3 Months of Sleep

Pack n play all the way. You'll use this when they get bigger and you take them places. Yes, I have heard of the laundry basket too, but I liked the pack n play. The changing table was great, the bassinet is great, and when she gets bigger, she'll be in the bottom part of it, which is great. You can always go on craigslist and buy a used one. BJ's also has an inexpensive one w/ the basinett and everything for around $100 (mine was almost $200 that I got...so this is a steal).

There is so much baby gear that gets used for a few months and then is outgrown. The web site freecycle.org has local email lists and in my area there is constantly baby gear and clothes getting exchanged. I got a nearly new Graco stroller and have passed on some other stuff. Craigslist (I don't know the web address) is a good place for secondhand items being sold online. We have also networked with friends and relatives with kids similar in age but not exactly the same. I also have a 2.5 year old and am expecting my second in a few months. I am getting back lots of the stuff I lent out plus extras.

A Pack N Play with a bassinet insert is a good idea because once the baby outgrows the bassinet, you will still use the playpen for a while. Even if you got a regular bassinet, they dont cost much. There are tons of really cute once for under $100.

crib crib crib all the way. DO NOT use a laundry basket, drawers etc... you are just asking for trouble. best bet if you can is to buy yourself a crib that transforms into a toddler bed, they sell them everywhere, that way you dont have to buy another bed when your little one is older. They have them at babies r us for $500 but im sure you can find a used one for less.

I agree that the laundry basket or drawer etc is a bad idea. A bassinet is the best thing, and you can probably find a used one for next to nothing, but if not - even new they are not expensive. A good one with the basics is about 40 bucks. No, you do not need a 200 dollar cherry glider 3 in 1 basinete ...A basinette has wheels too and comes with a super thin mattress. I used to roll my sleeping infant from room to room with me in it.
Sleeping in a carseat will make your baby hot, and the constant bend at the waist will assure him less comfort. The mom's that advised the crib are right too, the crib can be raised to it's highest level, and use a bumper to keep you wiggly baby where you want him. Remember to keep the balnkets and pillows and etc out. Take a look around some garage sales!

i can TOTALLY understand the concept of trying to save a buck here and there...kids are massive amounts of money. and they only use the bassinet for LITERALLY three months. but, honestly, it really is the only thing i'd use. i dont think theres any laws or anything that says you couldn't use a laundry basket, lol, or a drawer...but i'd still opt for the bassinet. we saved a buck by shopping around for ones on clearence. it needed a good washing, and the mobile was gone, but we got a good one for $10 at burlington's baby depot. that was almost seven years and two kids ago, and its in perfect condition. its even been lent out for a few nieces and nephews! hope this helps, good luck!

My neighbor had a child die of SIDS and was then required to have any further children hooked up to a monitor when they slept. She said the easiest way to keep the monitor on the babies was to have them sleep in their infant car seats, they did this until about a year old. I guess that could be an option. I know if my kids fell asleep in their's while in the car I would just carry it into the house and let them stay in it for the remainder of their nap.

I'll 2nd, 3rd, 4th on one thing... CRIB/PLAYPEN/ETC. You should have one anyways and they are excellent. When my youngest was born, space was a lot limited. I got a pack-n-play for $10 at a garage sale (normally like $30 or so) and then just went to wal-mart and got a little eggcrate square for like $2-$3 for the extra cushioning of every night use. I cut the eggcrate square to the shape of his pack-n-play and he slept in that from the day he was born till almost a year old. It was a total life saver and the cheapest first year bed I'd ever seen.

Do you have a pack and play. Mine has a bassinet option and I used that. You can even buy them sheets and stuff. Even if you don't have the bassinet you can let the new baby sleep in there. It works great.

Crib crib crib. You'll use it a good 2 years. Forget the bassinet. They'll grow out of that quicker than you can blink. The safest place for a baby to sleep is a crib--preferably a NEW one or one made in the last few years (READ: "Don't borrow an old one from your relatives"--I don't care how many babies used it. It's not worth the risk.) You'll need a good firm mattress too. Any thing else (such as drawers, laundry baskets, other items not specifically made for infant sleep) and you're just asking for trouble.

Also, if you do use a few year old crib (what happened to your 3-year-old's?) make sure all the screws and such are tight and nothing is broken, etc.

Both my chilkdren went straight into the crib. I have one of those snuggly things to place in the crib so that the baby can't move and I use a blanket that he actually wears to help prevent SIDS. Check out the link to the two products below. Good Luck!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2585661

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2409033

Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes. You go through so many and will definitely need more for the next two/ three years. The have a hazard rating of two out of ten on Environmental Working Group's website Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. Huggies and pampers go up to seven out of ten on the hazard rating. You can get them at Babies-r-us and Buy buy baby usually for the best price other than on amazon. But you can also find available locations from the seventh generation website based off of where you live.

Skin Deep Link:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?category=baby...

Seventh Generation:
Baby: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Natural-Baby
Homepage: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

Also before you buy anything online google a coupon code for that product. I've found that to be helpful for me when purchasing things online.

Good luck!

I would use the laundry basket for small toys, not a baby. I am still using the port-a-crib for my 6 month old until I get my two year old out of the crib. Knowing how 3 year olds work, I would not put my infant in a dresser drawer or anything else that they could get at.

When something is only going to be use don an infant for only a short time, I suggest you hit up the second hand stores. When they are infants, they go through clothes and stuff quickly without wearing them. You can buy clothes, a bassinette, sheets, etc from thrift stores that are like new and very inexpensive. I bought a $120 bassinette for $20 at a second hand store on State St near the square in Watertown. There is another nice store down Coffeen near the airport. That one is well organized and has lots of stuff.

Also, my grandparents suggest the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers lined with towels and baby blankets. I've also heard of the laundry basket thing. If you go that route, you just have to make sure you tuck everything in really tight so when the baby moves, she doesn't pull the bedding into her face; it can be dangerous.

I recommend a portable crib. They have small ones and you will be able to use it if you travel. You can get one with no bells and whistles cheap. Also, check the local 2nd hand or children's consignment shop.

For my second baby we used the pack-n-play with extra padding in the bottom (we were in a mobile home at the time so space was limited) and it worked great. She was a real mover anyway and the bassinet was a joke! Also if you want a crib try your local Salvation Army or thrift store, want ads too.

I have a Graco pack and play. It have the attachment for the bassinet and then it converts to a playpen when the baby get too big for that. It folds up and can be taken with me when I go out and it's not really bulky. It costs me about $100 but it was worth the money to me because it can be used for quite some time after the newborn phase.

Do you have a crib from your 3 year old? I would use that and get your 3 yr old a new bed. We got our toddler bed at Toys R Us and it was inexpensive as well as the mattress. Or try the salvation army. The one in Scotia is pretty good.

Putting an infant in a laundry basket does not sound like a smart idea. In fact, it sounds dumb & bordering abusive. Forgive my frankness but infants need safe secure places to sleep. Not only can laundry baskets tip over quite easily (my 1st was a very active sleeper as a newborn), but also there is no bedding made for one and anything put in there to use as such would be a suffocation hazard.

I am not an advocate of co-sleeping because I think it is dangerous, but perhaps the baby could sleep with you in car seat or co-sleeper. I used to put my 3rd child in his infant seat (as recommended by the Pediatrician because baby had a cold) in between me and my husband on the bed. There are also co-sleepers that are cheap. The following is on sale for $35.89:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Close-Secure-Sleeper/dp...

Good luck.
A.

i got a pack and play that had the bassinett feature. It cost about 100 but it was worth it because my 6 month old still uses it and when he is too big to use it as a bassinett he could use it as a portable crib/playpen!

Im not sure if they still have it, but Target has a bassinet for about $40. it was cheap, but sturdy and i kept my son in it for about 4 months. it was perfect for what i needed and worked really well. and i didnt mind throwing it out after i was finished with it.