Bedside crib - worth it?

[HumbleCrumble]

I'm pregnant with DC1 and starting to think about furniture etc. I like the idea of a bedside crib for ease of comforting/feeding in the night, but are they definitely worth it when most are only suitable up to 6 months?

We'll have a "proper" cot for when the baby goes into its own room, and we have enough space to just have that in our room for the first 6 months if we didn't have a bedside one. I suppose it might be nice to have the option to bring baby back through to our room if needed, but if they outgrow the bedside crib at 6 months that wouldn't be much help.

I've seen that some bedside cribs can fold for travel which would be good for staying overnight with family, but again if it only fits up to 6 months we would still need a separate travel cot once it was outgrown.

Maybe I'm just looking for back up for when DH inevitably asks do we really need 3 cots!

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MNHQ

I’d really recommend a bedside crib, so much easier for night feeds, doesn’t sound like much effort getting out of bed and walking to a cot but when it’s the 6th time in the night and your absolutely exhausted it’s so nice to stay under your covers, just lean over and pick baby up for a cuddle or a feed. Also reassuring for the ‘are they breathing’ checks I think we all do as new mums!

I'm pregnant with DC2, had a bedside crib for DC1 and will use it again this time around. I think it's definitely worth it, I breastfed and it was very handy, possibly less essential if you're bottle feeding (and will have to get up anyway to feed baby) but still useful I think. One thing I will say is that I got a Snuzpod which is heavy and therefore not very portable (I believe the latest version is a bit lighter though). If buying again I would definitely get the Tutti Bambini Cozee which can easily be folded up and used for travel. I think the Next2Me is also reasonably portable but I prefer the look of the Cozee Check the dimensions as the length will affect how quickly it's outgrown, also when baby starts sitting.

In DC1's first year, we went away a few times and it was a pain using a regular travel cot, because he was big and heavy and it was difficult to lift him in and out of the bottom. So it would definitely have been useful to have portable bedside crib instead. Or a travel cot with a bassinet.

We decided to buy the bedside crib instead of a Moses basket, and for downstairs naps we used the pram carrycot. We also bought a cot bed (rather than a cot) which was too big for our bedroom but was definitely a good buy because it lasts so long, until about 5 as a toddler bed.

Yes. I would invest if I was you.

You probably won't want to be skirting round a full sized cot and although you think it's only for six months, those six months of sleep deprived nights will feel like they go on for a lot more than six months! Anything to make them easier. (The days go quickly though, how I miss the newborn days!)

Basically from my experience with DC1, my shopping list would be:

Portable bedside crib that can be used for travel eg Cozee
Something for downstairs naps, eg pram carrycot or Moses basket
Cot bed

And, once the bedside crib is outgrown, a large travel cot (120cm length) because DS outgrew his 100cm travel cot while he was still sleeping in the cot bed with the sides, so we ended up getting a bigger (120cm) travel cot anyway 🤦🏻‍♀️

An alternative shopping list could be:
Cot (if it fits in your bedroom)
Travel cot with bassinet
^this could be used for downstairs naps or you could also get a Moses basket or use pram carrycot
This shopping list is shorter but the cot will be outgrown quicker than a cot bed so you'd then need to buy a toddler bed or go straight from cot to single bed.
The travel cot with bassinet will also be outgrown at some point and you might want/need a bigger travel cot (as above).

I love ours, second DC is currently asleep in it... first DC was hardly ever asleep but having it right next to me made that easier also

Honestly, it's a really bloody long 6 months.
Make your life easier. It's very much worth the £80 they are secondhand.
I have a Chicco next to me and would recommend.

I’d get a lightweight next to me cot which can be used for travel or a more substantial travel cot you could use all the time

I wouldn’t bother with a Moses basket and found the sleepyhead very small

I’d use the pram bassinet instead, having my time again

Yes so worth it, especially if breastfeeding. Makes feeding easier, reassures your that baby is ok at a quick glance, allows for many of the benefits of co-sleeping whilst giving baby (and you) their own space.

We borrowed one from a friend and just got a new mattress - they aren’t needed for long so they are easy to pick up second hand if you wanted.

Thank you all for your replies, you've convinced me!

"Proper" cot will be a cot bed, which on second thoughts would be a squeeze in our room...

I wasn't going to bother with a Moses basket but we've been offered a second hand one for free so will have that for downstairs naps.

Yup, absolutely. I borrowed a Next to Me but if I had another baby I'd happily buy one. So easy to just roll over and comfort, or pick up and cuddle/feed. And I think less likely that you'll fall asleep with them on you, as it's so easy to transfer (if they let you).

I didn't have a next to me for the first 2 just a Moses basket which was a pain as I had to get out of bed to lift the baby out. My husband also wouldn't let me spend so much on something that won't be used that long. Second baby I really moaned but nope! Both my children were breastfed and I was up God knows how many times feeding, they just ended up co-sleeping after a few weeks. I'm now on my 3rd pregnancy and will be ordering a next to me whether he likes it or not! Our first 2 children still get in our bed in the night (this is why I'm awake right now!! And is probably due to co-sleeping as babies!!) so there just isn't room at the inn for another person. So now we will spend the exact same amount of money and get use out of it for 1 baby when I could have used it for all 3 and slept better (I never properly slept co-sleeping), I hate being right!!

I'd buy one if I was you.

I've used a next to me for both babies. Definitely worth it, especially if breast feeding. It does fold up for travel hover it's still fairly bulky, i just started using my pram carry cot for overnight stays until he grew out of it and then switched to a travel cot. DS1 was a small baby so he stayed in his until he was about 8 months

I had a make shift one for my first and for my second I splashed out on the halo bassinest 360 and got an extra set of legs. No regrets at all. It swivels so you can pull it right over the bed or push it away has a push down side that automatically returns so baby's head cant get stuck over the side. Easy enough to move from the main base to wherever the second set of legs are. It really has made all the difference this time round!

We had a regular cot attached to our bed with a side off (google Ikea Cot Hack) with the first. We’d do that again but DS is still sleeping in the cot at 2 and I have no desire to start trying to transition him out of it, so I bought a secondhand Tutti Bambini Cozee this time. It’s more spacious than I imagined and folds really easily! It could well last longer than 6 months. Either way, having a co-sleeper is a godsend for just rolling over and popping a boob out to feed!

I have a tutti bambini and it's been brilliant. Used it for my first DS and currently using it for DS2. Lots of room which has been great as both of my babies have been tall. You can also adjust the height of the crib which was essential after two c-sections as it made it easier to lift both baby out of the crib to feed, i didn't gave to stand up 100 times a night, I could perch on end of bed and lean over.

I have the Tutti Bambini CoZee as well. Dd is 8 months in a couple of days and still fits comfortably. Unfortunately she learnt to pull herself up to standing yesterday so will have to stop using it

We had a next2me which was great - didn't take up as much room as the cot so meant I could still have my bedside table set up. Folds down for travel but is still big, that said travel cots are still pretty bulky when folded.

I thought that it might be a waste of time, took me nearly 3 months to get a chicco next-to-me, and within 8 hours I realised it had paid for itself!
Totally worth every penny- so good in fact that I have gone and got a 2nd one on Ebay for DC2 to put next to my DS1's bed when I'm inevitably in and out with him all night.

Just looking into this! Thanks all