Where should a newborn sleep?

M

mamamei

Registered User
Can newborns sleep in a cot straight away? Or do they to sleep in a smaller space like a moses basket or a bassinet to begin with?
 
They can sleep in a cot. We put the cot next to our bed so no problem at all, work for us. Beside u will not have to waste money on a bassinet which he/she will grow out in 2-3 months.
 
Thanks ck123 -- we are also planning to have the cot beside out bed and try to control the amount of clutter that is already building up in our apartment!
 
You can borrow a basket from a friend. That's what we did, and then put the basket in the cot.

Or, you can sleep w/ the baby in your bed (I know some people who do that).

I think the baby should sleep wherever it is that gives everybody the MAXIUMUM amount of sleep.

Sometimes it takes time experimenting to figure out which configuration is best for your particular baby and your particular baby. And, these may alter as time goes by.
 
loupou, is there a reason that you recommend having the baby in a basket or in our bed rather than in a cot beside the bed? This is what we would like to do, but I know that a lot of people use a smaller space for newborns, so I just want to check if there is a reason for this, e.g. is the baby happier in a confined space?
 
In my humble opinion straight in a cot from day one so the baby is used to it and knows no different. With my first 2 I put them in Moses baskets first and really struggled to settle them in a cot. With my 3rd now 3 months I put her straight into the cot and she has all her naps there happily.
 
agree w/ noella. my baby slept in the cot the day she returned homw from the hospital. as for smaller confined space, i used to swaddle her w/ a cotton blanket.
 
mamamei,

I put our baby in her cot from day 1 for the first week. It was winter and very cold. It was hard swaddling her as first time parents in the cold, after each feed in the night.

BUT.......After 1 week we slept with her in our bed. Co sleeping. No moses basket or anything. She's been doing that ever since and i get a good nights sleep.

I put her for naps in her cot sometimes. And I put her in a borrowed moses basket but she hated it because she couldnt put her arms out spread eagled.

Do what is best for you! :)
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences everybody! I think we will start bubs in the cot and see where we go from there. Good to know that there aren't any hard and fast reasons why this is not a good idea.
 
Mamamei: I think co sleeping is not a good idea because:
1. After giving birth, you will be very tired so you sleep very deep --> dangerous for baby.
2. The bed is to confined for 3 persons, very hard for the little one to have some air.
3. Baby may develop a sleeping habit then u will have trouble to make him sleep in his own bed.

In winter, you can buy a heater for the room so he will be warm.
There is a light + baby monitor so you can attached it to the cot. Very convenient.
 
Agree with cot from the word go. If you are concerned about the baby feeling lost in such a large space you can use bolsters (mother care and bumps to babes I know sell them) either side of the child and this keeps them secure. Helps too if child has colic/reflux and you can lie them on their side with a bolster putting pressure on the tummy which helps the pain - and the bolsters stop them rolling onto their tummy etc etc. They are also great if you don't want to swaddle - or the baby wriggles out of the swaddle - and you use a grow bag because they maintain a secure feeling.
 
And just to give a different point of view.

I agree with co-sleeping from the start. There is nothing nicer than cuddling and having your baby next to you. When they are very little they can sleep on your chest, in between your breasts. I loved that skin-to-skin contact ? and it is really good for the baby too. You can wrap a blanket around the two of you and still be decent when visitors arrive.

Just as I like to sleep with my husband every night I also like to sleep with my children. Not only do they feel safe but I feel safe knowing they are safe. In fact when my last baby was born my husband said to me, ?I didn?t realize how much I missed having a little one in our bed until we got another.?

I know that not everyone is comfortable with the idea of sleeping with their children and obviously co-sleeping isn?t for them. But I believe it is a great way to bond with your children and has long term beneficial effects on your communication and relationship.

Best wishes,
Barb
 
Barb!
I totally agree with you! There is nothing nicer for BOTH than co-sleeping. And unless the mother is drugged or drunk she will not roll over her baby! As for the father: we put a towel in baby's back, between him and my husband, so no danger from that side either. I didn't do so much co-sleeping with my first and I regret it very much. That time I listened to too many advices against it, like rolling over or spoiling him....stupid from me. This time I simply enjoy my baby, yes on your chest is soooo good and makes up for everything!!!
 
I think the cot is the best option too. Baby's are suffocated every year because of co-sleeping, so if you choose that option, get a special snuggle nest or infant bed with edges to put in bed with you so that baby is more protected. Also, make sure no sheets, pillows or quilts are anywhere near the baby to suffocate it. I've seen some infant beds that attach to the side of mom's bed so baby can be in it's own space and easily picked up at any time. I think that is probably the best option as baby is safe, but still right beside mom. Not sure if they have them in Hong Kong though.
 
It is not true that co-sleeping babies are at a greater risk of accidents than babies sleeping in a cot. In fact far more babies die in cots than in their parent?s beds. For example each year in Australia injuries involving nursery products result in 6,500 children needing medical attention (125 a week). Most of the injuries involve baby walkers, cots, high chairs, pram, strollers, bouncers and change tables. (Please note ? no mention of parent?s bed.)

Special precautions need to be taken to minimize accidents in co-sleeping environments. For example:

Parents should not sleep with their babies if they are smokers or have ingested alcohol or drugs.
Bedding should be tight fitting to the mattress.
The mattress should be tight fitting to the headboard of the bed.
There should not be any loose pillows or soft blankets near the baby's face.
There should not be any space between the bed and adjoining wall where the baby could roll and become trapped.
The baby should not be placed on its stomach.

Likewise special precautions need to be taken to minimize accidents in a sleeping alone situation:

Bedding should be tight fitting to the mattress.
The mattress should be tight fitting to dimensions of the cot - there should not be any space between the mattress and the cot
There should not be any loose pillows or soft blankets near the baby's face.
The baby should not be placed on its stomach.
Do not let your baby get too hot.
Place baby at foot of bed to prevent wriggling under covers.
Cots should be kept in parents' bedrooms for the first six months.

There is no international or universally accepted standard for baby cots. However when you buy one check that it has passed some safety standard. These standards usually:

Eliminate head and body entrapment gaps in the cot structure and between the mattress and cot sides
Eliminate protrusions which might snag clothing
Specify a minimum height for cot sides
Eliminate climbing footholds for cot occupants
Specify that drop-side fastening devices be effective and cannot be operated by children
Specify testing of the cot structure and fittings to establish structural integrity

Dr. James McKenna, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, a member of LLLI's Health Advisory council, and an expert on the subject of co-sleeping, believes there to be more danger in leaving an infant alone in a crib than in arranging a safe co-sleeping environment. He states, "Special precautions need to be taken to minimize catastrophic accidents. However, the need for such precautions is no more an argument against all co- sleeping and, specifically bedsharing, than is the reality of infants accidentally strangling, suffocating, or dying from SIDS alone in cribs, a reason to recommend against all solitary, unsupervised infant sleep."

Barb
 
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