Your newborn is going to spend a whole lot of time sleeping – most of the time, in fact. A newborn may typically spend up to 16 hours sleeping in a 24 hour period. So obviously the cot bed you choose for your baby is an important decision and should be a well considered one. Here are some things that you may find useful to keep in mind.
Nursery or Parents’ Room?
Firstly consider whether you want to have your baby sleep in his/her own room or whether you’d like her nearer at hand sleeping in your own room for the first 6 months or so. If you’re concerned about SIDS and want that night time feedings and changes should be somewhat less of a chore, you may be thinking in terms of having your infant sleep in your own room. In this case may consider having your baby sleep in a bassinet or a so-sleeper for the first few months.
Convertible or Not?
A convertible cot is one that can change in size. From an infant/toddler bed, it can expand and continue to accommodate your child until teenage. Typically a convertible cot will have protective sides to prevent a small child from rolling or falling out. These can then be lowered or extended to enlarge the cot.
Is Hand Me Down a Good Idea?
Using your own old crib or using a baby bed previously used by a relative or friend, may make economic sense and may even be something you want to do for nostalgic reasons. But it may not be the safest thing to do. Older cribs often do not have the safety features that more recently made baby cots are required to have. Also they may have been knocked about a bit – rough use could have caused splintering, cracks or even structural damage. If you decide to buy a new one make sure it follows safety guidelines and is not from a recalled lot.
What About a Portable Cot Bed?
A folding cot bed is not just for camping trips. It is useful to use in the garden or for a nap in any other room of the house. It is also useful if your child wants to have a sleepover when he is older. It can be fun to set up a tent in the back yard and use the cot bed for that as well. However you need to be careful about cot beds – your child should sleep in them only after she is old enough not to roll off it.
