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Sleep

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Original poster

Moses basket & cot - in bedroom or nursery?

22 replies

Fran44 · 25/01/2009 19:34

Hi everyone,

This is my first post so forgive me if it's been asked before. I'm 7 months pregnant with my first and am getting everything together, sorting the nursery etc. DH and I are in agreement about everything but are unsure about sleeping arrangments.

We have a cot in the nursery and have just bought a moses basket (we were going to put the baby straight into cot following reading "The Contented Baby" but have since decided on the moses basket). I understand it's preferable to have the baby sleep in your room for the first 6 months. But we also want the baby to get used the the nursery early on to prevent future probs. So maybe we will have the moses basket in our room but put him in the nursery for daytime naps? Then move the cot into our room when he's outgrown the basket? But then he won't be getting used to his own room. I'm really confusing myself and the book I've read doesn't address this. Am I worrying about nothing? What did others do?

Thanks!
Fran

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Ewe · 25/01/2009 19:43

The safest place for your baby is in your room in either a cot or moses basket. If I were you I would start with moses basket in your room and then when your LO outgrows it, then move in the cot.

Napping in the nursery during the day would be a way of getting the baby used to the nursery I suppose but I really wouldn't worry about future problems to be honest, surely the main concern is following SIDS advice, it is six months for a reason!

chancelloroftheexchequers · 25/01/2009 19:47

I found it didn't matter in the slightest to DD where she slept, she didn't need to get used to the nursery, she slept in there quite happily from when we moved her in there.

ilovetochat · 25/01/2009 19:52

we had dd in our room in her moses basket and then in her cot in our room too.
What we did to get her used to her nursery was i fed her in there first thing and last thing at night and i also set up a change mat etc and did a lot of nappy changes in there and got her dressed in there. I had some little toys in there for her to play with during nappy changes so she spent time in there every day.
she moved in to her own room no probs and we waited for 12 months as i believe the guidelines have changed, so she was very aware of her surroundings by then, standing up in cot etc, and still np probs moving.

Original poster

Fran44 · 25/01/2009 19:53

I'm going to look up SIDS, thank you. To be honest I'm not very clued up about that. Obviously safety is the most important. Thanks for your replies, I think that's just answered my question.

OP posts:

juuule · 25/01/2009 19:55

I'd put the cot in your bedroom. Put the moses basket into the cot. The baby will get used to seeing the cot sides. Once the moses basket is too small put the baby straight into the cot.When you feel the time is right put the cot into the nursery.

Original poster

Fran44 · 25/01/2009 20:20

I hadn't considered the daytime activities, ilovetochat. I guess it's not just sleep that will get him used to his nursery. Thanks.

OP posts:

pooka · 25/01/2009 20:26

Juule speaks sense.

Moses basket in cot, to prepare the baby for the cot. Don't worry about nursery familarisation just yet.

YOu might find that the moses basket has limited life span - we did with dd because she was a flailer and used to get herself in a right state when the basket shook. DS like a sack of spuds when sleeping, so he would have been happy enough though.

And dare I say it, I'd probably take some of advice in CLLBB with a pinch of salt. My dd hadn't read it so I ended up chucking it after feeling like a failure for not eating toast and drinking a glass of water at the requisite time.

Ohforfoxsake · 25/01/2009 20:31

Yes, put the cot in your bedroom. You can move the baby round in the moses basket, keep him in the living room, or put the basket in the cot.

Don't worry too much about putting him in his cot to sleep (either in basket or not), at first you will want him with you always and gaze at him.

As for creating future problems, my advice is don't try to pre-empt problems. If they arise, then deal with them at the time. But if you do what you want to do (by which I mean what you are happy with, not what the books say) you won't go far wrong.

Good luck, its such an exciting time. Am a little bit

bodiddly · 25/01/2009 20:42

we used the moses basket in our room when ds was small and had a cot set up in his room. The moses basket is ideal for naps (and great during the day as you can move your dc easily from room to room to keep an eye on them and that way they can get used to noise!). We had the cot made up in his room and would pop him in there from time to time when cleaning/tidying/running the bath etc and used the room generally for nappy changes and dressing. When he outgrew the moses basket we had a smaller cot in our room until he was about 5 months old when he went into his own room!

Original poster

Fran44 · 25/01/2009 21:58

Thanks everyone, such good, helpful advice.

OP posts:

tenacityflux · 25/01/2009 22:34

And burn the Contended little baby book, that's the best advice I could offer!

mamadiva · 25/01/2009 22:50

TBH I would agree to get rid of books you can get most helpful advice form relatives and friends in the real world LOL.

I had my DS in his moses basket inside cot until he outgrew it then he went into just cot, we moved him into his own room aged 1 and I slept in the room for 4 days with him, because I had relatives staying in our room not because I was being overprtective but he was absolutely fine excited to see a new room in the morning if anything.

hellymelly · 25/01/2009 22:56

Well I had mine in a moses basket for daytime naps and that could easily be moved to be wherever I was and at night the babies have just been in the bed with us.Babies need to be close to you when they are small and you can work out the rest and what suits you and your little one as you go along.A bit pointless to even try and plan it now as you need to live it to find what works for all of you.(Much easier to bf at night with a baby in the same bed or room though-I could not cope with staggering back and forth to another bedroom to feed the baby)

LJayJay · 26/01/2009 12:02

What do you do if your bedroom is too small to fit the cot into?! We did moses basket & cot until 6 months with first and I'm sure we woke each other up at night unnecessarily. Now bedroom has changed shape and can no longer fit cot it, so 9 week old DS going into nursery now.

giantkatestacks · 26/01/2009 12:43

LJayJay - I dont mean to be annoying but am always really surprised when people say this because it must mean that their bedroom has just got a double bed in it touching the walls and nothing else.

We have got a cot from ikea - and its really quite small - it touched the bed one side and the wall the other but thats ok - if anything its much better to have it so close to the bed.

Does everyone else buy those properly huge cotbeds?

Ewe · 26/01/2009 14:23

I have a huge cotbed but only because I have the space... and I used a natures nest for the first six months which have a big footprint but in our case that went under the bed and it took up hardly any space!

I think there is always an option to fit a cot of some description in!

pookamoo · 26/01/2009 14:44

Hi Fran and welcome to MN.
We have our DD in a moses basket at night and she has just started taking naps in her cot which is currently in her nursery. We also use the nursery for nappy changing and dressing, and sometimes feeding. Plus we take her in there from time to time when we are walking around the house with her.

re. the books, if you want to, I would say read a few different ones before the baby arrives, but put them away and go with the flow afterwards. You will find different aspects of different books are helpful. Personally I didn't read any before dd was born, then someone lent DH the contented baby, and now i've just read the baby whisperer.
Have to say i prefer the baby whisperer but we were already doing lots of her things anyway by ourselves.

and... there are a lot of people on mn who are not at all keen on the contented book...

you will find the best thing for your family whrn the time comes.

Congratulations, by the way, you will love it I'm sure, and MumsNet is a very good source of advice and has been a lifeline to me as a new mummy!

pookamoo · 26/01/2009 14:46

should be "when" not "whrn"

and dd is 8 weeks old

Horton · 26/01/2009 14:59

I did what you were thinking of, Fran. My daughter slept in the Moses basket at night and in her cot or the pram for daytime naps. I used the pram at first as she didn't sleep for long at a time and I found it less stressful to have her very close by. As she got older, she napped fine in the cot and moved into it without any problems when she was about 7 months. She was a tiddler, though, so she was fine in the basket until then.

LJayJay · 27/01/2009 10:59

Giantkatestacks - not annoying at all and you're right I'm sure there are lots of people who say they don't have room for a cot but do really. I have 18 inches around the bed on 2 sides (you can imagine the state of my toes as I whack them on bed legs all the time) and the only side with bigger space has a huge fitted wardrobe that we can't move, hence being unable to fit the cot in. If I could afford it I'd buy a crib as an interim but can't.

Our house is so small, the next room is only a few feet away anyway. His room used to be a walk-in wardrobe off the main bedroom, but was turned into a bedroom of itself to make a 2 bed house into a 3 bed.

I know people who put their 10 day olds into their own room, wanting their privacy back! Having said he's going into his room, I haven't done it yet as will really miss listening to his little snuffles.

Fran 44 - congrats and do enjoy your bundle. The baby whisperer book has worked quite well for me second time around. I think it less the room they are used to than the fact that they have learnt how to fall asleep by themselves that matters. All the best!

llareggub · 27/01/2009 11:09

We've bought a crib for this baby, as DS hated the moses basket with a passion and never really settled at night. The crib seems slightly sturdier and potentially more likely to stand-up to anything our toddler might throw at it when he comes running in at night!

I found it helpful to read the books before DS was born, but unfortunately he didn't read it and didn't comply! I got the best advice from mumsnet, so keep coming back.

Have a look at the ante-natal threads, where you'll find others due at the some time as you. Good luck!

PlumBumMum · 27/01/2009 11:16

Hi fran
We had our 1st dd in the moses basket, which I brought down stairs with me in the mornings and she still had her naps in that until she was to big for it

We were fortunate enough to have a cradle which we kept in our room until she was 6 months then she went into the cot in her own room,

Hope this helps and good luck with your baby

PS dd1 is now 7 and can sleep through anything

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