In the early weeks after your baby's birth, it is often easier to sleep with your newborn in the same room. Bassinets and co-sleepers are great alternatives to a crib for newborn babies who are still getting used to life on the outside.
Bassinets
Bassinets are easy to fit in smaller spaces and are convenient if you want to move them to different rooms in the house to keep your baby closer as he sleeps during the day. Be sure that whatever bassinet you chose is stable enough that it won't be knocked over by pets or other children.
Many port-a-cribs include bassinette attachments and this is a wonderful option that extends the use you get for your money since infants generally only fit in a bassinet for the first few months.
To reduce the risk of SIDS, you want to be sure that your infant's bassinet does not have any extra pillows, stuffed animals, or blankets. Be careful of bassinets that drape lace or other fabric over a baby's face. While pretty, the extra fabric can become a choking or suffocation hazard. Simple designs that are created for safety are a far better choice for your baby.
Co-Sleepers
Many parents choose to co-sleep with their new baby, and while this is a wonderful way to promote closeness and potentially get some extra sleep, you will still want to have a safe place for your baby to sleep when you need to take any medication or are too tired to co-sleep safely.
Co-sleepers are available that attach to the side of an adult bed or fit in the middle of the bed to make co-sleeping safer. Co-sleepers that sit on top of an adult bed are great for keeping your baby close by and they are extremely portable. If you do not have a lot of extra space this is a great option. This is safer than co-sleeping alone and allows you more freedom to change positions during the night.
Co-sleepers that sit next to an adult bed still provide the closeness that co-sleeping provides while giving you some extra space in the bed. Most bedside co-sleepers have an edge on three sides and remain open on the side facing the bed. This allows you to easily transfer your baby to your own bed in the middle of the night without waking up either one of you too much, making it much easier to fall asleep again. The open side design also makes it easy to lay your hand in the co-sleeper to comfort your baby as needed in the middle of the night while still leaving him in his own bed.
It is important to remember that a baby can only be put to sleep safely alone in a co-sleeper before they are mobile in any way. As soon as your baby learns how to roll, naps in most co-sleepers are no longer safe because there is a risk that your baby could fall.
Whether you use a crib, bassinet, or co-sleeper, be sure to follow the current safety recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Essential sleep products for infants will help create a safe sleeping environment and simplify life for mom and baby. Safety is the primary concern of any new parent but it is also important to consider what sleeping arrangement will help baby and mother get the most sleep in the early weeks of your baby's life.
