Cots/Cribs/Moses baskets - what’s for the best!?

[HopefulBump]

Hi all,

I’m very confused as to what I should but for my baby to sleep in when they arrive.

I was planning on a Moses basket for downstairs in the living room, more to have somewhere safe to put them more than anything.

I’ve been advised that most babies won’t sleep in a Moses basket and a next to me crib would be best for the bedroom with the side down as they’re a lot happier being close to you and being able to see you.

However, I’ve been doing all my ante natal classes trying to learn about safe sleep and reducing chances of SIDS etc. Tucking in blankets tightly and letting the arms free. Cellular blankets only so there’s holes to breathe if it does end up over their face etc etc…..I don’t understand how a next to me crib can be safe?? Surely if it’s at the same height as my bed with the side down, there’s a huge danger of our great big adult winter duvet (baby is due in Jan) flopping on top of them and suffocating them!?

Please could someone explain how a next to me crib could be safe/what you recommend for the baby to sleep in? Apologies if I’m being daft!

You definitely need to be care with the blankets with your baby.

But honestly, I coslept with my 3 children 🤷🏻‍♀️ blankets and pillows were nicely kept away from the baby and they stayed away all night, never had any "close calls" waking up with a bedsheet ever on top of the baby

Anyways, cots require a very nice compliant baby (1 out of my 3....). I would only get the moses basket with a strong fixed stand. You can move it between the bedroom and living room (without the baby inside it!!). And later on you can then get the cot 😉 when they are little babies they need the comfort of the closed in walls and don't appreciate all the space of the cot.....

Thanks @grey12 Did you use sleeping bags rather than blankets! I’m very conscious I want them to be warm enough in winter, but also I know they shouldn’t be overheated!

Also, if you think Moses baskets are best then I’d still get one for the living room and another for the bedroom. I’m disabled and also have very steep stairs so carting one around wouldn’t be ideal. I’m planning on having double supplies like changing mats etc both upstairs and downstairs to make it easier for me.

I thought they were awkward...... DD3 was born in October and she would sleep with a vest, a warm onesie and burrito wrapped with a waffle blanket. The room wasn't very cold. If we felt she needed, we would tuck a holey (loose knit??....) knitted blanket over her but she didn't like to be too warm, still doesn't.

Good idea 😊

Hey op. So with a next to me crib you can still tuck the cellular blankets in and you can also use a sleep bag instead for baby. In terms of it being safe, you have it quite high up the bed (like your chest height is probably easiest / ideal) and it's incredibly unlikely you'd flick the duvet over baby. But you could also wrap the duvet around you to be doubly safe or wear a warm pyjama top then keep duvet down at waist height. Next to me cots are definitely best for night time especially if breastfeeding as like you said baby is a bit closer, easier to pick up etc. We used a moses basket downstairs as we could move it around the house while she napped. Although she only really liked the Moses for a few weeks then she only wanted to sleep on me for her naps for a good few months so lots of contact naps in front of the TV or in the sling is what we did :)

Like a previous poster I ended up cosleeping with my DD. It was just so much easier and she never liked the cot. We did have a next to me as well and she sometimes went in that for a bit (like an hour or two between night feeds 😏) but mostly she was right next to me. If you follow the safe sleep seven rules (Google this) and sleep in the cuddle curl, and you are breastfeeding, then cosleeping/bed sharing is as safe or safer as having baby in a cot as it actually helps them regulate their breathing. I would put DD in a sleep bag (being next to you counts as one layer of clothing so just be mindful of that) and then tuck the duvet around myself so it would not fall on her in the night, or have it down at waist height, then sleep in the cuddle curl around her (this naturally prevents you rolling on baby and also keeps baby away from pillows. The next to me cot was a fancy barrier that stopped her falling out of the bed and was used occasionally!).

Some good books that are evidence based about sleep are sweet sleep by La leche league and also the gentle sleep book by Sarah Ockwell Smith.

I had a Moses basket with mine. It was great. The babies loved it and slept in it at night near me. Never heard of babies not liking them. Easy to carry around from room to room in the daytime.

I don’t see how adult duvets or pillows are going to end up in the next to me unless you literally throw them around in your sleep.

The big flaw with the next to me IMO is that it really is quite detached from the adult sleep space. My DS isn’t fooled by it and insists on Co-sleeping - despite all my good intentions following the safe sleep advice pre birth.

I just feel like how usually the edges of the duvet fall down the sides of the bed, with a next to me crib attached to the bed frame they’ll drape onto the next to me mattress instead? As it’s essentially an extension of the adult bed mattress?

The next to me cot was a fancy barrier that stopped her falling out of the bed and was used occasionally!).

🤣 soooo true!!! It actually made me laugh!
Not only that, but it made it difficult to get out of bed as well.....

The next to me cribs just look like a con to me.
My DC slept in his Moses basket.

I mean safe from suffocation. I’m worried about our adult duvet encroaching into the next to me crib.

Looks like Moses baskets are winning!

Day slept in a regular cot from 4 weeks and a Moses basket before that with receiving/cellular blankets. I did use sleeping bags once he started moving as would wake up cold.

For my 2nd baby I’m just getting a next2me crib for bedroom. Moses basket or something like that for living room.

A next to me crib doesn't have to be attached to your bed with the side down. I worry about our duvet ending up in there too so I have it next to my side of the bed but free-standing and with the side up. It's essentially like a little cot just next to my bed. Would recommend.

We have a snuzpod but use it with the wall up, he loves it and isn't bothered by the separation. He can still see me and me him through the mesh sides.

We also have a Moses basket but after the first month he wouldn't sleep in it so the cat has claimed it now 😂

Loved my next me cot! For the night feeds I never had to get out of the bed I just scooped her into the bed and slid her back in when she was done!

i had no issues with the duvet going near here as i ticked it in on the sides so there was no way it could be accidentally thrown over her

I started to put the side up on the next to me after a while anyway but it’s mesh so I could still see her and liked her being so close

In addition to what people have said if you are getting a carry cot with your buggy they can have mattresses safe for napping which you could use downstairs. Thats what we did instead of a moses basket etc. Funnily enough my babies preferred their cots at night to their next to me style cot.

The next to me is not completely open sided on the bed side, there is a 6 inch fabric barrier to stop the baby rolling out, which I imagine if you have it set up to the right height will also help stop duvets and pillows flopping over. Ours has been set up for a while now and nothing has fallen in yet, I've just laid down had a bit of a flail around (the sacrifices we make for the sake of research lol) and nothing's gone in without me really actively trying to put it in there. We have a Moses basket as well for downstairs, but we'll see how well she gets on with everything once she gets here!

I'm 37 weeks pregnant and we have bought a moses basket for downstairs (so I can put him down safely when DH is back to work) and a Snuzpod crib for upstairs. The side can come down but we will be leaving it up, as we don't like the idea of strapping it to the mattress etc.

Moses basket here then into a cot once outgrown moses basket.

Thank you so much everyone!!! And thank you for testing it @fpurplea xxx

If you move the duvet over a bit there is little danger of it going into the crib. And you are hyper aware when you are sleeping next to the baby anyway. If you are worried, push the duvet down to your hips and sleep in your dressing gown or warm jumper.

Check out the Lullaby Trust website for safe Co-sleeping advice.

Fwiw, I had a next to me crib and it only ever got used to put my water/book/phone/snacks in at night 😂