Product Guide: Cribs, Bassinets, and Co-sleepers

onesmallcoconut · October 2017

We used the pack and play in our room for the first 3 weeks and then moved DS to his own room and into a crib. We lucked out and it was a very easy transition.

Crib was from Buy Buy Baby. It's dark brown, has a higher back, curved front and an attached change table
Cost: $$
Pros: held up structurally so we can use it for this baby. Also I am short so the dip/curve at the front allowed me to easily reach and place my baby no matter how low we set the mattress.
Cons: dark wood shows teeth marks so easily and DS chewed the crap out of it lol. Also DS turned into a master escape artist and used the change table side to help get himself out and down. For this, I do not recommend the attached change table.
Is there another one you don't have but are considering? Why?: I am considering getting a halo bassinet (second hand) since I don't think the pack and play will fit in our room since we put in an IKEA closet system.
Additional thoughts on cribs, bassinets, or co-sleepers: honestly I think it's all about what's best for the individual/family. I'm sure many would not move their baby out of their room as early as we did but it's what worked for us.

Pearlvirus · October 2017

cassloumy said:

Pearlvirus said:

cassloumy said:
Additional thoughts on cribs, bassinets, or co-sleepers: Sleep safety is something I feel very strongly about. Not all methods and products are are created equal in terms of sleep safety. I know we like to say "to each their own," and "do what works for you," but co-sleeping in the same bed is never safe or okay. While I can support a mom who does it in different aspects of her life and journey I cannot support or condone co-sleeping ever.

I do not agree. Co-sleeping can be done safely and it is far better to prepare for it then to fall asleep together accidentally or out of desperation. Comments like this make people scared to talk about it, which is stupid and unrealistic.

I do see where how I phrased that may be inflammatory, but I'm not a skilled enough writer to think of another way to word the same point more sympathetically. Unfortunately, I wrote about a fact- there is factually no safe way of sharing a sleep surface with an infant- and if you disagree with that then it's still true. There are ways that are less dangerous than others, but none of them are safe. Perhaps it is beneficial to talk about what is less dangerous for when parents are tired or overwhelmed, but I don't see any benefit to planning to commit to a proven unsafe practice like co-sleeping on the same surface.

edited for redundancy and grammatical error

Ok let me put it another way - there is no sleeping location that guarantees your baby survives. Life is never 0 risk. And those studies that say co-sleeping is the more dangerous choice, don't seem to consider the impact that forcing an infant, who doesn't take to sleeping alone well, to sleep alone anyway has on the child or the parents outside of the bed. It's been shown that sever sleep deprivation reduces your response time at the same level as if you were drunk. So if you don't co-sleep are you increasing your (and babies) risk of dying in a car crash? It's extreme but your black and white viewpoint doesn't recognize reality.

justsuzie · October 2017

Image: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81gN22qd2%2BL._SX522_.jpg

Love this design. Anyone use a Babyletto crib?

holli0801 · October 2017

In regards to co-sleeping... I said I would never do it, I saw tradegies as an ER social worker.
But then I had a kid. A kid who wouldn't sleep anywhere but right next to me. So I did more research and learned there is a safe way. Without clutter, including pillows, a baby who cannot roll can sleep safely next to you if you aren't over exhausted (once I started cosleeping, I wasn't), you aren't on drugs (even legal ones that make you drowsy, sleep walk, etc), aren't consuming much alcohol, etc. If you have long hair, tie it back. These rules apply to your partner as well. Once baby can roll, make sure they can't roll between the bed and wall.

Of course there is a risk, but babies can die in cribs as well. We all make our own decisions as to what risks we are comfortable. **not judging or trying to argue, just offering suggestions on how to cosleep more safely..

tincupchalice · October 2017

I went into baby number 1 with the whole "never safe to sleep with baby" drilled into my head.

I was so sleep deprived, I was non-functional - and that was with being able to nap whenever he napped. I still have blank spots in my memory from his first several months.

With my second, knowing that I have a toddler to care for during the day as well, I knew that was not going to be safe. So I bed shared with number two and I was a safe parent for both of my children.

cassloumy · October 2017

Like I said, I support your right to make your own choices as parents. I can't, knowing the facts, support cosleeping as a practice; and, I don't think it's something a new mom should plan on doing before other practices. I chose to speak up about it on this board because I would never recommend a product for cosleeping to my friends in preparation for a baby. I am close with parents from my first bmb who coslept and who still cosleep. They are aware of my feelings on the matter as I am aware of theirs and we are all aware of the facts. Finally, I know my stance is unyielding. You all already know that I believe strongly in the facts, but I also have a strong emotional reason why I feel this way.

***TW Infant Death***

One big reason that my view is so strict is because I have a friend who lost her son because of cosleeping. It's not something I like to discuss often. It makes my heart drop like a stone, and it is not truly my story to tell. She thought she was cosleeping safely.

***end TW***

So, I hope no one feels that I disrespect them as a mother, but this is not a thing that I am likely to change my views on any time soon.

hcrish · October 2017

Crib, bassinet, and/or co-sleeper used:

DS has been in his own crib in his own room since birth. Due to limited space this LO will have to sleep in a PnP in our room until he/she sleeps through the night and able to transition to a shared room with DS.

Link/picture:

https://www.potterybarnkids.com/m/products/kendall-fixed-gate-crib/?pkey=bcribs&isx=0.0.101

Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):

See above link.

Pros:

Simple style and could be used for both a boy and girl. Can convert to a toddler bed. Well made and affordable (always seems to be on sale).

Cons:

None.

Is there another one you don't have but are considering? Why?:

No.

Additional thoughts on cribs, bassinets, or co-sleepers?:

If you plan to have more than 1 child, get something simple that both genders could use to save money in the long run. Don't spend a fortune but don't skimp out either. DEFINITELY go see the crib in person not just browse online to make sure it is well made. Watch out for sizing because some places (Pottery Barn) for instance makes short (as in height) cribs.

Pearlvirus · October 2017

Your friend's story makes your emotional response understandable and I am sorry for her loss.

But an annedote does not make a fact.

desertdweller21 · October 2017

@cassloumy To clarify, I was referring to co-sleepers in the title such as Arms Reach co-sleepers. It's a product that goes next to the bed. This thread is open to any baby bed/sleep type products as far as I'm concerned though.

I'm not going to join the co-sleeping in bed discussion, though I do have my own opinion. Carry on.

suchaglencoco · October 2017

We had the twin pnp with sleepers on our room. They slept in that the first few weeks until we realized DS had some stomach issues so we bought him a rnp that plugged into the wall to rock him to sleep. My SIL lent us her rnp that vibrated and we used thst for DD. At 3 months, we moved them to their nursery in their cribs, which I think are the Davinci from Wayfair. I'm glad we got the ones that transition to toddler beds and event real beds. They're 22 months and both are already in the toddler bed phase due to climbing.
Who knows what this babe will sleep in. I plan to have the rnp and pnp with sleeper attachment set up and ready to go on our room.
We also got a changing table which people told us not to get because "you'll never use it, you'll change them in their room". Well their nursery is upstairs and I can count on one hand how many times we've change them in there. It's always on our bed upstairs or on their changing table that's in our living room. We still use it every single day and the storage on it has been amazing. We use the top drawer for daytime diapers, middle for nighttime diapers (and it used to hold their bibs), and the bottom drawer holds their pjs. So before we take them up to bed, they're already dressed and good to go.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005OSHTXO/ref=mp_s_a_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1507901480&sr=8-8&keywords=changing+table&dpPl=1&dpID=41j9R0Jek7L&ref=plSrch

MLD912 · October 2017

DD slept in the newborn napper attachment of the pnp for the first three months, then we moved her to her crib. We bought a DaVinci crib that transitions into a toddler bed then double bed. Then when we actually transitioned her to the toddler bed, I hated it because I had to lay with her and couldn't fit. We ended up taking the crib apart to store for #2 and getting a twin. If I had to do it again I wouldn't bother with the convertible crib, just get something that works then plan on buying a twin down the road. That's what we'll do this time around too.

RE: cosleeping, I tried a few times with DD but never felt like I could get that comfortable and actually sleep, so it didn't work for us, but with proper precautions I believe it can be done as safely as other sleep arrangements.

Guillerma · October 2017

This is baby #3 and all of mine are terrible sleepers so I have some opinions on sleeping situations - ha!

We started out all "baby will sleep IN our room but not IN our bed for six months, then transition to crib in her own room, and there will be rainbows and butterflies and unicorns." Then we brought baby #1 home, proudly put her in the pack n play with the newborn napper right next to our bed, and then the first night the newborn napper somehow FLIPPED and she fell ONTO HER HEAD (?!) into the pack n play. Panic ensued, she didn't have a brain injury, but we put the pack n play away and never got it out again. Enter Bassinet #2, a standard, simple, run of the mill, bedside bassinet. This was perfectly fine, except baby refused to sleep in it, refused to sleep alone and without motion. She only slept while walking laps (not sitting or laying) or bouncing on an exercise ball. Additionally, even when she DID finally sleep, she was SO LOUD with baby grunts and snorts and kicks, that I couldn't sleep with her next to me! We finally transitioned to rocking her to sleep and putting the tiny three week old nugget to sleep in her own giant crib (a Delta Children's 4-in-1) and everyone slept much better. She took supervised naps in her Fisher Price swing, in her stroller or in the car, because she would not nap without motion.

Enter Baby #2 - this time we were PREPARED! We bought a rock n play, because everyone said they were miraculous. It was miraculous. Baby came home, slept 6 hours straight the first night in the rock n play and never looked back. We were happy, healthy and (mostly) well-rested.

And then the AAP decided that rock n plays were dangerous due to suffocation risk and that they cause torticollis and flat heads. Great. So now we are on the hunt for something else - I'm considering the rock n play flat bassinet vs the Halo, but it's so expensive. If we end up with another that is too loud to sleep next to me, it's a huge waste of money.

Either way, this is a good resource for safe sleep spaces and what's okay and not okay per the AAP recommendations. https://www.familyeducation.com/pregnancy/setting-nursery/where-should-newborns-sleep

arteduc8 · October 2017

@Guillerma Your post reminded how loud newborns can be while sleeping! My DD would grunt at 5:40am every morning. She was in her Pack n play at the foot of the bed. There's no way I could have slept a wink with her right next to me!

theletlers · October 2017

Another suggestion for anyone interested during daytime naps, I did a lot of baby wearing with my first and plan to with this one too. I would put on my moby wrap and get my cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping done as well as just taking walks. Plus when I wanted a break jcould
just easily sit down without stirring him too much. He was and still is an attached sleeper so the baby wearing gave me the freedom to have him close by so he could sleep and I could still be productive!

crazyliblady · October 2017

@theletlers babywearing saved me! I highly recommend it to everyone these days.

holli0801 · October 2017

Agree on baby wearing for the win @theletlers

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Product Guide: Cribs, Bassinets, and Co-sleepers

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