Next to me's and cot beds

[Pinksworthy90]

Hi,

I'm 29w pregnant and going to be a FTM. Hoping I can get some suggestions on what kind of sleeping arrangements I can look into for my newborn and for the later stages without having to spend a fortune.

Initially thought of going for a bedside crib & cot ( www.tuttibambini.com/cozee-xl-bedside-crib-cot-oak-and-charcoal.html ), where I can move my baby girl to the nursery room to
the cot after 6 months, but now I'm thinking it can be used only until 18 months ? But if I go for a basic bedside crib for initial 6 months and then a cot which can be turned into toddler bed (something from IKEA like SUNDVIK may be), we can have a longer usage and less expensive one.

Has anyone used IKEA cots and if so up to what age can they be used ?

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MNHQ

Wow op, I hadn’t even seen this tutti thing before!!
It looks like it ticks all boxes??

The website says it can be used as a cot up to 3 years?

It says after 6 months you get a further 18 months out of it.

Tbh, it looks amazing wish I found it when preg!

Hi so with first child I had a Chico next to me - she was able to stay in that until 6 months. If you have a baby that rolls earlier than 6 months then you'll need to move them out earlier. She then went into a Argos cot bed BUT I wish I hadn't bothered as it was too big really and as she was a terrible sleeper she never really got use out of the "toddler" bit and she went into a single bed so I could share

Babies 2 and 3 are twins - shared a Chico next2me and then cot at first - they are now in the IKEA cots as the side can come off totally like a cot bed but not as big as we are right on space

With my first I used a chico next to me till 7 months. Then she went into a cot bed in her own room. She is almost 3 now and sleeps in the same cot bed but with the front side off it now, so now a toddler bed. She still has lots of growth in this.

@bonetiredwithtwins I am now expecting twins. How long did the twins manage to share the chico next to me for? What age were they too big for this? This is what I am thinking of using for them both to sleep together initially

@HotToddyColdSauvignon That's where is the catch. the pictures show that it can be used upto 3 years, but for £269 it is only the crib and the cot. You would have to purchase the bed and sofa expansion pack again for £159.

@YellowLemonz I thought so too initially, but then wondered if the IKEA cots can be used more than 18 months and eventually as toddler beds, so was just thinking if I should just stick to the cots like everyone else does.

@bonetiredwithtwins Sounds good with how it is working with your twins. I know however that how much ever I plan now to not spend on unnecessary or fancy stuff, it all might be out of the window as every child is different.

I had the Chicco Next to Me ones - horribly hard, thin mattress and so overpriced. Would not recommend! My DTs did not sleep well in them and I moved them to a cotbed within a few months. Seamless sleep after.
Would recommend the EVE cotbed mattress, changed my life. They went from sleeping hardly at all to full naps and sleeps.

@Donimo great, that's what I wanted to know. The IKEA websites doesn't provide any detail on what age the cots can be used up to. Thank you ! It clearly saves me some money.

@Donimo

Congratulations! Twins are bloody amazing!

Mine shared the Chico during the day mainly until around 4-5 months - at night only maybe the first month or so then shared a cot in my room - really depends on how big yours are? My little twin was half the size of her brother if they'd both been his size I don't think they would have shared long at all! . They lay with their feet against the long bit until they got too tall and then during the day would nap both with feet at the short end. Very much depends on how soon they start annoy each other though! As soon as they can wriggle and start moving their head about mine annoyed each other so was time for more space

@Pinksworthy90

My twins have the IKEA gulliver - as needed to maximise space on the room to fit 2 cots in

The side comes off totally to convert to a toddler bed - I would estimate mine will be in the gulliver until at least age 2 or more

I would go with the standard Tutti bambini cozee, loved it! And then get a cot or cot bed if you want it to be used longer. Really does depend on the child as some go into a bed at 18 months and others nearer 3!

We had the Next2Me until six months - absolutely amazing, she slept really well in it and liked being close to me but in a separate space. At six months we moved her into a cot in her own room - got a free cot passed on by someone else and just bought a new mattress for it so it was very cheap. She slept in the cot until 3, then we just had a normal-size single bed, didn't bother with a toddler bed at all.

Look on FB Marketplace and similar - it's usually easy to get a cheap secondhand Next2Me and/or cot there, then just buy a new mattress for them. The Next2Me only lasts six months so doesn't get much wear at all and the fabric section can be washed in a washing machine.

@maltesers99 I'm looking at the Babylo Cozi next to me crib and hope it serves right. Definitely check the Eve one when we decide to move to cot. Thank you !

The ikea cot bed (or any cot bed for that matter) can be used a cot until they climb out, then with the sides off as a toddler bed until they grow too big for it. It will definitely get you to at least 3 years old, possibly even 4. There’s also no reason why they can’t go straight into the cot bed- mine did from newborn. Of course baby may not be happy to be put down in the cot but that can be a common problem regardless of what expensive sleep solution you’ve bought them!

@bonetiredwithtwins The dimensions of the SUNDVIK I'm looking in IKEA seems bigger than Gulliver, so hopefully that fits my criteria.

@OtiMama Love looking at the Tutti Bambini products. Just wish they were a little cheaper.

@ridingmybike I'm all for the hand-me-downs. DH isn't a fan though. Hence going crazy trying to find the right thing without spending too much. If it was upto me, I would have bought most of the items from marketplace.

If it helps… We have Sundvik and it’s standard cot bed size (70x140). Gulliver is smaller but you can still remove the sides to make a smaller than average toddler bed. Gulliver is a great space saver as PP says but if you can fit Sundvik in your room then definitely go for that instead!

@LakeShoreD I would like the baby be with me in our room for the initial 6 months until we form a routine for sleep and feed. Our room unfortunately doesn't have much space to accommodate a cot in itself though. I have no idea how much of this is gonna work as planned, but atleast I would like to be prepared.

@LakeShoreD Ooh, thank you. The nursery room is quite roomy so no issues fitting a SUNDVIK there

We have the tutti for our little girl, its a next to you cot at the moment, so far it’s great, seems sturdy etc.

If you’re having twins it probably wouldn’t be worth getting as you’re going to need two toddler beds, so may aswell get a standard cot and then seperate toddler beds, unless you look at second hand and just get a new mattress.

We used an Ikea cot from 6 months up till age 4. Just took the side off to make it a cot bed, we got a £15 rail from ikea for it. Sold it on gumtree so it’s going to be reused for a while! Really pleased with it, it was fab

I feel like I’m asking a stupid question

Why can’t the baby be in a Moses basket next to my bed on a stand type thing and then around 5/6 months they go into their cot bed thing in their nursery?

Am I missing something terrible?

@HotToddyColdSauvignon

I feel like I’m asking a stupid question

Why can’t the baby be in a Moses basket next to my bed on a stand type thing and then around 5/6 months they go into their cot bed thing in their nursery?

Am I missing something terrible?

Moses baskets are usually tiny and are usually outgrown well before 6 months so to follow safe sleep guidelines you’ll then either need to fit the cot into your room or if there isn’t space find something else for them to sleep in. Travel cot can be a good shout for the interim though and chances are you’ll want one anyway so it wouldn’t be an extra purchase.

Mine outgrew her Moses basket by 3 months!

When I said to our NCT leader that I was considering a Next To Me type cot she (kindly) said something along the lines of them turning into 'very expensive bedside tables' in her experience!

I did get one and loved it for a very short while with a newborn but my baby soon preferred being closer and it was difficult to move her back over into the cot without waking her so we ended up safely cosleeping instead. With the cot in place basically just to stop her falling out.

So NCT woman was right and it did end up being used as an oversized bedside table. Great at the very start though and they do tend to hold value I think so not a complete waste of money.

I have the bedside crib version of this so doesn't expand at all. DS was out of it by 4 months as when he started moving around the whole thing was shaking and moving! I would assume if the XL is meant to last until 3 it would be more stable but one to consider!

I got this bedside crib from Amazon and loved it and its only £99

BABYLO BABYLO Bedside Cozi Sleeper Co-Sleeping Crib, Grey www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079SN9SRT/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_D31JV9FQA8PTF15XH6QG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1