,

I'm 25 wks with my first and completely baffled by the numerous sleeping arrangements available for DS!

So what do people recommend for the first 6 months? One friend swears by cheapest Moses basket possible with new mattress/bedding etc. Another friend could not live without her Tutti Bambini Cozee..... And also what happens during the day time - do these transport easily downstairs for naps or do you need something separate?!

Post 6 months..... looking at a space saving (very small nursery) cot bed with draws underneath..... any tips?? Again, what happens during the day?

Apologies in advance as I'm sure these are very daft questions but although ridiculously excited to welcome DS, myself and husband have never even held a baby, let alone paid attention to sleeping arrangements!

Thanks :)

Ha ha, I was just like you! In the end I thought I'd try a big cot first (as he'd end up there eventually anyway) and only buy a co-sleeper cot if DS was unhappy in it. After all, you can get next day delivery on Amazon etc if you need it in a hurry. He was fine. So I saved my money

He slept in the big cot next to my bed, about a foot away, until about 10 months then moved to the other side of the room and will go in his own room shortly. We do co-sleep though if he wakes in the night and won't resettle.

For naps he slept in the pram bassinet or the corner of L-shaped sofa (and sometimes my lap - baby cuddles are sooooo good, after all) until about 4 months when the light and noise began to disturb him. After that, naps in the cot with baby monitor on too.

I would say try a cot first just because all the other options will only last you for a short time and then you'll have to transition him to a cot anyway. Just my two pennies Enjoy your first weeks and months with your lovely boy!

We use a Sleepyhead (these are v. expensive - it was a gift) and the prom for daytime naps.
Initially we used a Moses basket at night but DS is huge and outgrew it at 8 weeks. We can't get the cot in our room because of the way fitted furniture is arranged so we've bought a Chicco Next 2 Me. We're not actually using it as a co-sleeper, but it was the only thing smaller than a cot that looked big enough to do DS until 6 months. They're expensive, but we got it on offer in Mothercare. Looked at the Tutti Bambini and the Snuzpod as well, but preferred the Chicco in the end.
We have a box room nursery, which we intend to move DS into at 6 months. We have a small cot (60x120cm mattress) rather than a cot bed, which is really lovely with a big drawer underneath. I would recommend it - google the Mokee mini cot.

*pram not prom obviously. Stupid autocorrect.

I swear by a bedside crib such as the Chicco Next2Me. Allows baby to sleep next to you safely. Convenient for mother/parents as you can easily monitor child and don't have to traipse across the room/house during the night for feeds. Baby feels safe and comforted being able to see his/her mum/parent(s). Very safe, simple and convenient.

I also have my baby in a Sleepyhead inside the Chicco Next2Me, for added snugness/safety. He loves it. The sleepyhead ensures that he remains on his back (safest sleeping position for baby) and doesn't 'go' anywhere.

I'm 24w with my first. I agree it is completely baffling the amount of often expensive options available for sleeping.

We've decided we'll use the baby box upstairs for overnight and pram carrycot (its safe for overnight sleeping so I'm assuming will be fine) downstairs for daytime. When its outgrown the carrycot we'll just put it upstairs to nap.

If you aren't familar with the baby box, its worth a quick look imo - it is free after all!

I used a Next2Me until she was 6 months and then into her cot next to my bed till she was a year.

Downstairs she slept in the pram bassinet thing, but I also had a Moses basket as well. Basically covered all my bases!

Sleepyheads are not recommended at all anymore, the Lullaby Trust says to avoid as they are a SIDS risk.

Buy whatever you buy as cheap as possible. Babies often decide what they'll sleep in whatever you've planned!

We used a crib (£10 from email) for 6 months and we've shared a bed since.

depends on the baby! They all like different things so id just have a few back up plans to try out.
My son would not sleep in his moses basket at all... he would only sleep in bed on my husbands chest! That was for the first month... then we co slept and then at six months he went into his own cot bed in his own room completely fine!

Ive bought a chicco next to me this time as I was always worried about the cosleeping so wanted to try out a safer way. Pretty prepared for it not to work though as I know different babies can take against different things.

It completely depends on how much space you have in your room and what the baby actually likes when they arrive and whether you decide to breast or bottle feed.

Lots and lots of babies don't like Moses baskets though, and actually these days there are many other options available which are probably superior. I've heard lots of good things about a variety of co-sleeper cots but these are probably more use if you are intending to breastfeed. If you are bottle feeding and therefore getting up any way to sort a bottle out then you may be less bothered about having the baby at arms reach.

We had the room for a full size cot in our bedroom which we used pushed up against the bed with one side taken off to make it a co-sleeper until DC was about 5 months old and started rolling. Then we put the side back on and they stayed in our room in that until they were 13mo.

After looking at all the options, I think we’re going to get a cheap Ikea cot and hitch it up to the bed with the side off as he’ll definitely be in with us for longer than 6 months as our second bedroom is on a separate floor and I don’t want to have to get up in the middle of the night! If he doesn’t settle in the big cot (with me inches away) we’ll consider something like a sleepy head I guess.

We’ve got a baby box or the buggy bassinet for daytime naps.

Next2me cot in our bedroom until 7 months. Moses basket in the sitting room til around the same time. Basket type thing in the playroom til 5 months or so. Basically one per floor.

I'm due again soon and will be possibly swapping basket thing for the baby box (in Scotland) but other than that, will keep to the same arrangement I think.

After that, ds moved to a cot in his own room.

No babies have actually died from using a sleepyhead though. The lullaby trust advice is based on the fact that they always have recommended an empty cot and a flat mattress and they have been put in a position of having to jump one way or another on sleep positioners when they previously were a bit woolly about them. It's not changed because any babies have actually been actively harmed by sleepyheads.

The risk of SIDS is still very low if you follow all of the basic advice around smoking, drinking, putting the baby down on their backs to sleep etc.

I didn't actually use a sleepyhead myself but I know for some parents they have been very effective in helping previously unsettled babies to settle.

No two babies are the same, so it's all about finding what works.

With DS1, he was in the Moses basket to sleep upstairs in our bedroom until he outgrew it at 11 weeks. He went into the cot bed in his own room from then on at night. In the day, he was a nightmare and wouldn't really nap unless held or in the pram until he was about 4 months old. Then I just put him up in his cot bed for naps with the baby monitor on.

DS2 we got the next to me, because we wanted to keep him in with us for longer. I think he slept in it until he was about 10 months old when he went into his brother's old cot bed and DS1 went into a toddler bed. DS2 slept in the carry cot down stairs to begin with, then from about 6 weeks I put him in his next to me for naps upstairs because his brother was disturbing him.

Thank you all so much!!!! It all feels a little overwhelming at the moment.... particularly when when one of my students the other day told me that he had been born at 24 wks!

I have a feeling that I need to rid myself of my slightly perfectionist/control freak nature by the time he arrives as he's really not going to comply is he?!?!!