Choosing a Large Bedside Cot
Bedside cots, also known as bassinets or co-sleepers are designed to allow parents to sleep close to their infants at night, without the risk of SIDS. They are only recommended up to 6 months old, at which point your baby is ready to transition to the cot.
Mehack Mehack, an MFM home tester, loved the feature that this model comes with an adjustable bassinet that can be used throughout the house. It also has a manual rocking feature. It was simple to put together, and even came with a travel bag.
Size
Cots are smaller than cots. They are less than. Cots can also convert into toddler beds. However they are typically intended for children who are the age of three. There are two sizes of wooden cots, large and standard, which can be converted into a toddler bed or cot. Selecting the larger of the two is a good choice if you want your child to sleep in it until the age of approximately three.
MFM mother home tester Jasmine liked that this bedside cot was slightly larger than the Moses basket but not too large for her baby's room. She says it's easy to get her baby into and out of the cot for nighttime feeding or soothing, and that the quality is excellent, compared with many she's encountered that feel cheap and flimsy.
Emily, another home tester, loves the versatility of the Maxi-Cosi Lora which is a lift-off, portable bassinet. It also is a rock. It also comes with an option for inclining the reflux and a machine-washable liner that is breathable. It was also shortlisted for the 2021 Mother&Baby awards for Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket. The Lora is a perfect fit for a South African cot mattress unlike many international or European brands. This means you do not need to purchase a brand new mattress when your baby grows. However, it does require an exclusive bedding set (60x120cm). You can find the right mattress for your cot here.
Height
When you are choosing a cot for your bed choose one that can be elevated to a height that is comfortable for you to feed your baby. It should also be able to be lowered to a level that is not in the way so you can raise your baby towards you to feed them at night or soothe him. This feature is particularly useful when you're recovering from an operation such as a C-section. The Next2me cot and the Tutti Bambini can be adjusted to a maximum height of 58cm while the Snuzpod 3 can go up to 63cm, and the Knuma Hutch up to 70cm.
You should also think about the height you'd like the base of your crib to be. While some mums find it easier to lift their babies out of standard Moses baskets at the smallest height, other mums prefer a higher base to give them more stability. The Joie Roomie Glide is a popular choice and one of our mum test subjects saying that it has an easy-to-use collapsible part that you can use at the push of a button.
Be aware that a bassinet/bedside sleeper is only suitable until your baby is able to hold their head up unaided typically approximately 6 months. This is due to the risk of inhaling suffocation. Be aware that when your child is old enough to turn an existing bedside or bassinet into a cot, you will have to take the sides off as soon as they are ready to do so. This will stop them from falling out or climbing out of bed.
Design
There are a variety of styles of cribs for bedside use that range from basic to extravagant. The more expensive options could include features like an integrated night light, a soothing centre which plays music and sounds and has two levels of vibrations to help soothe baby back to sleep, or even an adjustable base that makes it easier to reach your child for feedings. You may also find some models that can be transformed into an infant bed or a toddler bed (or both) ideal for when your child is ready to move to a larger bed.
The Tutti Bambini CoZee Air, for example has won Bronze at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for the Best Cot, Moses Basket or Crib category. It is a swivelling base that lets you pick up your baby and move them to the opposite side of the crib without getting out of the bed. This is great for new mothers recovering from Caesarean births or who have to stay in bed for prolonged periods of time. MFM mum home tester Jasmine was awed by this feature, saying that it was easy to use and made reaching her baby much easier - especially after her c-section.
Chicco Next2me Magic is another option. It won Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards to be the Best Cot, Moses Basket or Crib and has a machine-washable liner, reflux incline, and a rocking feature. It's bigger than other bedside cribs that we tested, but it folds down into its travel bag, making it compact when not in use.
Leya, MFM mum home tester, also praised the bedside crib's functionality. She said it was designed to be used by parents and infants. It is a fantastic design that is extremely maneuverable and is extremely durable. She said that the bassinet's pivoting base was fantastic because it allowed you to move it from side to side. One of its sides could be lower to make access easier for mothers who are recovering from C-sections.
Safety
The main safety feature of a large bedside cot is that it can be easily moved up or down to allow parents to reach their child when they need to feed, comfort them, or change their nappies. This makes it perfect for mothers who are recovering from a c-section. It is recommended to choose an option that lets you lower the side of the bed with a simple button press. This allows you to lift your child without getting out of the bed. This is especially important as your baby gets older and more mobile. It is also important to not add anything to the crib that could increase the risk of suffocation or injury, like duvets and pillows, which could cause babies to become overheated.
The NPR of the CPSC NPR includes 24 incidents that are attributed to issues with the product like gaps between a bedside sleeper (adult bed) and the bedside sleeper (12 incidents) and enclosed openings with fabric sides (11) and consumer disassembly (6 incidents).
In its NPR In its NPR, the CPSC looked into the possibility of imposing additional requirements for sleepers in bed, such as the requirement that they meet the minimum side height requirement for bassinets, or at a minimum, meet the maximum height requirement for the side rail. However the CPSC concluded that such requirements are not feasible or effective to reduce the number of incidents where infants were trapped between the bedside sleeper and an adult bed.
Many of the incidents reported in the NPR concerned multi-use bedside sleepers that can be transformed into other types of equipment, like play yards or bassinets. Several commenters suggested that the CPSC include in the proposed rule a different provision for multiuse bedside sleepers to enable them to meet the minimum side-height requirements for bassinets through the use of an attachment that can be permanently connected or disconnected when the product is not being used as a bassinet.
The CPSC is currently examining these and other comments received in response to its NPR regarding bedside sleepers. bedside co sleeper cot will take into account these comments when it votes on the final rule, which is expected to be released in November 2021.