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smiyashiro
01-10-2001, 09:27 PM
Can anyone have suggestions regarding brands of bassinets? As a new mom-to-be, I don't even know how long babies sleep in bassinets-- is it about three months? The frugal side of me hopes to find a bassinet/playpen for longer-term use, but I also want to make sure the quality is good for the baby.

Chana34
01-25-2001, 01:37 PM
I have a Fisher-Price bassinet (they don't make this model anymore). It is very sturdy. It's been through 4 moves, all kinds of storage, my 4 kids and 3 of my friends kids.
You can't use a bassinet after the baby can sit up by themselves, about 3-6 months. They make great storage for stuffed animals and blankets after the baby is done with them.

sarsah
02-04-2001, 01:48 PM
My baby slept in the bassinet component of a Graco 3-way Pack & Play for his first month of life. This worked out fine for us. Sometimes, he also slept in a Fisher Price Bounce & Play Activity Dome, which we took with us on trips and also used outside (it has a bug screen).

I wouldn't waste money on a plain old bassinet. DS is 8 months old and is still using the Pack & Play (although he's too big for the bassinet component). He's outgrown the Bounce & Play, but we did get a lot of use out of it while he was able to use it.

Sarah

joodyjr
02-06-2001, 06:59 PM
Save your money and put baby to sleep in the crib. My son is 4 months old and still hasn't used his Graco Pack N Play yet.
I personally don't think the support is good enough for use as a bed, but that is my personal opinion. There is no reason to put baby to bed in anything else besides the crib. Use the foam supports that are supposed to help keep baby on their back if a feeling of security is an issue.

gentlemommy
02-10-2001, 05:08 PM
I don't know if I'll be much help, b/c although I'm expecting baby #2, we didn't use a bassinet with #1. I'd like to this time, though, b/c I don't plan on using a crib at all (we'll family-bed, just like with my ds). I believe babies are in bassinets until they can turn over or sit up, or until they meet the weight limits for the bassinet. My ds, for example, was about 16 lbs at 4 months, which is also about when he started rolling over. At least for the bassinets I've considered, 16 lbs is the average weight limit for bassinet usage.

We haven't decided whether to use a borrowed bassinet or buy one, but we're leaning towards purchasing it ourselves (new, not used). Personally, I'm still undecided btw the Badger Basket Deluxe Jumbo or the Graco bassinet. I'm leaning toward the Graco, though, b/c of something someone on epinions.com (very helpful site, by the way) wrote - that it was difficult to tip over, and that with her 18 m.o., she felt that was important. Well, that's basically sold me on it, b/c I have a 2 y.o. and I've been worried about that. :) Someone did caution others not to rely on the vibrating motion to get baby to sleep, but that's easy enough to avoid. I think the Graco is a little smaller inside, though, but I rather suspect it won't make *that* much difference, in terms of weeks your baby will be able to use it. Plus, with the Badger bassinet, apparently, finding sheets that fit it is difficult.

I respectfully disagree with those who say that bassinets are a complete waste of money, based on what friends and others have told me. Apparently, babies do sleep better in a smaller, more confined space. Sure, some babies may do fine in a crib, but my ds didn't, and I don't want to spend the first three months sleeping in a recliner with a baby like I did last time (it's really unsafe, but I thought a bassinet would be a waste of money then, I regret to say). While I'm comfortable (and confident) that family-bedding is the right option for us with a slightly older baby, sleeping with a newborn really scares me, so a bassinet is an ideal option. That way, I can get up immediately to nurse the baby as soon as he/she wakes up.

Another nice feature of most of the bassinets is that you can wheel the bassinet with you into another room, if that's what you want. I think it was with the Graco that the bassinet comes off the stand and can be portable. Not certain - you'd want to check it out, but that's what I've found so far. Lastly, I also had considered a Kolcraft (looks similar to the Graco) but after reading all the comments on epinions, I crossed it off my list.

tinwhistle
01-21-2003, 11:56 AM
thanks, gentlemommy. your input is most helpful, especially your discussion of models of bassinets that you considered.

gour0
01-21-2003, 12:05 PM
I have an old cradle, but I wish we had a cosleeper. That sounds ideal to me.

http://www.epinions.com/kifm-B-BEquip-Nursery-Bassinets-Arms_Reach_Co-Sleeper_Bedside/display_~latest_prices

http://www.lactationconnection.com/For_Baby.asp

http://www.babybunk.com/whatis.htm

http://www.iducky.com/sidebed.html


Another suggestion I've seen here is a moses basket.

http://store.babycenter.com/product/nursery/furniture/bassinets_and_cradles/1042;jsessionid=IWVID5X4UMIX4CUAQMLCHPQ?sku=100100

Karenn
01-21-2003, 12:44 PM
I had way too many sleep options for Colin. That was one area where there was complete proof that a new mom had gone overboard! :) I had: a crib, a cradle, a family heirloom antique bassinet and the pack n play bassinet. The good news is that I did get a real sense of what HE preferred.

The antique bassinet and cradle had the most aesthetic charm, but we noticed that when he startled in his sleep, his arms would fly out, hit the sides, and he would wake himself up.

The crib was fine, but honestly, just too far away from my bed for those middle of the night feedings.

Since the pack 'n' play bassinet was square, it was cozy, but not so narrow that he would hit the sides if he wiggled out of his swaddle and startled in his sleep. I couldn't have lived without it for the first 3 months! It gets my vote for best bassinet.

Karen
Colin 6/18/02

Andrea S
01-21-2003, 04:37 PM
We used a kolcraft bassinet from Baby's R Us. I was pretty simple just blue and white checked material. A lot of them were too frilly for me. We used it for about 3 months the weight limit was 15 pounds. I liked using it especially at night when we were BFing every 2 hours. Also the bassinet part unsnaps and you can carry it into another room. We would bring the baby downstairs with us in the morning and he would sleep in the bassinet (when I was not holding him). I really missed it when he grew out of it. Now he is in his crib.


Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02

Sheila
01-21-2003, 11:58 PM
We too had the Kolcraft, and I loved it. We got a great buy on it (almost 2 yrs ago now) at Baby Depot - $35 - so it really was a no brainer for us. I can't imagine not having it. We live in a big house, so it was esp great during the day (newborns sleep a LOT) because I could have my daughter close to me downstairs in whatever room I was in (the wheels are great). I too really missed it when she outgrew it (I think around 3-4 mos.... the weight limit was 15 lbs).

Sheila

________
Pissing Teen (http://www.****tube.com/categories/836/teen/videos/1)

Rachels
01-22-2003, 11:27 AM
I had a Sorelle cradle, and it was incredibly sturdy. Abigail fit comfortably in it for almost 6 months.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

masetane
01-29-2003, 08:50 PM
while its probably nice to have a little bassinett I dont' agree with buying one. I also used the graco pack n play with a bassinet for my daughters first 2 months and I plan do so again with my second baby in 2 weeks. Hope this helps
caroline

August Mom
01-29-2003, 11:39 PM
We were planning on our DS sleeping in a bassinet next to our bed for the first 3 months, but he had other plans. During the first month he slept well in the bassinet (and loved the vibration feature). Then, he started waking up throughout the night, not just to eat. We tried him in his crib at around 5 weeks and he slept most of the night. So, he's been in the crib ever since. Looking back, I think that I liked the bassinet because I could look over at DS and make sure everything was okay, but I think he would have been fine in the crib from the very beginning. If I had it to do over again, I think I would skip the bassinet.

By the way, we have the Kolcraft Light Vibes. It has all the bells and whistles but I wasn't that impressed with it. It vibrates, plays songs, has a light, allows you to manually rock it and has wheels that flip out from under the rocking mechanism. The wheels aren't particularly sturdy IMO. I think that the rocking legs really made the bassinet more cumbersome than it needed to be. It was awkward to move through doorways. My favorite feature of the bassinet was the light. It automatically turned off after a few minutes. I would turn it on when it was time to nurse so that I could see what I was doing. :) Also, note that the vibration feature also turns itself off (and doesn't stay on long enough IMO).

HTH

angusmom
01-30-2003, 02:50 PM
Not that this is going to change anyone's mind about anything, but I just wanted to mention it.

You can get sheets for the Jumbo bassinet direct from Badger. I checked their parts outlet at their web site and you can get two Jumbo sheets for $11.99 shipping included.

:)

tinwhistle
03-11-2003, 12:56 PM
We just bought a Graco Infant Bassinet. We liked the combination of features: sturdy, rockable, locking wheels, not too frilly. They are about $100, and seem a lot sturdier than the Badgers and Kolcrafts. We got one for about $85 on the web, I think it must be last year's model. Haven't used it yet, baby's not born yet.