Cots, Bassinet, Moses Baskets

There are a few items that your baby will spend the majority of their time using, the cot and buggy being two of them. Because of this, its really important to get the right products as you don't want to be regretting the purchase you have made for years. As with anything, there are cheap products and more expensive products. With both of these items, it is truly a case of "you get what you pay for" and bargains are usually for a reason.

When it comes to the baby's sleeping arrangements you have a few choices to make from the beginning. Do you want the baby to go directly into the cot, or do you prefer something smaller like a bassinet or moses basket to start with. The good news is there is not really a right or wrong answer, it's more a preference thing. My first went straight into the cot but my second went into a bassinet. This was really because my first wouldn't give up her cot in time (20 months between them). Most kids like to stay in their cot until at least 2, so if you are considering 2 close together, this might be a factor that affects your decision.

Moses Basket - These are great because they are very portable. They can be used as a portacot when the baby is small or moved around the house during the day so Mum can keep an eye on bubs. Many people have the cot setup and will put the Moses basket into the cot at night. Just so the baby is elevated.

Bassinet - These are great if you like the idea of baby being all snuggled up in something smaller than a cot. You will probably find that the baby's Nana and Gran have opinions when it comes to this. In their day, Bassinets were used a lot and it was common for it to become a family heirloom and passed around as the babies arrived. If you are lucky, one of them might buy this item for you :) If you click here and scroll to the bottom, you will see Ella snuggled up in her Bassinet at 2 weeks old.

Cot - No matter what you decide about the Bassinet or Moses Basket, you are always going to have a cot. If you click here and scroll down, you will see Jade in her cot at 1 week old. If you go directly to the cot, you just make it up 1/2 way down. This way the baby is sleeping in the middle rather than the top. I suppose you could also consider short sheeting them. You will notice in both examples that I am using a Sleep Wedge and that the babies are in wraps. The sleep wedge is great for keeping baby snug and in position (not that they move much at that age). I am a fan of using a wrap on babies as it keeps them snug and stops them hitting themselves in the head and waking themselves up (they do this lots when they are young). The other good reason for having the wedge is it allows you to position the baby slightly left or right rather than directly on their back and this helps their head to fall to the side. This will mean the baby doesn't always sleep on the back of their head and get a flat spot in their skull. Each time I fed them I would change the wedge around so they got even rotations of left and right facing.

There are lots of cots on the market, we stock 3 brands - Touchwood, Kaloo and Leander. These are all great cots, quite different to each other (in looks) and have slightly different functions to meet different requirements.

Touchwood is made in NZ, this is the brand I had. The are sturdy cots that look great and have 4 different modes. These cots also have a drop side to allow easier access when changing sheets and tending to the child. Touchwood also make change tables and other nursery accessories.

Bassinet mode - This means the base of the cot is set at a higher position. It elevates the baby and makes it easier for parents to tend to baby when they are small.

Cot mode - when the baby is bigger and starting to sit, pull themselves up or stand, lowering the base down will ensure they can't get out.

Seat mode - if you take the front off the cot it can be used as a seat in the bedroom or a way to transition to a single bed. With the front off, the child can get in and out by themselves.

First bed mode - by taking the front and back off and buying a shorter end (optional), you can use the cot as a first bed. Once the child is ok with this, you can move to a single bed.

Kaloo also have great cots that also have a bassinet, cot and first bed mode. For the first bed, the end of the cot is removed rather than being replaced with a shorter end. Kaloo have great dresser / changetable and wardrobe options, if you are looking for matching nursery furniture.

Leander have a very unique product. Their cot also has bassinet, cot, seat and first bed mode but it comes with an extension for the first bed that allows it to suit a child up to 7 years old. The other cots first bed options are really just to suit them while they are toddlers transitioning to the single bed. So the Leander really converts into a single bed. The Leander Cot may seem more expensive than the other options, but when you factor in the price you will pay for the single bed when they are around 2, it's about the same.