Choosing a Large Bedside Cot
Bedside cots (also known as co-sleepers and bassinets) are designed to allow parents to snuggle with their infant at night without risk of SIDS. They are only recommended for up to 6 months, after which your baby is ready to transition to a crib.
Mehack Mehack, an MFM home tester, loved the fact that this model has an adjustable bassinet that can be used around the home. It also has a manual rocking feature. It was also simple to put together and came in its own travel bag for easy storage.
Size
Cots are smaller than cots. They also can be converted into toddler beds, whereas they are typically used until three years old. older. There are two sizes of wooden cots - large and standard - which can be converted into a toddler bed or cot. Selecting the larger of the two is a good idea when you want your child to sleep in it until the age of at least three years old.
Jasmine, a MFM mum who tested the product at home, was pleased the fact that it was a little bigger than a Moses basket, but not too large for the baby's room. It's easy to carry her child in and out for night feeding or soothing, and the quality is top-notch in comparison to other cots she's encountered that feel cheap and flimsy.
Emily, another home tester, is awed by the versatility of the Maxi-Cosi lora - it is a lift-off, mobile bassinet. It also is a rock. It also has an incline for reflux and a machine washable liner that is breathable. It was also nominated for the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the Best Cot or Moses Basket category. The Lora fits South African cot mattress unlike some international or European brands. This means that you don't have to purchase a brand new mattress when your baby grows. It will require a specific bedding set (60x120cm). Here's the ideal mattress for your cot.
Height
When choosing a crib for your bed make sure it can be adjusted to the ideal height for you. It should also be able to be lower to a level that is not in the way so you can lift up your baby to feed them at night or to soothe him. This feature is particularly helpful when you are recovering from a C-section. The Next2me cot and Tutti Bambini can be adjusted to an maximum height of 58cm while the Snuzpod 3 can go up to 63cm, and the Knuma Hutch can be adjusted to 70cm.
You should also consider the level you would like the base of your crib to be. While some moms find it easier to lift their babies out of the standard Moses baskets at the lowest height, other mums prefer having a higher base that gives them more stability. The Joie Roomie Glide is a well-liked option, with one of our mom testers stating that it is easy to use with a collapsible side that is easy to press down at the touch of the button.
Keep in mind that a bedside or bassinet is only suitable until your baby can hold their head up unaided, usually at approximately 6 months. This is because of the possibility of suffocation. Be official source that when your child is old enough to turn the bedside sleeper into a cot, they will have to take the sides off as soon as they are able to do so. This will stop them from falling out or climbing out of bed.
Design
There are many different styles of bedside crib that range from basic to luxurious. The more luxurious options may include features like an integrated night light and a calming centre which plays music and sounds and offers two levels of vibrations to help soothe your baby to sleep, or even the swivelling base which allows you to get your baby's food in the right place. Some models can be converted into an infant bed or cot bed (or both) when your child is ready to go to their own bed.
For example the Tutti Bambini CoZee Air which was awarded Bronze in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for the Best Crib, Cot or Moses Basket category, has an adjustable base that lets you take your baby and move them from one side of the crib to the other without having to get out of bed. best bedside cot for newborn is ideal for new mothers who are recovering from Caesarean births or who need to stay in the bed for extended periods of time. MFM mum home tester Jasmine loved this feature, saying that it was easy to use and made reaching her baby easier especially after a c-section.
Another option is the Chicco Next2me Magic, which won Gold at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the category of Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket. It comes with an easy-to-clean liner, reflux incline, and rocking function. It's slightly larger than some of the other bedside cribs we tried, but it folds flat in its travel bag, so it's relatively compact when not in use.
Leya, MFM mum home tester, also appreciated the bedside crib's function. She said it was designed for parents and infants. It is lightweight and easy to move. The swivelling base of the bassinet is amazing because it lets you move the bassinet from side-to-side, and one of its sides can be lowered down to facilitate access especially for mothers who are recovering from their C-sections', she said.
Safety
The most important security aspect of a large bedside cot is that it is able to be raised or lowered to enable parents to reach their child when they need to feed them, soothe them or change their nappy. This makes it ideal for mothers who are recovering from the C-section. Find a model that allows you to lower one side at the press of a button, so you can easily lift your baby without getting out of bed. This is particularly important as your baby grows older and becomes more mobile. You'll also want to not add anything to the crib that increases the risk of suffocation or injury, such as pillows and duvets, which can cause babies to overheat.
The CPSC's NPR includes 24 incidents that are attributed to issues with the product, such as gaps between a bedside sleeper (adult bed) and the bedside sleeper (12 incidents) as well as enclosed openings made of fabric (11) and consumer disassembly (6 incidents).
In its NPR, the CPSC looked into the possibility of imposing additional requirements for sleepers in bed, such as the requirement that these products meet the minimum side height requirement for bassinets or at least meet the maximum height requirement for the side rail. However the CPSC concluded that such requirements are not practical or effective in reducing the amount of instances in which infants were entrapped between the bedside sleeper and an adult bed.
The majority of the reported incidents in the NPR involved multiuse bedside sleepers that can be converted to different modes like bassinets and play yards. A number of commenters suggested that the CPSC include in the proposed rule an alternative option for multiuse bedside sleepers to enable them to meet the minimum side-height requirements for bassinets by using a removable attachment that can be permanently connected or disconnected when the product is not being used as the bassinet.
The CPSC is currently examining these and other comments that were received in response to its NPR on bedside sleepers. The Commission will take into account these comments when it votes on the final rule which is expected to be published in November 2021.