Side car cot/crib suggestions

[SleepForTheWeek]

Looking to get a side car crib for DC2 (due in 10 weeks).

I have looked at the next to me/ snuzpod/ babybay maxi and a couple more but my issue with them is baby will likely grow out of them before I'm ready to put them in their own room (if they feed as often during the night as DD did!!!). I would also like to use a sleepyhead with it.

I'm quite restricted for space in the bedroom - but is there a compact cot that would do the same thing? So, drop side and level with my mattress?

Any other suggestions?

Most flat pack cots have adjustable mattress heights and the bolts holding in the mattress base fix to the short edges (ie head and foot of the cot) not the long sides, of the cot.

As suck it's very easy to just remove one side of the cot, then wedge it up to your bed.

I believe IKEA do a compact cot you can do that with. It's not drop side, but you can take the side off completely.

Such*

DD1 is 6 months and will easily fit in the next2me for another 6+ months

I have a snuzpod and it's pretty big! I think it'll definitely last my daughter to 6 months and she was 8,14 born so isn't a small baby.

I wouldn't bother with the sleepyhead unless you need it once baby arrives- my daughter is only 11 weeks and already it looks too small.

I thought with the next2me etc it was recommended that they were in them once baby was sitting up unaided or trying to pull themselves up?

Thanks, will look at IKEA ones :)

*not in them

We have a next to me, my daughter is 5 months and I anticipate she will be in it for another 3-4 months. You are correct that it is recommended to stop using when they are able to pull themselves up but she sleeps in a gro bag so her legs are more restricted and this will prevent her pulling herself up in her cot for a bit longer.

Opinions vary for sleepyhead - I felt it was too expensive so didn't buy anything initially. When she refused to be put down, we bought a purflo nest which is very similar and it made such a big difference! I would pay double for the result we had when we got it.

DS2 has only just moved out of the Snuzpod at 11 months. He's big too (85th centile), but after 6 months or so slept curled up on his front or side, so fitted in. I mean, it was snug, but he had no less space than I do in my half of a double bed (relative to body size).

I certainly feel like we got the best value from the crib!

Bonus of the Snuzpod over the others for us was the mattress height went higher than any others. Also we have no space for anything wider - if we did a space saver cot would have been a good choice and would have lasted longer. Though, we're now ready for him to sleep elsewhere!

We had a snuzpod but at 5 months DS has grown out of it. It is quite long but not very wide and DS likes to sleep with both arms out like a scarecrow!

I loved the Snuzpod but think you're right to get something bigger - exactly the same as pp we had to move our baby at 4.5 months because she wanted to spread out. And don't think it's at all safe once they can pull themselves up.
It did give me a couple of months of pretty good sleep despite multiple wakings for feeds though!

We have a next2me and I doubt it'll last 6 months for DD2 who is 75th centile. DD1 had a bednest which she outgrew by 4 months. It was too narrow before it was too short and she kept waking up by hitting her hands off the sides. They're definitely not safe once the baby can sit up.

I bought a petite cot from M&P which has two mattress heights. It is a similar width to the next2me but lasted until we wanted to move DD1 to her own room at 10 months.

Another Next To Me here. Using it for #2 at the moment. Fits Sleepyhead perfectly. DS moved into his cot (in own room) at 5 months and DD will probably do the same. I might have got another few months out of it though.

I had the next2me and we also had the sleepyhead in it and it was still big enough at 6 months. I think he would still fit in it by 9/10 months without the sleepyhead. The snuzpod and next2me are the same dimensions. They are way bigger than a Moses basket. It's Moses baskets you really need to worry about. They only really last 3/4 months max.

I was hoping to get something that would maybe last a year so I didn't have to move the baby while it was still feeding continuously during the night

My friend has a next2me so might go and have a look at it

I don't have a specific recommendation, but get a full size cot if you can find a compact one. DD was a squiggler and she was out of the bedside crib way quicker than we were ready for, even though she's not big. She just needed more space! The cot gives you the control, rather than their size or sleeping habits dictating when you move them.

Jumping onto this thread; I too was considering a next to me or snuzpod for when baby outgrows her carrycot but is too young to go into her room. We have a cot-bed there but it is too big to go into our bedroom. I don't particularly need the side down function though. Would a compact cot/crib be better? It would certainly be less expensive than the snuzpod?

Blahblahblahyadayadayada, If you already have a cotbed then the cheapest option by far would be to move a chest of drawers (or similar) out of your bedroom into the nursery, so that you can fit the cot into your room.

Cot beds are designed to be sturdy with one or both of the sides removed, so make great cosleepers. The extra space of the cotbed also means that you can physically fit your top half of the body into the cot off the side of your bed. Then you can cuddle up to and snuggle round baby, but being able to extract yourself afterwards.

I used a side-car cotbed like this from birth. Made feeding and settling without feeding much easier.

Thanks FATEdestiny. Unfortunately all our wardrobes etc are integrated so we can't move them. I'm not overly concerned about cost but I don't think 200 for a snuzpod or equivalent is what we need for what will end up being maybe 4-5 months' use. For my son we used a travel cot for that in between time but I've had back problems and I don't want to reach deep in and out of that.

I'm just fussy! Maybe a mid priced crib that'll fit my room will do?

I think cribs are the same size as a snuzpod/next to me. I am happy to be corrected since I've used neither. But I have always looked up in cribs, Moses baskets, cosleeper cribs to all be pretty much the same size.

I understand you can get a compact sized cot though.

You could be right. I shall have to look into compact cots. I know we won't be able to use the carrycot for 6 months so just need something for theninbetween phase. Thanks.

If you find a compact cot that the sides will come down on please let me know!!

I don't know if any of these are any good:
www.preciouslittleone.com/products/50/cots/

Thanks blahblahblah there's a couple in there that night just be suitable!!

You're welcome, SleepDorTheWeek; Update us as to what you get, if anything?