# What is better - bassinet or co-sleeper?



## TranscendentalMom

I'm planning to have my baby sleep in the same room as my husband & I but not in the same bed (my husband & I are thrashers). Do you think a bassinet would work for this purpose (next to bed) or would a co-sleeper be better? I've heard the Arms Reach co-sleepers have really lousy mattresses. Also, should I bother getting a crib? I might move him into it eventually but I really don't know. Thanks so much!


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## Piglet68

If I were you, I'd hold off on the crib. They are quite expensive and it's alot to spend unless you know you will really need one.

The bassinet/cosleeper question for me would be an issue of bed height. If you can put the bassinet at the same level as your mattress that would be good, but if you have to reach down to the floor from a higher mattress I'd think that would be less convenient than an attached co-sleeper. But I'll let the other mommies comment on which is better if both are adjustable (the Arms Reach does convert to other useful items, I believe a playpen and changing table).


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## mamawasophie

Any chance of borrowing one of these from friends to try it out?

We used an Arms Reach Co-sleeper and loved it, the mattress is insubstantial but I just wrapped it with a thick blanket and that made it softer without creating any safety issues and honestly I don't think my baby noticed. My daughter usually slept on me or in bed with us, but when I did put her in the co-sleeper it felt very safe and was so easy having it attached to the bed, no worries about it tipping over. I never used it as a playpen or diaper changer but it can be converted to those uses. I took it on a trip once but decided against it on subsequent trips because it was so much easier to co-sleep than to lug the extra weight to the airport. A good friend of mine used a bassinet and co-slept. It was the same height as her bed so very easy to move babe in and out.

The thing about either of these options is that you will only use them until your baby can sit up or pull up (5-6 months), after that they are unsafe. I caught my daughter leaning over a few times while I was in laying in bed and if I hadn't jumped up her head would have pulled her the rest of the way over.

We also had a crib that a friend gave us and used that for naps, since we never used it as a nighttime sleeping place we ended up putting it in storage and have just now pulled it out again as a transition bed next to our bed. My daughter LOVES it. She sleeps part of the night in it and part in bed with us. We keep the side down and she can get out by herself but when she is sleeping she has no chance of falling out.

THE ADVICE: Borrow before you buy, even a crib can be used as a co-sleeper by taking off one of the sides and lashing it to your bed. If any of your friends has one of these items use it and see how it fits for you. You just won't know what is going to work until you, dh, and babe are together. We had great success with the co-sleeper so I do recommend it.

Good luck figuring this out. Whatever you choose will work so don't sweat it too much!

mamawasophie


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## Heavenly

I am planning to use a crib as a co-sleeper. I will just take the one side off and push the bed right up against it. I don't have the money to spend on something they will only use for 5 months and I know that I will eventually put baby in their own crib as I am a really bad sleeper (diagnosed insomnia for 15 years) and when they start moving they really disturb me. So that's the way to go for me. And a co-sleeper is more expensive than a crib. I got my crib brand new for $130 Canadian at Zellers. You don't have to get a fancy schmancy one.


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## NorthernLight

We used a bassinet in the living room for newborn napping in the day. At night our baby slept in our bed with us. We used a bed rail to keep him from falling onto the floor. Now (baby's 11 months old now) we sleepp on the queensize matress on the floor, with a crib matress next to us.


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## Ravenmoon

I think bassinets are a waste of money!Babes can be in there for maybe 3 months and that's it!A cosleeper would be way better.My mom got us a bassinet that Opal used a few times for naps but i found she preferred napping on our bed more.So $80 down the drain for my mom.


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## khrisday

I agree that bassinette's are a waste due to the size/weight issue. Baby will grow out of it very quickly, so unles you can borrow one or find one for a song secong hand look for something more versatile. I actually used a playpen for dd at first. The new ones have a basinet thing you can place in it and we pulled it up next to our bed. We also could use it for daytime naps in the yard or living room, and as a bed for vacations when she got older. It was very versatile for us, and was never used in the "traditional" way.


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## Heavenly

How long can they be in bassinet? DH was thinking maybe we should get one. I thought they could be in them until 6 months, I know I was.


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## grisandole

I use the arm's reach and it's working great for us, our babe is 17 days old. The first night, he didn't sleep in it, he slept in our bed between us, but since then he's been in it. I also questioned bassinet vs. co-sleeper and decided on the co sleeper because it changes into a playpen, which I plan on using for travel. That way I didn't have to buy a travel playpen and a bassinet. Also, I'm planning on traveling in August, and will bring the co-sleeper along and connect it to the hotel beds; a hassle but that way baby will be in his familiar sleeping environment. That being said, with ds1 I just had a crib next to my bed, and that worked too. This time around, we got a used crib that we plan on using once the baby grows out of the co-sleeper. Hope this helps!


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## asherah

We put ds to sleep in the arm's reach... then when he wakes up to nurse I just reach over and pull him into bed with us.. or ds changes his diaper in the co-sleeper and then puts him in bed with us, and he finishes out the night in our bed.

DS sleeps fine in the co-sleeper despite the mattress. And it is easy to travel with.


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## oliviagoddess

If your matterss is on the floor, than a bassinet will do just fine. Keep in mind that your baby will grow out of it very quickly (15 lbs I think).

The side car (I have an arm's reach) is good and I recomend it for those people with high beds, because if the baby rolls, she will roll down 2 inches.

The cirb in the room is a good idea after your baby dosn't nurse constantly during the night.

When I brought dd from the hospital we had a laundry basket with a firm pillow in it. I had it next to the bed, wich was on the floor. She was six weeks premature and we had absolutely nothing for her yet. After the first night I took her into the bed becasue she nursed constantly (as all premies will do).

At first I slept on my back and laid her face up between my breasts. As I gained more confidence with nursing, I laid her next to me under my armpit with my arm between her and my hubby or the edge.

She would nap durring the day in her crib (wich arrived when she was 4 weeks) and sleep with us at night.

When we moved into the in-laws house, we knew we would be sleeping in a high bed, so I got a side car.

I never thought I could sleep with a baby, but the truth is as a mother you never will sleep soundly again until they are 30 anyway, so you might as well co sleep in the same bed.

I find that my friends who do not room or bed share end up "not having enough milk" becasue they don't get to nurse as often as me. Bed sharing worked for us becasue I had to go to work when she was 6 weeks old (I was sole breadwinner at the time) and I didn't have to wake up to feed her, I could just do it in my sleep.

Try bedsharing and you may be surprised how easy it is to change your own sleep practices.

Connie


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