How useful is a bassinet?

horsevaulter

Hello! I am 34 weeks PG and my DH and I are in disagreeance on whether or not we should purchase a bassinet.. He has 6 little brothers and sisters that he helped raise and he says they never needed a bassinet. I am a FTM but think it sounds useful to have since the baby needs to eat every couple of hours. It just sounds convenient to have LO right next to me instead of in another room... Also, do babies need to eat every 2 hours he says they do not..? TIA

IUIBaby

Honestly my kids slept more in their swings and RNP.

cowgirltu

My little guy is just over a month old, and eats every 2 hours at night.  Every baby is different.  I also bf on demand.  Whenever he wants it, I give it to him, we are not on a schedule.  We have a pnp with a bassinet attachment that is next to our bed.  We start out the night using it, but by the middle of the night, we usually end up co-sleeping out of convenience.  That way I can nurse side lying. 

RosekittyS

If you disagree on the bassinet get something like a pack n play with bassinet feature. That way if you don't use the bassinet the pnp is still useful for other things and as LO get's older. We have a cradle and I rarely use it but that's because DH and I trade shifts so he is up with DS while I'm sleeping.

Feeding, it depends on the baby and if you are BF or FF. Recommended is every 1 1/2 to 3 hours, minimum 8 times a day. If your DH disagrees with this drag him to the doctor with you or to a newborn/parenting class. Also, they will tell you in the hospital how often your LO should eat.

Jackiemxoxo

I think it all depends on the baby and your preferences. We bought a rock n play and a pack n play with co-sleeper feature and my LO hated the pack n play. She will sleep in her rock n play but pediatrician said they really need to lay flat on their back at nights so we only use that for naps. After trying to use the cosleeper and also a newborn napper, I broke down and bought a bassinet because we were getting no sleep (she would cry on and off and was not hungry). I thought it was going to be a waste of money but she loves it, so it was worth every penny. I like how it vibrates, has a mobile, lights, can be rolled around, and fits right next to the bed with different height levels. The pack n play was too bulky and apparently uncomfortable to her. Yes, you have to breast feed every 2-3 hours and sometimes more when they are first born. I like how I can feed her, put her down, and if she is still a little fussy can hit the vibrate button and it will only stay on for 5-10 minutes and then she is asleep. Before this I always thought the bassinet was a waste of money but my LO loves it so it will all depend on the baby! 

mhaley1107

I'm a FTM too and enjoy having the bassinet right next to my bed. Not only was it convenient for feeding, but I also was able to constantly check on her to calm my nerves.

ungraceful13

We use a RnP for night time sleep and the swing for naps. No need for a bassinet for us.

Our Pedi and LC told us to feed her every 3 hours until she reached her birth weight and then we could let her sleep longer at night. 

sschwege

DD slept next to me in the bassinet for the first six months and DS will do the same.  So for us it is/was very useful.  That being said, ours was a hand-me-down.  If we had actually had to pay for one, I probably would have done a pnp with bassinet as pp mentioned.

Everyone is different but for us having our babies next to us was what worked best.  Oh and you can tell your husband that the most current research suggests that babies who sleep within arms reach of their mother are at a reduced risk for SIDs.  So it is actually recommended by the AAP that the baby sleep in the same room with his/her mother (but not in the same bed). 

DD ate every two hours.  DS (knock on wood) goes for longer stretches.  He was getting up twice a night in the very beginning, but pretty quickly went to once a night.  He was also 9lb9oz at two weeks, so I'm sure that's part of it! 

ChristyML

My mom bought us a bassinet for nap-time use, but he only slept in it a few times total. If you are getting a pack 'n play, I would get one that has a bassinet attachment, and just put that close to your bed (if you have room). I personally agree with your husband though; I don't think babies need a bassinet. I also don't think it was very useful for us.

As for eating every two hours, I don't think I'm really the norm, but my baby definitely did not eat every two hours when he was a newborn (more like every 4 or so). He slept a lot (slept through the night from day one), and I would never need to wake him to feed. I have never woken him up to feed or change him, and he is almost 4 months old, and he is perfectly healthy and happy! It really just depends on your baby; if s/he cries, figure out what's wrong (offer the breast/bottle, change their diaper, swaddle and/or snuggle them, etc). 

Hope I helped! 

ETA: Listen to your instincts. I have listened to mine most of the time and everything has worked out just peachy keen  

horsevaulter

Thanks for all your responses! I found a bassinet for $20 so I may just buy it for just in case, because right now I think I would prefer our LO next to us at night... We dont really have room in our bedroom for a pnp. Also that is good to know about the SIDS research in keeping LO close while sleeping, I never read that..

LittleFish1

We got a pack n play, regular cosleeper and later a rock n play. Not using either very much because I would have to get up to put the baby in when we are both super tired. Plus the foot print of the first two took up a lot of space and the legs of the rock n play are easy to trip over or bump into.

I'd go with either a minicosleeper if almost same height or tad higher than bed mattress, or the bassinet that attaches onto the stroller so can move with me from room to room.

pregokat

my experience-

ftm as well, strictly breastfeeding, on demand.. son is 6 wks old

I have a bassinet, used it strictly for the first 2ish weeks, but slowly switched over to co sleeping when i realised i can lay on my side & nurse him while i sleep

letting him sleep with me helps out SSOOOOOO much! he sleeps better, longer next to me & we both get more sleep that way 

g8trkim

I understand not wanting to purchase something you will only use for a short time but they are really nice to have in the beginning. I bought a second hand one for DS and sold it back after we stopped using around 8 weeks old. This time, we borrowed a friend's bassinet, but we are keeping DD in it longer because she will be sharing a room with DS and until she's STTN consistently I don't want to move her in her with him and potentially wake DS. If your LO still wakes in the middle of the night it's really nice to have them next to you, but some LO's stay in their own room from day 1. Do you have someone you can borrow a bassinet or PNP from?

lmb5109

We have the co-sleeper mini in our room next to me, I can't imagine not having it! I do take DD into her room to change & feed her so I don't wake up DH, but it allows me to sleep better knowing that she is next to me and I can see her whenever I want. I also have the Angel Care monitor under the co-sleeper mattress, yes I'm a paranoid FTM!

LovinTim912

My best friend gave me the bassinet she used with her daughter.  We used it with DS and he *hated* it and refused to sleep in it.  We wound up using the PNP - we had the fancy kind with the changer & the napper feature, but didn't set any of that up.  We had the raised mattress so it was like a bassinet and he slept fine in that for about 2 months.  We then switched him to his crib.

DD seems to like the bassinet. I plan to keep her in there for at least until I go back to work towards the end of March.  

But honestly if I had to spend my own money, I would've just bought the PNP and not a bassinet at all.  I'd rather spend the money on items that have multiple uses... I'm all about saving $$$!

As far as feeding goes, we feed on demand still and LO is gaining appropriately.  By one week after her birth, she was back at her birth weight.  We feed her just about ever 2-3 hours. 

Kingston54

We couldn't do without ours!

AlyssaT90

My DD is a little over 2 weeks old and at her 2 weeks appointment with her pediatrician I was told that the new safety standard for newborns is to sleep in the room with you for the first 6 months. Newborns do need to eat every 23 hours so this makes night time feelings much easier. Also, this helps prevent against SIDS. Newborns regulate their breathing with their mom so having them close to you helps. I got a bassinet second hand and I honestly don't know what I'd do without it! I breastfeed exclusively which can be really demanding and exhausting. I would be even more tired if I had to get up and go into another room every few hours at night. Oh and p.s. I saw someone else say something about sleeping with baby and breastfeeding while she's sleeping. This isn't recommended because you could suffocate your baby. They told me in the hospital and at the pediatrician's office that even though its tempting to let your baby sleep in bed with you, don't do it! Too dangerous!

Angied461

We started using the bassinet when she was 3 weeks old. We have always kept her swaddled in it since she wakes up from her movements. She's 3 months now and doesn't fit in it anymore. I recommend to use it even though its such a short period of time that they'll fit in it because it helps them sleep independently. We're going to start having her sleep in her crib in her room this week. If it wasn't for her bassinet I don't think this would be so easy for her. But she's used to laying in her bed alone. I was to scared to Co sleep since my husband is a heavy sleeper and moves alot. I put her bassinet right by the bed and since I have a high bed I could still feed her while laying down. I feel it's completely worth it to get a bassinet. Makes the the transition to her crib so much easier.

joyroxxu

FTM here too. At first i didn't think we would need a bassinet, got home after c section tried to use the bassinet attachment on pack n play and realized it wouldn't work for us. Sent husband to Target where he was able to find a very nice one with mobile, lights, music and vibrations for 80! It has been a blessing! DD sleeps in it next to bed at night and uses it for naps throughout day, has wheels so can be moved from room to room. I say yes to bassinet : and congrats on baby!

kmackkor

My little guy is just shy of two months, and during the day he typically naps in his swing but sometimes in his bassinet. We purchased a cheap one just to have something more portable around the house. He does also sleep at nighttime and often during the days in his pack and play bassinet - we purchased one from Target that has all the bells and whistles (music, vibrations, etc.) and it has been AWESOME! Definite must-have! We keep that one in our bedroom for him to sleep at night, but if you want him in your bedroom and don't have that much room, I'd suggest a regular bassinet. 

Early on, he sometimes at every 2 hours, but mostly every 3. He still eats every 3 hours, or sometimes 4. At 6 weeks, he started sleeping for 5-6 hours at a time at night. So yes, babies definitely need to eat every 2-3 hours, depending on the baby. Every baby is different, but I'm pretty sure 3 hours is pretty typical. 

Carpenter01

We never used a bassinet but we live in a smaller house so it was not far to little one's room from anywhere in the house. Also, being in a smaller house we did not really have room for one.

moonhunt18

we used our arms reach clear view bassinet cosleeper every night all night for the first 6 months. completely worth the $100 at walmart, or find one in a consignment store. its the right size for the tiny baby, its cozier than a pnp, takes up less room if you want in your room. (we ahd a pnp and ONLY used that downstairs to change diapers. also the cosleeper bassinet breaks down easily and is very easy to store for the next time around, etc.