Tbassinet Vs. Crib

Updated on July 25, 2013
S.P. asks from Fenton, MI
23 answers

Hi everyone! I am having trouble deciding.... I have a 2 bedroom home & we're pregnant with our 2nd child. I'm finding it very hard to fit a crib into our bedroom. In your experience, is it ok for a baby to sleep in a bassinet for the first 6 months of it's life? I was always taught by my mom to have the best mattress. Does this ring true to babies also? I have a crib already w/ a nice mattress but it's large & won't fit very good in our bedroom. So I'm thinking to maximize space for the first 6 months a bassinet might be good.

I need advice on a bassinet if you've used one. I really like the badger basket circular bassinet's but I'm not sure what kind of suppor they have.

HELP! Any advice would be great. :) TY in advance.

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone! The biggest problem is our 2 bedroom home & our daughter, who's 8, has her own room & it's smaller than ours. Plus I dont feel it's fair to put a baby in her room. We plan to move 6 months after the baby is born so I'm hoping this is just temporary.

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❤.I.

answers from Albuquerque on

I used something called a co-sleeper. It's kind of like a cross between a bassinet and a pack and play. I think by 4 or 5 months you'll have the baby in a crib anyway (in a separate room). That's how it worked for us anyway. Just have a comfy chair in there for feeding and stuff. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.W.

answers from Washington DC on

My babies were not comfortable in the bassinet and would not sleep in it. In my opinion, it is the biggest waste of money. For baby #3, we used the fisher price rock and play and she loved it. Unfortunately she was early to roll over (around 3 months), and we had to move her to a crib at that point. I guess you could get a pack and play if the crib is too bulky. Bassinets are tiny, and by 10 pounds (about 2 weeks old), my son could barely fit in it anymore. So I don't think a bassinet will help you past the first month or so.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

A true bassinet (white wicker up on legs) will be great for the first 3 months at most. As soon as baby is able to start thrashing about it will not be steady enough.

A Pac& play on the other hand would be fine. Out of curiosity why are you keeping baby in your room for that long? A good sleep routine is made before that. By 6 months you will have set the beginning stage for a toddler or preschooler who can't sleep in aroom without mom and dad. who won't sleep in his own room.

4 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Bassinets are for very short term use - although I'm seeing some are rated for use to 1 yr - so it depends what type you get.
Most recommend to stop using a bassinet once your child can roll over.
We never bothered with one.
Our son slept in his crib till he was just over 3 yrs old.

2 moms found this helpful
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P.K.

answers from New York on

Get a mini crib. That should fit and they are not expensive for a basic one.

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B.A.

answers from Minneapolis on

A bassinet is not large or sturdy enough to last 6 months. I'm assuming you plan to have the baby in your bedroom until he/she sleeps through the night. Get a porta crib, the size is much smaller than a full sized crib but can last at least a year.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

We used the bassinet on the top of our pack n play when DD was a newborn. We left the crib in her bedroom. The pack n play also served as a PT diaper changing station and travel crib til she was 2 or so. DD was about 4 months old when we moved her out of our room. Bear in mind that many bassinets are only suitable for newborns so if you want baby to be in your room for 6 mo. you might go for the pack and play option instead.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Bassinets typically have a softer bottom and they don't support the baby's weight past the 3 month old stage.

I would do something different. I had a baby bed in front of my night stand in one apartment. I had to climb over ex. hubby to get to my side of the bed. I could lay my arm inside the baby bed all night if I wanted to.

In my house now I had a baby bed across the foot of our bed. Hubby now and I could get in bed without any issues. When we moved little guy to toddler bed at 14 months he could climb on our bed at the foot and come snuggle with us.

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

I would either do a Pack & Play (with a bassinet attachment when your baby is little, and without it when the baby is bigger), or a mini crib. My sister did a mini crib for her oldest because they were sharing a bedroom for nearly a year. It worked great.

Otherwise, my babies tend to sleep in their swings for the first 6 months. I really only use a bassinet until I am feeling better after my c-sections, since a bassinet is at the same height as my bed and I don't have to reach down too far.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

I loved my bassinet because I could put it right next to my bed and pick up the baby without getting up, but when I moved him into his own crib/room at 2 months he had already almost outgrown the bassinet. I could not imagine a 6 month old still fitting.

☼.S.

answers from San Diego on

We used a pac n play that had a bassinet-type top to it for the first 6 months. You could also look at co-sleepers that attach to the side of your bed. Perfect if you're going to nurse. A tip on the co-sleepers ... there are always great deals on Craigslist and they are used such a short period of time that most are in near-perfect condition.

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M.S.

answers from Tulsa on

Most bassinets are for newborns only. They have a very low weight limit and they recommend that you quit using them as soon as the baby can roll over. I would recommend that you look into a pack and play--and some of those have a bassinet option with them for those first couple of months. Then when the baby gets too big for that you can just use the pack and play.And yes, I think that they have plenty of support for a baby.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

To give you an idea, our daughter was walking unassisted by 6 months.

She could get on her hands and knees at 4 months so she would have been looking over the side of the bassinet.

Maybe look for a smaller crib.. Here is information on a mini crib..

http://www.babybedding.com/blog/standard-crib-and-mini-cr...

mini-crib-how-are-they-different-2/

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Once your baby outgrows a bassinet, then where will he/she sleep?
Bassinets are small. My kids as babies would not have fit one at 6 months old.
I used a crib.
Not a bulky one.
With my son though, for the first 3 months, I used a Moses Basket for him and he loved it and slept SO well in it.
Then he was in the crib.

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A.A.

answers from Tulsa on

We had a bassinet and used it for a week. He would've outgrown it by 2 or 3 months though had we continued. My son was a loud sleeper, and would grunt and groan and wake me up, even when he was still happily asleep. We all slept better in our own rooms, my son slept through the night the first time he slept in his room in his own crib. Since you only have 2 bedrooms, I'm assuming your kids will share? If that's the case, I would keep the baby with you just until she sleeps through the night and isn't up every couple hours and then put the kids together so they can get used to each other before the youngest becomes aware of her surroundings. Congratulations!

P.M.

answers from Detroit on

I recommend a co-sleeper. It's like a mini-crib. It's more durable and has a higher weight limit thatn a bassinet. Also, it's slightly larger than a bassinet so it can hold your growing baby. It will meet your needs for space, as well as be of great assistance for night time feedings if you are nursing.The one I used is the Mini Convertable from Arm's Reach Concepts https://www.armsreach.com/ I've seen them used at Mom 2 Mom sales, FB sites, Craigs List etc. They are a bit pricey bought brand new.

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K.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I used a pack and play for our daughter for the first 5-6 months while she was in our room.

A.C.

answers from Wichita on

Congratulations, S.!

We always keep the crib in baby's room...separate from our own. There are lots of reasons why we do that, but one of the biggest reasons was that it was so much easier for me to change/nurse the baby in his/her own room in the middle of the night without waking my husband (who would still often get up to help with the diaper changings and hand off, but would need the option to sleep uninterrupted at times due to working early the next morning). This is just what worked best for our family, and we plan to do the same thing with baby #3 due in Nov.

Both of our kids are really good sleepers and rarely come into our room at night. They learned early on to be comfortable in their own beds. :)

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S.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

I think a bassinet is fine to begin with, but depending on your baby's size, probably won't last 6 months. Have you considered a co-sleeper? Or, even more radical, a crib mattress on the floor? Both are wonderful and take up much less space than a crib.

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E.T.

answers from Albuquerque on

A bassinet would be a great choice for a baby... but by three or four months s/he will outgrow it. How about co-sleeping? Technically, no extra space needed.

L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

My children came home from the hospital and went right into their cribs in their own rooms.

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L.B.

answers from New York on

I use the fisher price rock n play; my three month old is in it now and my older son used it till seven months, when he could sit up. Its super space efficient! But what will you do afterward? I have a crib, but I ended up cosleeping with the first, he hated it so dang much. Also, they can't stretch out in the rock n play, so baby would probably need extra floor time or tummy time.

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

our babies were big when they were born 9 lbs so by the time 3 months came around the bassinet was no longer any use. they have those beds that attach to the side of your bed co sleepers. yes a good firm mattress is needed for there breathing. if its too squishy they might block there air way. a moses craddle or a small protable play pen would be ok too. travel size?? sorry i cannot remember but i do know you have lots of options for sleeping arrangements. btw our daughter slept in a swing for several months in the first year!!!

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