Advice needed: will I need a moses basket?

[Jo]

Can't make up my mind so thought I'd ask here: we live in a maisonette, and the crib is upstairs in our bedroom. Will we need/want a moses basket to have somewhere to put the baby down when we're downstairs in the living room or kitchen? Is there something else we should consider? Will I even want to put the baby down :) ?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

For shortish periods (a couple of hours) a pram or car seat that reclines will suffice. Failing that, a large drawer!

don't be suckered into buying things you don't need.

[Helenlouise29]

We found a moses basket useful as our crib just seemed huge for our baby when we bought her home from hospital ( she was a small baby 6lb 13). She slept in the moses basket as it offered some sort of snug comfort where as she seemed to seem lost in the crib at first and wouldn't settle in it. We used it for the first couple of months. However all babies are different. We didn't buy it until we realised this so maybe wait and see. You can always order online if you feel like one would be useful at the time. Like PGC says it would be silly buying something you didn't need.

[Fuschia]

Never used one with son no 1, he dozed on the sofa (bad mummy) or a sheepskin on the floor. No other kids, flat was quiet... with the twins we got 2 second hand baskets but they shared one, we used it a lot, they slept in the day in the living room. Needed a basket to protect them, it's a madhouse here these days with son no 1 and his friends...

For the first 6-8w, they need to eb near you all day and evenings too, I'd say.

[EDmummy]

Did the same as Fuschia with no. 1 and 2 - sheepskin/sofa for no. 1 and moses basket for no. 2. The moses basket was a god send when having to deal with demands from more than one child and baby no. 2 spent a great deal of time in it (he was a feeder/sleeper for the first 3 months). We borrowed one and then passed it on to the next person who needed it. Perhaps someone on the forum has one they could let you have/use.

[inglesa68]

I would get one now and then you could use it or not use it as you wish. We had one, (borrowed) and slept on the sofa as well but its amazing how quickly a baby learns to roll....so be aware of that. If you intend to have other babies you will get good use of it.

As for being with you all day and evening for the first 6-8 weeks, I dont think thats essential. I have some friends who put baby in their own room at night from day one, mine all slept in my bed til they were 5-6 months! Lovely! Do whatever you feel to do but always make sure wherever you put baby down, he/she is safe and has no danger of falling, etc and that you can hear them should they wake up.

And I know its tempting but yes, put that baby down :)) You'll be glad in the long run. Wish it was me starting all over again! (i think...)

[fmay]

I found the moses basket good because it's so mobile, light, easy to move around when the baby's tiny. Newborns always sleep a lot so we had ours in the basket wherever we were...in the living room with us in the evenings, in the kitchen when I was cooking and next to the bed when we slept at night. It was also easy to take when visiting relatives so the baby had a familiar bed to sleep in. They do tend to grow out of them quite quickly though, at least by around 3-4 months for most, so don't spend a fortune on one!

[chantelle]

we didn't bother, just put baba on the sofa. A breastfeeding pillow can be quite handy to put around the baby and guards against any unexpected rolling.

[catgirl]

I found it really useful, both mine slept in the moses basket on the bed next to me for the first few weeks so they were really close but I didn't worry about rolling over onto them. Was also great during the day in the early weeks when they sleep such a lot so you can just pop them down in the basket wherever you are. I got one second hand for ?10, I'm sure there must be a decent market in second hand ones as they're used for such a short time, even if you have a few children they won't be worn out! If you do decide to get one, why not ask on here to see if anyone has one to sell on.

[Jo]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm still undecided but think I'm more coming round to the idea of having something, especially since we have cats who can be persuaded to stay out of things, but find blankets/sheepskins irresistible. Might investigate a pop up travel cot instead if we'll only use a basket for a few weeks, because at least I know we'll have to do the rounds to relatives sometime in the next six months.

[sb]

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[sb]

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[Hornpipe]

Stick with the pram, especially if you have a long or large baby! My son was only in the moses basket for about 4 weeks, he was so long he used to really rock around in it and in the end it seemed quite dangerous!

[helena handbasket]

We had a basket and a travel cot. It probably depends on how much traveling you think you will be doing. Our son slept in the basket, in the cot, until about six months because it seemed cozier. Also it made settling him to sleep away from home easier because he was in his own bed. Really loved it. That said, if I had to chose I'd say travel cot. The basket will take you to about six months but the cot will get you to two years. We have done loads of travel with our son and the cot has been used dozens of times. Could not have lived without it. Plus it is a safe place to put them for five minutes while in the shower etc.. The bending over part is hard but you can find some that come with an attachment that raises the baby higher.

Not sure I would endorse the sofa since my son ended up in A and E after a rolling off ours at three months old. And yes he had pillows etc., and I was two feet away, but he was very strong and physical that young (as we learned the hard way). That was how we learned he could roll! He was fine but I will never get over it!

[lard]

They are quite handy as they are portable, yes.

[pommie]

We bought a baby beanbag from argos and our daughter slept in that when she was downstairs with us. She loved it as it moulded into her shape and was very comfortable

[Fuschia]

helena handbasket Wrote:> Not sure I would endorse the sofa since my son

> ended up in A and E after a rolling off ours at

> three months old. And yes he had pillows etc.,

> and I was two feet away, but he was very strong

> and physical that young (as we learned the hard

> way). That was how we learned he could roll! He

> was fine but I will never get over it!

Yes, that's why I said it was a bad mummy thing.. son no 1 rolled off the bed at a similar age! Hence the twins had a moses basket and have been more cautious about napping on the sofa.

[Pugwash]

Used carry cots with daughters but moses baskets with grandchildren. Moses baskets as people have said, mobile, convenient etc. Used both carry cot and basket in full size cot as well, as the children were secure and safe in a confined area, but became familiar with the cot environment so when too big for the moses basket etc, settled down happilly in the cot. Must admit after about 2 - 3 months, a pram was more convenient to use downstairs, especially those which allowed the babies to sleep flat.

[damzel]

We used a pram base that my friend gave me and I still have it if you would like it. It's quite old but clean and not tatty. I bought a new mattress for it as is the norm for a new baby. It was great as it's bigger than a moses basket so my daughter didn't grow out of it too fast (12 weeks I think and she's tall). It has handles so we just carried it to wherever she would sleep and put the whole thing (with her in it) in her cot at night time.

PM me if you would like it (free of course)