My husband and I are 25 weeks pregnant with our first baby. We are currently working on getting the nursery ready. We have a crib in our nursery – which I thought would be fine for when we bring the baby home. However, he thinks that we need to have a bassinet in our bedroom so that we can monitor the baby more closely for the first couple of weeks. What is your take on keeping baby in a crib in the nursery versus keeping baby in a bassinet in the bedroom?”
You’ll probably appreciate having a bassinet in the bedroom for the first few months. Babies also seem to feel more secure in the smaller space of a bassinet. Newborns need to feed about every two to three hours, so the closer the bassinet is to where you’re sleeping, the easier it will be for you to get up and feed. Also studies appear to show that babies who sleep in the same room as parents have a lower risk of SIDS. You can put a chair for feeding in your room or bring baby into bed to feed, with pillows for support. But use caution: if you do plan to feed in your bed, make sure your bed is baby-safe with no extra pillows or blankets, or gaps between the mattress and headboard and that no one in the bed has had had alcohol or sedating medication. Make sure baby stays face-up and don’t swaddle your baby in bed so baby can kick off any blankets or pillows that fall on his face.
If you do go with a bassinet, be sure to pick one with a firm mattress, sturdy legs, washable fabrics, and rigid sides. Wheels and a rocking features are nice to have, too. Don’t use pillows, blankets or any head or body positioners. Note that as soon as your baby is able to roll over by him- or herself, though, the bassinet won’t be safe any more and it’ll be time to move your baby to a full-size crib.
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