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Original poster

Can you put a baby in a full size cot from 6 weeks old?

22 replies

sel2223 · 14/05/2020 10:38

Read mixed things about this online but just wondering what everyone's thoughts are about when babies can go in a full size cot (in same room as parents of course).

I'll be having my baby in the UK but (travel restrictions permitting) plan to move overseas to be with my OH when baby is around 6 weeks old. It's expensive to send large items and we're on a tight budget so don't want to buy things we don't really need plus we've only got a small apartment so space is limited

I've got a snuzpod for UK and going to buy a cot for over there but wondering if I also need a moses basket or crib for over there or if baby can go straight in the cot.

I'll have a carrycot from the pram for daytime naps and there is a travel cot I can use if that's any better?

Any advice much appreciated Smile

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dementedpixie · 14/05/2020 10:42

Yes you can. Put baby's feet to the foot of the cot or use a baby sleeping bag. I think you can get a partition thing to make the cot area smaller until the get bigger

RedPandaFluff · 14/05/2020 10:42

Congratulations!

It's so hard to tell as it really depends on the baby. Mine was happy to go into her cot at about twelve weeks (she'd been in a Next2Me previously).

It sounds as if you have other options though. Just be careful of things like sleepyheads and pillows/pods as they're not recommended by the Lullaby Trust.

dementedpixie · 14/05/2020 10:44

The partition thing might not exist now so ignore that bit

Persipan · 14/05/2020 10:46

There's no reason a baby can't go in a cot at 6 weeks. Whether or not they will is a whole 'nother question!

Personally, unless cots are weirdly unobtainable wherever you'll be moving to, I'd wait and see what baby goes for. I set up the cot in my room, reasoning that I wasn't bothered about having to get out of bed in the night (and I had another crib on the living room for daytime naps) ... turns out my nearly-6-week-old hates being put down to sleep and I have to hold him/have him in a sling in the day, and have him in bed with me at night. Hey-ho!

(If for some reason cots are weirdly unobtainable there, then go ahead and get one sent - you'll need it eventually anyway!)

CampDragon · 14/05/2020 10:47

Congratulations! Yes, that's fine. Unless you get a baby like mine, who literally never ever slept in a cot and still spends half her nights right next to me. She's 9.5 years old. Smile

The important thing is that they sleep in a room with an adult at all times for the first few months. Even for naps.

ememem84 · 14/05/2020 10:51

Yes.

With ds he outgrew Moses basket at 9 weeks so he was on cot in a sleep bag. In his own room (with dh or me in with him) as cot wouldn’t fit in ours.

With dd last year we had the cot set up in her room from day 2. She was initially in the Moses basket in the cot (we’d lost the stand in a house move). Switched her out by 10 weeks as she’d outgrown it.

As everyone above says sleep bags and at bottom of cot is fine. If we hadn’t already got the Moses basket for Dd I’d have put her straight in the cot.

ememem84 · 14/05/2020 10:55

One of us slept in with dd until she was around 5 months.

I never stayed in the room when she was napping though. When she was first born I kept her in the Moses basket in the living room during the day though so was always around. Same with ds.

Staying in the same room is fine if you’ve just got one. There’s no way I could have done it with dd as we have ds as well. He’s 2.5 now. And wouldn’t have stayed quiet in the same room as her.

Original poster
sel2223 · 14/05/2020 12:07

Hi everyone, thanks so much for the replies!

I love the snuzpod crib (similar to a next2me) I got second hand in the UK and wish I could get similar over there but no such luck.
I could get a moses basket but would rather not unless we really have to, especially as we have the carrycot from the pram for daytime naps.
The cot, we already have (they have Ikea over there).

I know it's impossible to know what she will sleep in until she's actually here but just wanted to know if she could go in the cot at 6 weeks from a safety point of view. I appreciate all the advice!

I've got some sleeping bag type things already. Do I need a cot bumper?

OP posts:
Persipan · 14/05/2020 12:20

Nope, cot bumpers aren't safe.

ememem84 · 14/05/2020 12:29

We have cot bumpers but now Dd is 9 months and can roll over and move around I might put them in her cot.

randomsabreuse · 14/05/2020 12:36

Safety wise fine. DC2 preferred the cot to the Moses basket. On the top setting it was level with our bed which was nice for night time settling.

dementedpixie · 14/05/2020 12:39

Cot bumpers arent safe for any age group and not advised

BringMeThatHorizon · 14/05/2020 12:40

Should be fine in a big cot, as long as it fits into the same room as you're in. Definitely no to cot bumpers though, they aren't safe.

BertieBotts · 14/05/2020 12:42

Yes they can be in a normal cot from birth if you want them to be. No cot bumpers.

11MrsLuther · 14/05/2020 12:44

Dc4 who was over 11lb at birth went straight into a cot, they didn't really fit in the crib.

Colouringinbook · 14/05/2020 12:45

Actual cot will be fine providing baby wants to go in it and there's no way of knowing.

Cot bumpers aren't safe at all - they shouldn't be on sale imo.

Quarantino · 14/05/2020 12:45

The Airwrap mesh-type breathable cot bumpers are fine.

BertieBotts · 14/05/2020 12:45

Travel cot is also fine, but note that an added mattress is not recommended as the sides of a travel cot are flexible and the baby can get stuck in the gaps. I didn't realise this and bought an extra mattress for our travel cot because the base of them feels hard. I wouldn't use it now for a little baby, but probably would for my 2yo.

BertieBotts · 14/05/2020 12:45

No, even the mesh bumpers have a risk of entrapment.

FATEdestiny · 14/05/2020 12:46

You can take one side off a normal full sized cot and turn it into a big version of the next2me crib.

This is called a sidecar cot and you can do it with any flat pack cot (and most cots are flatpack).

Full sized sidecar cots are better than cribs imo because there's enough room for you to physically wrap your arms around baby from ypur bed, whilst baby is in the cot.

Only requirements for this are:

  • cot with different mattress heights. Usually they have 3 different mattress height settings.
  • a way to wedge cot up against your bed without it jiggling apart. Either be having cot next to wall one one side and bed the other. Or tie the cot legs to your bed.
  • A flat pack cot and use of an allen key.
Original poster
sel2223 · 14/05/2020 14:47

Thank you ladies.... one side does come off and there are 2 height settings so that's a great idea @FATEdestiny

And no to bumpers....roger!

OP posts:
Pygmyseahorse · 14/05/2020 14:53

My dd went in at 6 weeks as she hated the moses basket and crib. First night in the cot and she slept like a log
It depends a bit on the baby but follow safe sleeping guidelines and it's perfectly fine

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