Tell me about your bassinet, cradle, or co-sleeper, or moses basket

[BeachBum]

We want the babe to sleep in our room at first, but I'm just not sure what to put him (or her) in.

I'd love to hear about what you are using, what you like about it and what you don't. Please feel free to share pictures if you have them.

I hate to spend big bucks on something that they will only use for a short while, but then again I want something pretty too!

[amtaylor]

We haven't used it yet, but we decided to go with a Pack N Play. We loved the idea of a bassinet and were sold on that at first. After talking with a pediatrician and realizing that they would only be in the thing for a couple months we changed our minds. We picked the Graco Windsor Wave Print($160) because of all it's features and the fact that we can use it for a lot longer than a bassinet. It has a posture-plus changing table, that folds out of the way, a bassinet for the small babies, and then it's a regular play yard for when they are older. It also has an electronic lights and sounds unit and a diaper changing supply storage area. It seems very easy to have everything there and not have to leave the room.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000302AD2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[moderngal]

I will preface this with the old "every baby is different" and you may find out that after you research and decide to buy something that seems just right- your baby hates it and you need to try something else.

Anyway- we have a pack & play with bassinet that we planned to use. The first night home, my son screamed the second we put him in it. Now it's still next to our bed and we use the changing table part of it at night.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002MPVIM.01.PT02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

We also have a moses basket and found that DS did much better in that- I assume because it was smaller. He slept in that for a few nights and took naps there during the day for the first 2 weeks. He is a big boy though and outgrew it quickly.

We finally figured out that DS sleeps best in his swing, which is now in our room or co-sleeping with us. He's 7 weeks and sleeps through the night. :)

ets: our pack and play is nice, despite the fact that we don't use it for a bassinet. I think we'll use it a lot more as we get more comfortable traveling with the baby and as he gets older to use it as a play yard.

[Kasia216]

We decided to go with this Eddie Bauer Bassinet. It's simple and works well with the decor in our room.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00030HRQM.16._AA384_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[ce_Kathleen]

I was lucky to get a bassinet from a co-worker who had just finished using it 2 months prior to DS birth. We used the bassinet in our bedroom next to our bed and then we used the pack in play downstairs for naps and when we travel.

We are still using the pack in play on a daily basis as a changing table downstairs and DS is 10.5 months old now. We also use the pack in play for all traveling. It was a great gift!

[Marisa]

We registered for and received a vibrating bassinet from BRU. It was used maybe 5 times -- Joey hated it. Since I was uncomfortable cosleeping with a newborn he actually slept in his car seat a lot. :rolleyes:

If I had to do it again, I would get a cosleeper. It lets the baby be next to you, great for BFing, but also has the separate space if you're afraid of sleeping with a tiny baby. I believe they are up to 20 or 25 pounds, which means that you can use it for six months at least, if you decide to.

[kimthebride]

Futura Cradle by Da Vinci, from www.babystyle.com $146
http://a940.g.akamai.net/7/940/449/0106/www.estyle.com/images/product/1970_MID_r.jpg
39 inches long, 22.5 inches wide and 36.5 inches high.

We have this next to my side of the bed (in the cherry stain) and it is just perfect. It's not only IMO a beautiful piece that fits in nicely with our bedroom furniture, it is sturdy, it's a nice size, it can rock, and it is a good height - I can see into the cradle through the slats while laying down. I expect DS to sleep in it for a few months, then we will definitely put it away to use with the next baby. Great quality!

I looked at sooooo many cradles and was shocked at how unsafe/unsturdy they appeared, and just didn't like the look of bassinets.

I also have a Pack N Play upstairs in the living room and that's a great piece as well, especially since it vibrates, has music & nature sounds, has a changing table piece, and it folds compactly when you want to take it somewhere or store it. This is big enough for baby to grow into.

Graco Colby Pack N Play, from www.babiesrus.com $139.99
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000BUSJV.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Chylynn]

We originally put our DD in the same pnp that amtalor posted. Our DD slept in our room with it for about 6 weeks and then we gave it to our inlaws as grandma was going to be watching our DD 2 days a week when I retured to work.

We still did not feel comfortable having our DD sleep in her nursrey, so we purchased this pnp:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00065XY6G.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Price- $79.99

We LOVE it!! I wish I would have purchased this to begin with. Here are a few reasons why:

(1) The other pnp takes up a lot of room.

(2) Your baby is used to sleeping in your womb and the smaller bassinet gives a comforting feeling to your baby.

(3) You can put the smaller crib right up to your bed (like a co sleeper, but smaller). I never thought I would want to check on my DD as much as I do.

(4) Our DD did not like all the "extra" things that the larger pnp came with- she hated the vibrations, music, and we never put the canopy up, because we could not see her sleeping in it. The only thing we used a lot in the first couple of weeks was the changing table. That was great at 2 am changings!

(5) It is a PITA (takes about 10-15 minutes to take a part put in the travel bag) to pack up the larger pnp when you travel, but the smaller pnp is a breeze- only takes 2 minutes to collapse it and put it in the travel bag.

All in all, both of these products are good, but for our family, the smaller one worked better for us.

Good luck with your decision!

[Megande]

We are using the Arm's Reach Mini Co-sleeper.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001D12WQ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I really like it because if DS starts to wake up I can reach over and put my hand on him and often it soothes him back to sleep. He is also at eye level, so all I have to do is look over and make sure he is ok.

[littlebear]

I'll second Chylynn's recommendation for the Graco TravelLite Crib/PNP. Our son slept in it for the first three months in the top bassinette portion. We just used it on vacation when he was 6 months old, and he slept great in the bottom portion. It's light, portable, doesn't take up a lot of space, and can also be used as a small play yard.

[papergirl]

Any other input on cradles and bassinets? Another question I have is that I know there is a weight limit but how long did your DC sleep in theirs (assuming they liked it).

Our baby will have their own room but in the first few months I think we will want them in our room. I have been thinking we’ll get a cradle. The two that appeal to me the most are the ones Kasia and Kimthebride posted. We definitely do not want a pack-n-play.

[papergirl]

Hmm. Seems to me this thread should probably be moved?

[pocahontas]

Hmm. Seems to me this thread should probably be moved?

Was thinking the same thing and wonder how it hadn't been in all this time. :confused:

[papergirl]

Re-bumping as thread has been moved.

[Kanga]

We didn't buy a pnp, co-sleeper or anything like that for #2. (dd slept in her crib with virtually no problems from day 1). We just took off one side of the crib and pushed it up against our bed for a side-car. It works great as it's close to the same height as our bed and didn't require an extra purchase. She starts off the night in her crib usually and then at her first feeding I usually fall asleep so she sleeps next to me. If I feel like I'm getting crowded and need more room, I transfer her back to the crib.

[nic]

We tried a Moses Basket and DS hated it. We also have a pack n' play that stays at Nana's house for sleepovers and he has no problems sleeping in it.

When he was an infant he'd sleep in his Papasan chair which we'd place in his crib. We didn't plan it that way, it's just what seemed to work best for him. Every baby is different so it's hard to figure out what he/she will sleep in until they arrive.

[papergirl]

We tried a Moses Basket and DS hated it.

I have to admit that I don't get the whole Moses Basket concept. They are cute, though.

[Wrighty26]

DS hated the PNP, which was where I THOUGHT he was going to sleep when he was teeny tiny! Instead he slept on my chest for a few nights and then we went out and bought this:

A Deluxe Snuggle Nest
http://www.securebaby.com/images/crib_wedges/sbbd1000_700x524.jpg

We swaddled DS up and put him right in the middle between us. It was nice because we didn't need to worry about rolling on top of him. We transitioned him to the crib at around 6-7 weeks - he was ready at that point (more so than I was!).

[ejs]

We're using an Arms Reach mini co-sleeper and really like it. At first, we had it pushed up next to the bed, but now we have it in bassinet mode and it's a few feet from the bed. Our son is 3 1/2 months old. At four months, we'll be moving him downstairs to his room and putting him in his crib.

[dollface]

We had the larger PnP that amtaylor posted and it was such a waste. It was way too huge for our room (and we have a pretty large room). If I had known better, I would have never put it together and returned it for the smaller PnP. We ended up borrowing someone's mini co-sleeper and it was great. We also have a moses basket which he slept in during the day til he was about 6 weeks old. It was great because I could take it from room-to-room and have him near me. It also helped in transitioning to his crib because I could put it in his crib and he still felt snug and secure while getting used to his own room.

[kindermom]

We have a bassinet that is a hand me down from my sister. Both of my children HATED it. I have tried padding it with a fleece blanket to make it softer. Nope. I tried a sleep positioner to position them like they are in our bed. Nope. Both kids have either slept in bed with us or in their swing. DS is in his third month of this and DD lasted 6 months before she would tolerate her crib.

[lawgirl4]

papergirl - first, a caveat - all babies are different, and hence, you're going to get a lot of "my baby hated X" and "my baby loved Y" - but there are no guarantees that your baby will feel the same way :)

with that said, we have the Eddie Bauer bassinet that kasia had posted and it worked really well for us. I definitely wanted something that rocked, and that wound up being an asset - it helped soothe my daughter. we didn't use the music feature, ever - we had a "sleep sheep" that played a womb sound, rain, and waves, which was much more soothing for baby and us. ;)

the greatest thing about the EB bassinet, though, was the storage area underneath. I had a c-section and moving around was difficult in the beginning, so it was great to have this moveable "baby station" that could go from room-to-room. we would keep extra blankets, diapers, onesies, kimono tops, and toys in the storage area so that everything was easily accessible. In addition, we could easily move baby from room to room if she fell asleep in, say, the living room, but we were going to bed for the night in our bedroom.

If you do get this bassinet, I definitely recommend buying a foam mattress for it. the one it comes with is very flimsy. I found a great seller on ebay and bought a mattress for about $18 shipped, as the ones available at our BRU weren't the right size.

And thus, based on our situation, and our baby, I can't recommend this bassinet enough!

(ps - we also have a regular graco PNP, which we used quite successfully on trips to NY and Florida, and then once DD had outgrown the EB bassinet, she slept in the PNP until we were ready to move her into her crib on a full-time basis (around 4.5 months). And we never had any "transition" issues with her sleep location.

[dpangel33]

We have a Simplicity bassinet that DD sleeps in purchased from BRU.

https://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-2998579reg.jpg https://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-2998579_alternate2_reg.jpg

I like that I can wheel it into any room for naps and it conveniently sits next to the bed for those late night feedings.

[MichelleRenee]

We intended to use our PnP but it did not fit in our room. DS ended up sleeping better in his crib from the start anyways, but I still wish I had found a better option so he could be in our room. At BRU I have seen the smaller sized PnP's and every time I do I think to myself "now THAT would have been perfect!"

We also tried a co-sleeper similar to this one:

http://www.securebaby.com/images/crib_wedges/sbbd1000_700x524.jpg

but it did not work out. We have a queen sized bed and it just took up too much room. I was so uncomfortable those first few nights and needed room to spread out so we never really got to use it.

[mia's mama]

Anyone have the Eden bassinet from baby planet? I like that you can take the basket off and move it upstairs/downstairs. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3029680

Any other suggestions for a great bassinet? With DD we had a moses basket- I liked being able to carry it from room to room, but other than that I wasn't thrilled. With DS we used the mini co sleeper but most nights he ended up in our bed.

[PaisleySloan]

bumping for more recommendations please :)

[maplekitty]

DD slept in our roon in a family heirloom craddle for about a month, until she started rolling a bit and the craddle would lean to one side, heh.
Now, I know what people say about putting babies in "vintage" beds, but this was not even a discussion with MIL...so I appeased her, DD slept in it until she started moving and then we packed it away.
After that...she slept in her papsan craddle swing in our room until she was about 6 months old.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QQ6TW4V7L._AA280_.jpg
She slept really well in it for naps and, slept like crap in her crib, so we just kept her in the swing.
I'm a firm believer of "whatever works" - this worked for us, she slept through the night and we were all happy. Then she got too big and we needed to transition her to the crib.

[TracyDP]

We used the co-sleeper on the bed between us (the Safe and Secure one) for the first month and it worked great for us. We also have a King size bed so that was probably why it worked...plenty of room. During this same time, until about 2 months old, we also used a moses basket in the living room for putting her down when she would fall asleep during the day. We didn't have a monitor yet so it was easier to keep her out in the main area with us then put her back in the bedroom.

After 3 weeks I stopped breastfeeding so we moved DD to an Arms Reach co-sleeper next to my side of the bed after a month. I didn't have it pushed up right against the bed, but rather about a foot away against the wall so I could just slip my feet over the side and tend to her. Since I needed to get up to make bottles anyway it was easier that way. She slept in that until she was about 5m old and started sleeping 10pm-6am on a regular basis. Then we decided we wanted our room back.

From there we went to her crib in her own room. The transition wasn't very hard, I just put her down in the crib for naps at first then after a couple of weeks she slept overnight without a problem. In fact, she slept 10pm-7:30am the first night without DH waking her up getting ready for work. Mamma liked that :D

DD still uses a PNP at the babysitter and Grandma's house or when we travel. She doesn't even seem to notice it's not her crib. As long as she has her lovey bear and a night-light she sleeps fine.

[jenji]

We used a travelite PNP (the smaller ones) in our room next to my side of the bed. It fit perfectly in the small space we had and was great for getting him in and out for feedings through the night (though the first few weeks he was home from the NICU he slept on my chest because I was scared to death he would stop breathing).
I loved that the PNP was so small and I could just roll it around the house with me during the day while he napped or if he was laying there playing or for diaper changes.
he reached the weight limit for the bassinet right when we were moving him to the crib anyway and we still used the lower PNP part for him to play in later.