how long did/do u use the bassinet for?

[abh5e8]

dd is 2 months...not yet rolling over. we went out all day on thurs...and I was so sad i did not have a bassinet. i haven't had one for any of my 4 dc, but with this lo we seem to be out doing a lot more. also, what stroller has the smallest footprint and takes a bassinet?

[tg_canada]

I didn't have one for either of my first kids so got one for my third as I figured it was a necessity I'd been missing out on. I ended up using it very, very little. It was too big to take out and about, made it awkward to lift stroller in and out of vehicle (so I ended up removing it each time) and although mine had a handle so you could carry baby in while in bassinet, I found it was too heavy and awkward to do so.

I ended up using it for a few neighbourhood walks and that's it.

If I could do it over, I'd get a Bee with infant cocoon. Small, lightweight, cozy. Just not great for AT or snow use. I'd get a nice air tire stroller or Chariot for the AT/snow use. But, I tend to stay out of the winter cold and bumpy roads while they're young enough for a bassinet anyway so I'd wait a bit to pick one up.

[meggswife]

To my knowledge, the Bee has about the smallest footprint for a stroller that takes a bassinet.

I haven't used a bassinet a ton because I saw it more for a small sleeping baby. (The only bassinet I've had with previous babies is the one that goes with my Bumbleride Queen B which we just use around our property and for country strolls.) A good friend of mine has changed my mind recently. She used her bassinet with her youngest until her dd was 8 months old. We'd go out shopping and she'd sit her up in the back with toys in front to play with. Her dd was super happy being able to sit up and play in her own little space. She still fits fine, but my friend stopped using the bassinet when her dd got closer to 9 months because she tried to pull up on the side a couple of times and my friend was afraid her dd might fall out.

I now see the bassinet as a small portable play yard as well as a travel bed. :) (My new little one is due in October, so I'll get to test the bassinet out before too long.) As with anything, you'll want to supervise your dd at all times if she's playing in the bassinet.

[123LuckyMom]

With DS, we used it for a few months. (We have a Vista.) I used it mostly as a bed for the baby at my Mom's house. Once the baby could sit up, I felt it was unsafe. With DD, I never took the bassinet out of the closet.

I chose the Vista partially because of the bassinet, but honestly, though if you have it you may use it, it is by no means a necessity!

[abh5e8]

To my knowledge, the Bee has about the smallest footprint for a stroller that takes a bassinet.

I haven't used a bassinet a ton because I saw it more for a small sleeping baby. (The only bassinet I've had with previous babies is the one that goes with my Bumbleride Queen B which we just use around our property and for country strolls.) A good friend of mine has changed my mind recently. She used her bassinet with her youngest until her dd was 8 months old. We'd go out shopping and she'd sit her up in the back with toys in front to play with. Her dd was super happy being able to sit up and play in her own little space. She still fits fine, but my friend stopped using the bassinet when her dd got closer to 9 months because she tried to pull up on the side a couple of times and my friend was afraid her dd might fall out.

I now see the bassinet as a small portable play yard as well as a travel bed. :) (My new little one is due in October, so I'll get to test the bassinet out before too long.) As with anything, you'll want to supervise your dd at all times if she's playing in the bassinet.

thats interesting. do you know what stroller/bassinet your friend used? and which one do you have?

eta: oopes, sorry. i just read your posts on the bee and toro/britax bassinets. you kept the toro, right?

[tg_canada]

Using the bassinet as play space scares me. Years ago when I worked in retail, a co-worker brought his 4-5 month old in and she was in a pram/bassinet style stroller with sides at least as high as current bassinets.

Baby was laying there cooing, we're chatting with him (he's standing at handlebar looking at us) and then we hear screaming. Baby had fallen out and landed on her head and hit her head on the corner of a shelf that was right in floor level. She didn't even know how to sit yet so he never thought she'd be able to get out.

She has this huge dent in her skull. No bleeding and not even a cut, but I'll always remember that triangular shaped dent in her head. His wife was on the phone to their doc immediately and they bolted out right after she got off the phone.

He was on vacation from work and I ended up quitting before he returned so I don't even know how the baby made out.

Anyway, I thought the bassinets manuals I had read said to stop using once baby could rollover? Some of that I suppose could be so baby doesn't roll their face into a side and suffocate.

[meggswife]

My friend has a B Ready and uses the Britax bassinet. I sold my Toro and kept the Britax, (my husband preferred the lower center of gravity).

When we were out shopping, my friend's dd was sitting all the way in the back, under the canopy. At 8 months, she still wasn't crawling and isn't a very mobile baby. One of us was watching her all the time. Each baby is different. If you have a baby who is really mobile, a sudden/quick mover, etc... I wouldn't recommend having them sit up and play just in case they made a sudden movement. It depends on each mama and baby. In Europe, carry cots/prams are often used exactly as I'm describing. (In my opinion, we tend to be a bit more cautious about some things here in the States.) ;)

[tg_canada]

This baby was 4-5 months old, not crawling or even sitting! Barely rolling. And she had a large canopy over her. Dad and mom kept saying "how did she get out?". And she was right under dad's eyes.

I have seen pics of them used in Europe that way. I personally cannot keep an eye on my baby 100% of the time while pushing a stroller and watching the road, etc. so it wouldn't work for me.

I certainly wasn't judging you or your friend or asking for justification. Sorry if it came across that way. I really just wanted to point out that apparently babies can fall from these things even when they are barely mobile. Some people may not realize that and assume that a non sitting baby couldn't get out. I can't speak with respect to cautiousness in the USA as I don't live there.

[meggswife]

Oh no, it's fine. I didn't feel like you were judging at all, just sharing your (very valid) opinion. :) I honestly almost didn't even post anything about using a bassinet with a baby who could sit up because accidents can, and do happen. Also, it's good to be cautious, but it does feel like things are a bit overboard in the US because we are such a litigious society.

[PZMommy]

I've never really thought to use a bassinette for either of my boys. Neither of my boys have liked laying flat. My first didn't really have any reflux or things like that, but he preferred to be at an incline even while sleeping. My second had severe reflux and breathing problems, and couldn't lay flat until almost a year old. If I were to use one with future children, I think I would follow the manufacture guidlines of not using them once they can roll over. Not only would I be worried about them falling out, Id be concerned that all that weight at one end of the bassinette and not centered in the bassinette would be a tipping hazard.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

With my ds I would have never used a bassinet..he detested lying flat.

With my dd I loved the vista bassinet and peobably used it until she was 4 months old . I felt it was much safer than letting her stay in thw car seat which is what 99% of people do where I live. With my dd, few daya after sh e was born she stopped breathing and had bradycardia (sp?) Bc the car seat causes her airway to be compressed. That is another reason t have ey don't recommend leaving newborns in car seats. with the bassinet I felt much safer with her. Sh3 could not roll over and was not mobile whatsoever until she was about 9m.

[kaharris83]

I tried a carrycot with DS2 and he hated it. Screamed everytime I put him in it.

[westwoodmom04]

I had a Valco runabout with a bassinet and I loved it. Honestly, I can't imagine a baby could fail out. It had a removable cover that zipped over baby's body and I believe it also had a strap. There is also a stand that you can buy to use with the bassinet if you want to use it in the house. Anyway, I think you can use it for only the true newborn stage, maybe 8-10 weeks. I used it for both of my kids and they would often fall asleep in the stroller (which was awesome, two super colicky kids). Here's a picture of the runabout with the bassinet. The bassinet itself is a decent size, bigger than what was available for the bugaboo at the time. Still, it was smaller than the arm reach mini inside and I think my kids liked being in the confined space. They sometimes napped in the stroller in the house.


http://www.strollermama.com/mainimages/runabout-bassinet.gif

[gamma]

I used a bassinet for my 3 DC and my 3 DGC, but my bassinet had "D" rings on each side so as they became mobile, I could use a harness and attach the harness to the "D" rings. I'm wondering if the newer bassinets come with "D" rings?

[ebp913]

I had a Vista and I loved our bassinet. We used it for walks a lot and my DD would just fall asleep. We also would bring it for travel before we really needed the PNP and it was awesome. I think if you do a lot of walks from your house or if you do a lot of walking at a destination, you would like it but if you are in and out of the car all the time, it's kind of a hassle because almost no stroller fold with the bassinet attached.

I also loved the bassinet on the Indie Twin for my son when he was littler. Now he wants to sit up and I have since sold the Indie Twin but I did really really like it for the first 3-4 months. Again though, I used it primarily because I walk daily from our house for exercise so it was worth it to me. I almost never used it out and about.

[todzwife]

What about a snap with the bootie?

[abh5e8]

quick update....I used my mom's toro with bassinet and really liked it. (well, the bassinet part. the toro itself is just ok). we used it for long walks, to the playground, swimming pool and store and for an all day trip to a local amusement park. i love how well she would stretch out and sleep in it, and that I can could see her so well. i've always used a baby carrier with a newborn, but she is dc#4, and with a 2, 4 and 6 y/o's to keep up with, it was very nice to have an easy place for her to nap. i'm going to just borrow the toro for another month or so, but if/when we have another, i'm for sure going to get a stroller with a bassinet. (and hopefully something with a little better push).

[edurnemk]

I used it almost exclusively for about 3-4 months, after that I used it on some occasions, like when visiting at someone's house I'd use it as a place to put them down to sleep, until they outgrew it. i have a Vista, and a Bee with the Toro bassinet.