Anything else needed than a cot bed from birth?

[Nerel]

I'm pregnant with my first baby so this is all pretty new to me, but I've managed to get a second hand Rachael cot bed from John Lewis and wonder if I need anything else for a baby to sleep in from birth? I have room in my bedroom for it to go at the end of my bed for the first few months but it is quite low with high sides.

Would a separate basket be handy for downstairs in the day and could I buy a buggy with a separate lie flat option to use instead, rather than buying a separate Moses basket? Seems like there are a lot of options and not sure what's necessary! Thanks

Make sure you get a new Mattress for the cot bed. For the first 6 months you're meant to be in the room they're sleeping in at all times but if you get a pram with a carrycot bit you could keep them in the carrycot - just obvs make sure they're not too hot. Most babies seem to not be keen on Moses baskets after a couple of weeks!

The Rachel cot from John Lewis has 3 base heights. You want to start with the mattress base at the highest setting. It should match your bed height, thereabouts. You don't want the mattress on the lowest setting until baby is older.

Position at the end of your bed is not ideal. It could do with being next to you, so you can reach in to settle baby while you are in bed.

SIDS recommendations are that you should be in the same room as baby sleeping until 6 months. This includes daytime and night time. So unless you fancy spending extended time in your bedroom through the day, you will need somewhere for baby to sleep downstairs.

I have always used a bouncy chair for downstairs naps for the first 6 months.

I found a Moses basket incredibly useful. It could be carried up or downstairs if needed, popped in easy sight if I wanted a shower or to do something in the garden, moved to cooler or warmer parts of the house as needed, and fit beside the bed easily.

You could go for a buggy like the one we started off with (Bebe Confort Loola) - the frame let you clip a carryout into it and use it as a pram, then when you were ready to sit little one up a bit the carry cot lifted out and you replaced it with a pushchair seat.

We have a Moses basket downstairs for naps, although dd (4 months) much prefets to sleep on me!
We have a next2me in our room and it's proved invaluable as I don't need to move to settle her. I just reach out and put it hand in her tummy! Also useful for feeding at nighrs - I don't need to get up.

You can definitely just get a flat pram - we got the baby jogger summit x3 which can be used from birth, couldn't see the point of the carrycot attachment. We borrowed a moses basket for downstairs, but he grew out of it in 8 weeks so just used the cot from then.

So many options! Thinking something is needed for downstairs then, and might be good for that to double up as a nighttime bed for the first few months if the cot won't fit next to our bed. Hmmm...will have to see what's most practical to not break the bank!

Moses baskets don't need to cost the world. We got one from mothercare for £30 but if you aren't precious about it the supermarkets do ones even cheaper. Asda currently has one for £20. The expensive ones look gorgeous but I've heard babies often don't like them and they'll be out of them before you know it, so go cheaper and save your money for something else.

I recommend a sleepyhead. My newborn slept in it downstairs and then I transferred her into her cot in the sleepyhead. Makes them feel snug and secure. They sell them in John Lewis too x