Cozy Bassinet - First Bed For Baby

It's easy to place a bassinet right next to the parents' bed, giving quick, easy access for nighttime feedings. This can really help to make to make nights more restful.

Many parents think that their smallest babies sleep best in a small bed like a bassinet, rather than a crib. Newborns are accustomed to very close quarters in the womb ... so I think this idea has legs.

Surprisingly, many parents have also told us that the newest babies sleep more soundly in a living area where there's noise and activity going on, rather than in a quiet bedroom. We've since read that the womb is a pretty noisy place ... so this seems to make sense too.

A bassinet can easily be moved from room to room for daytime napping. It can be used until your baby is about four months old. Since newborns sleep up to twenty hours a day, this bed can get a lot of use in those earliest months!

While not as lightweight as a moses basket , bassinets are usually not heavy. The best models have wheels, which make moving easy. (Never wheel the bed around with your baby in it.)

A retractable hood is a very useful feature, to shield your baby from the sun or from bright lights. Make sure that the hood folds back easily, for those times when you want to lay a sleeping baby down.

It's smart to choose a baby bed with convenient carrying handles, so that you can lift the bed off its base and carry it around. Do not, however, carry the bed with the baby in it.

Tips on Selecting a Bassinet ...

• Make sure the bed is sturdy and not easy to tip over.

• Any spindles or slats should be no more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart. (Baby can become entangled in slats which are further apart.)

• If the bed can fold up, make sure that the leg lock mechanisms are strong. Keep them locked at all times when the bed is set up.

• Wheels should have locks, and should be kept locked, wherever the bed is placed no rough patches or edges on the inside of the bed where the baby will sleep.

• Mattress pad should fit snugly. (Check to make sure there's less than two adult finger-widths of space between the mattress and the sides of the bassinet).

Don’t use any soft bedding where your baby is sleeping - just a cotton sheet covering a firm mattress. Pillows or blankets are suffocation risks.

This baby bed will work until your baby starts rolling from side to side on her own - then switch to a crib. Read the manufacturer instructions on appropriate weight and size limits.

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