Next to me vs a "normal" crib?

[HopeWish]

So I've seen a lot of gushing over next to me/snuzpod side sleeper style cribs but they are rather expensive!

I am likely not going to use the co-sleeping options and would just use the crib as a normal crib.

With that in mind, is there any reason why next2me/snuzpod style cribs may be better than a less expensive traditional crib? I would still have the crib next to me, but I am just not so fussed about the co - sleeping stuff!

Does anybody still use a traditional crib nowadays and are there any recommendations?

Our cot is too big to fit next to the bed so we needed an alternative. I do think it's a bit of a luxury to have another sleeping option but I'm all for making my life more convenient with a small baby! I liked the next2me as we could get it the same height as the bed so I could easily see baby and it folds down for travel and storage.

Have you considered second hand?I got a great deal on a barely used snuzpod and just bought a new mattress for it.

We weren’t planning on getting a bedside crib, I was going to carry the Moses basket up and down stairs every morning, but a Snuzpod was honestly the best thing we bought for our baby. I never saw it as co-sleeping, it was just a crib where I could see baby at all times in the night without getting up.

Don’t underestimate how tired you’ll be, the difference between being able to easily get to baby to feed without having to get up compared to having to get out of bed and reach over a cot will definitely show.

They are expensive though, but there’s various models of the next-to-me style that are quite budget. Look in Smyths :)

I easnt fussed about co slerping crib.... Unfortunately my child would not sleep in his moses basket next the the bed. He wanted to fall asleep feeding, then stay close to me. When I bought a bedside crib I could slide him in once asleep andcwe all got much more sleep! I'm a complete convert and thet are in my top 5 list of things you need along with nappies, baby grows and a car seat.. Thats how highly I rate them!

I never used one. I used a Moses basket by the side of my bed until dd was about 6 weeks old then she went into a wooden crib at the end of our bed.
My cried was a family hand me down so no idea where it was from

Crib not cried 🤷🏼‍♀️

I've got a second hand next to me and my baby has really taken to it. She's really easy to put down in it and sleeps 10-10 usually. I like it because I just lie her down in it then lie next to her so she can see me while I read or watch something on the iPad. She then falls asleep herself. My son took lots of rocking and cuddling to sleep and would often wake when put down even as old as a year, so this is a revelation for me!

We got a cotbed for 6 months plus (too big to put in our bedroom), so we needed something from birth. Considered a moses basket, but so many people told me their LO grew out of this by 4 months, so we decided to go for a next-to-me style crib.

We got a Hauck face-to-me which was much cheaper than a snuzpod and we can easily transport this downstairs during the day - although not as easy as a moses basket, our LO still hasn't grown out of it..

Dont worry about it, is a current trend you dont have to get one.
a moses basket for the first few months can have it as close to bed as you like.
I did not use those which connect to edge of bed. The first few days when hard to sit up from lying I found it best to swing legs over side of bed when getting out not sure that would work with a 'co-sleeper'
If no toddlers can have the basket in living room during day and bedroom then at night.
Moses baskets easy to get second hand and can buy a new matdress for them.
my three were in normal cot by about 4 months as the base height could be adjusted so I wouldnt advise spending a lot on anything you will use for short time.

I think baby knows they are in a separate bit anyway. The mattress will feel different. It is handy to have the open part and you can stroke the baby, put dummy back in, hold their hand etc. To be honest though ours still ended up mostly in our bed 😂 it's the only place she wld settle a lot of the time. I often put her back in her next to me bed but even now 7 months later she mostly sleeps with us. She starts off in her own room in her own cot and after I have been through a couple of times I give up and bring her in with us.

My first born did sleep properly in the next to me bed though.

I have a few pros on our snuz pod.

I found that they last longer. Most Moses baskets, although they state they go up 6 months, they're outgrown by 4 months.
Our snuzpod went up to 8 months in the end.

They're bigger than Moses baskets so better transition to a cot

We kept the side up but it next time the bed and in the night could unzip and get closer and feed which in bed.

Space saving

Easy to move/take away as goes into 2.

Looks good

I had a snooze pod and it was brilliant, lasted for 6 months until DC went into their own room.
Handy at night because I could just keep the side down to soothe, feed and cuddle.
They take up less room too which is a bonus. Do you have the space for a full size crib?
Also after a section it was handy as I didn't have to bend over to get baby out at night

Next2me is the best thing we’ve bought for baby so far! I don’t really see it as co-sleeping. It’s so convenient to have them next to you, be able to check on them if you wake up at night and comfort them without leaving your bed or moving at all. They are really handy and definitely worth it in my opinion. you can often get good deals online or have you had a look at second hand then you’d only need a new mattress.

Loved my next2me! I had that upstairs which lasted until they were around 6 months. Then had a Moses basket downstairs for naps

Thanks everybody for the useful comments and advice!

It looks like a bonus of the snuzpod/next2me is the size - and as we cannot fit a full size cot or cotbed in our room we would be using a smaller crib or moses basket otherwise.

Those of you who have used the snuzpod, did you actually remove the top and use it downstairs? Is it heavy or manageable to carry? We have quite steep stairs and I'm not sure I would manage it with a baby too!

Yes it’s the size that’s really good imo. It’s significantly bigger than a Moses basket (DS was in it to about 7.5 months) but smaller than a full size cot which I think made DS feel safer/more cosy.

We did have it set up beside the bed and it was really handy for nightfeeds, but it’s not actually co sleeping as the baby is in their own cot. It’s good to be able to check on/reassure the baby without getting up. You can do that with any other cot pushed up beside the bed obviously but these are designed for that.

There are loads second hand and next2mes are fully washable so you just need a new mattress.

@HopeWish my baby isn't here yet but I cant see myself carrying the top of the snuzpod up and down stairs.
It detaches easily and has handles at both ends so easily doable but it's bigger than a moses basket and I, personally, think it would be a right faff lugging it up and down.
We're just planning to use the carrycot from the pram for downstairs daytime naps. I'm reluctant to buy a moses basket as everyone we know says their baby hardly used it and grew out of it so quickly but will get one later of we feel it's needed.

Got mine off Facebook market place, immaculate, just buying a new mattress. They gave me loads of sheets too and some sleeping bags. £50!

I had the snuzpod at mine and the next2me at my in laws.

IMO the next2me, in comparison to the snuzpod, felt cheap and poorly built/very plastic feeling.

Never took the top downstairs, just had a sleepyhead downstairs.

Snuzpod lasts 10 months, much longer than any Moses basket would of

Excellent but

I've not had baby yet but we bought a chicco next to me crib on recommendations from friends. We bought a nearly new one from Facebook market place and ordered a new mattress, saved lots of pennies!

The snuzpod is far to bulky and heavy to take up and down the stairs
We had a baby box and a Moses basket for different rooms, I would recommend either of those to keep downstairs.

Have you looked at these instead?
It's pretty much the same as a next2me and I've got one ready for baby when he arrives in August. I love how it looks and I think it's a bargain compared to the actual snuz pods and next2me cribs!
It's from Smyths toys

www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/baby/baby-travel-essentials/babylo-cozi-sleeper-slate-grey/p/163555?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5uf07vTS6gIVCLrtCh26ywmdEAQYASABEgLnbfD_BwE

It's actually on offer at the mo too xx

We have a Tutti Bambini Cozee Crib and I'm currently lying next to my DD with my hand on her chest to help her get back to sleep. Both of mine would only sleep at night as newborns if they were in with us - the bedside crib helped us to transition away from co-sleeping.

We have a cot bed in the baby's bedroom but it just wouldn't fit in our room. Also, I imagine the size would make it difficult to get in and out of bed. I like that I can get comfy for a night feed and then just lift DD on to my lap (she's FF), although she's now to big and heavy for me to put down gently from my bed so I have to scoot down the bed and then stand up before I can set her down!

@Lodex

The only downside to those I would say is they don't rock

We had a next to me and we bought it purely for the size. We couldn't fit a cot bed into our room, but needed something to last our youngest at least six months. The next to me was the biggest crib available at the time. We never used it as a co sleeper.