Baby sleeping options - can someone give me the simplest solution?

[lllllllllll]

I need to buy something for my baby to sleep in and am completely overwhelmed by all the different options. On other threads people recommend cots, Moses baskets, Snuzpods, baby cocoons, carry cots... then others will advise against certain options, saying babies will grow out of a Moses basket (for example) in no time!

I have a limited budget and limited space (although I could actually fit a normal sized cot in my bedroom). I don’t want to waste money on loads of kit that the baby will quickly grow out of or not use.

Please can someone tell me the bare minimum I need - could I get away with just a cot for example and forget about the Snuzpod, cocoons, basket and all that stuff? I will obviously be buying a pram too if that is relevant.

I’m feeling really frazzled from all the possibilities on offer and the positives and negatives of each one - please help!

We had a cot in our room and during the day downstairs used to just use the pram with bassinet attachment. Both babies ended up sleeping in our bed (using an approved co-sleeper nest) and hardly ever used the cot. I did have a bassinet but for some reason neither loved it.

I got a moses basket that I didn't use at all for bed time.
Baby ended up sleeping on my bed with me as he'd be b feeding and then poohing so much in the night that it was a real pain to try to get him in and out the moses basket. As soon as I moved him his eyes would ping open, but he'd sleep (a bit) next to me on the bed. After about three months when he was feeding a bit less we set up the big cot and he went in that.
This time around I'm just going to get a cot and set it up straight away and hope he will sleep in it. It seems easier to get in and out of a cot without waking--when the mattress is nice and high anyway.

Cot and moses. Cot they’ll need anyway, and moses for downstairs etc. My DS ended up in the moses for months and months anyway

I just had a normal size cot (120x60) upstairs - in our bedroom at first then moved into their bedroom after a few months.

Pram with a carrycot in the hall downstairs.

They also slept in arms, on the sofa, on cushions, in a swing etc

I've just got a cot that can turn into a toddler bed eventually that will go in our room as we have limited space and then a travel cot for downstairs when needed. Dont have a lot of money and didn't want to be buying stuff that only lasts a few months and then having to buy new stuff again.
Cots are good and cheap from IKEA and I got my travel cot in the sale from mothercare.

I got 7 months use out of the moses basket and the cot was a waste of money because he hasn't even spent a night in it. I wouldn't bother with a cot until you actually need one as they just clutter up the house.

The carry cot part of the pram was used until he was 11 months (its a big pram).

Next time I'm buying a new moses basket mattress and a sleepyhead.

Around half of families share a bed at least some of the time. So it is worth knowing how to do so safely - see www.basis.org.uk for detailed evidence based advice for safe bed sharing. We ended up not using anything for the first little while saved loads of money while they grow so quickly.

@fedupandlookingforchange weren't they able to climb out of the moses basket by 7 months? I thought they were only safe until the baby could roll.

Around half of families share a bed at least some of the time.

Thanks but to be honest I’m not at all comfortable with bed sharing - I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink worrying that the baby would fall on the floor or be smothered or crushed.

Still best to look into it OP so you know how to do it safely - if you have a baby who won't sleep in a cot then the biggest risk is you falling asleep holding the baby on a sofa or armchair while you try to avoid bed sharing.

Oh @lllllllllll 😂you really don't understand til you're there. Be careful what you say, you may indeed eat your words.

@Rubyroost spot on!
Bless.

I agree with those saying you may find yourself bed sharing. I resisted with my first and have embraced it with my second! Definitely worth it... I get so much more sleep.

Just get a next to me bedside crib and put a sheet on the mattress and you're done! That's literally it! You'll be given tons of blankets as gifts and then that's it.

That's all we had for ds at night and he had downstairs naps either on me (first child!) or in the pram.

We had no Moses basket, sleepyhead or any of that stuff & honestly all was well!

I was grateful to my breast peer support worker who came the day after my little one cluster fed all night and actually have me a realistic picture, rather than the advice not to sleep with baby.

He probably could have climbed out but never even attempted to sit up, he loved his moses basket.