Logistics of sleep! (for a newborn)

[ophrys]

Have just brought our lo home after a week and a half in hospital, we're overjoyed to be home but I'm feeling a bit "second-guess"y about what's right now!

He has a Moses basket to sleep in, one minor freak out about it not being flat and having to find a plank of wood to lay across the stand because his head looked raised - luckily fine now, but I was wondering does everyone have two beds for their baby or just carry the Moses basket and stand upstairs every night? Leaving the stand upstairs and just having it on the floor downstairs isn't an option as we have a dog. Last night I took him upstairs for his feed then dp followed with his bed. Is this the best way to do things or are we missing something?

Also blankets.. The mattresses in the cots in hospital were much more snug and you could tuck the blankets down the sides well. With the Moses basket I feel like everything's a bit lumpy! Any tips?

Thankyou

Both my newborns responded really well to swaddling instead of blankets. Can't link on iPad, but I found mothercare own brand swaddle to be ace. It used to look like they were fighting it a bit, but then they just went to sleep...hurrah! Just don't swaddle their arms straight down as babies really hate that, put them bent across their chest.

For naps I use the pram downstairs and Moses basket upstairs for the really newborn bit. As they get a bit bigger, they go upstairs for naps. Not compliant with SIDS guidelines though, a personal choice. Of course I currently have a day time sleep fighter so getting him upstairs for a nap would be unlikely!

We brought moses basket downstairs every day then put him to sleep in it upstairs- health visitor told me never to carry baby in basket because of heavy head? Now we put him in carrycot of pram during the day. ..

Both DD and DS hated the basket on the stand and much preferred to feel the fitness of the flat floor beneath them, so basket just got carted around the house and put on the floor of whatever room we were in.

DD loved being swaddled, and I used summer infant swaddle wraps. Took all the guess work out! DS happier with blankets as was/is a tummy sleeper.

We didn't have a moses basket. DD slept in the pram carrycot, in a sling or just in arms/on our chests during the day. For the first 6 weeks we had a crib next to the bed and then after that we coslept because it just felt right to do so.

DD was able to kick all her blankets off from an early age. We swaddled her until she was big enough to go in a sleeping bag, which she used until she was walking.

A friend of mine had a moses basket and did just what you are doing, OP.

Thankyou everyone! We are planning on getting a cot for him when he's a bit bigger so will probably keep doing what we're doing for now, until carrying it upstairs every night gets annoying and then we'll get a cot!

Lots of you have said swaddling, that was my original intention and then to move onto sleeping bags once he's big enough but the nurses in hospital said not to swaddle him at home. Does anyone know the reasons for that?

Managed to get my DS to nap in his moses basket precisely zero times ever. So this was never an issue for me, so good luck if you do manage it!

we used the carry cot bit of the travel system we had for downstairs and then used a crib upstairs. Never had a moses basket

There is emerging evidence that swaddling can be dangerous re overheating. Dd is 2.5yrs and the hv recommended it, ds is 9m and they didn't so it's v recent.
Don't worry too much about lumpy mattress etc as your newborn isn't going to be moving about much - just make sure you put down to bed on back.

Ah okay well I'm pretty nervous about getting his temperature right so will definitely stick to not swaddling him!

I think it was mostly first night nerves when I wrote this, he's been happily sleeping in his moses basket today (when we've not been snuggling with him!) and he looks comfy and safe so I'm feeling a lot better along with all your reassurances! Thanks

I had the Moses basket on the coffee table for 6 weeks! Just to point out about cot though, my 9week DS is in his cot already as he's shot up to 91st centile for length and was getting very uncomfortable in Moses basket and his crib. Hitting the sides with head and arms. So depending on your baby they might not be in it for as long as you envisage! My lovely crib barely got used! He's much better sleeping in the cot.