Crib or Cradle frist and why?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-03-2005
Crib or Cradle frist and why?
7
Sun, 12-04-2005 - 10:59pm

Crib or Cradle frist and why?



  • Cradle for the frist month or two
  • Or something frist month or two
  • Crib from start
  • Cradle frist 6 months or less
  • Other frist 6 months
  • With Mom frist month or two
  • With Mom frist 6 months
  • With Mom frist year
  • Both
  • Not sure yet


You will not be able to change your vote.


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2005
Mon, 12-05-2005 - 12:29am

I've worked as a nanny for six years now for various families including a couple with newborns (and one set of newborn twins) and I've found that a cradle for the first month or two is a great transition. I'm not a fan of sleeping with the baby because I can't sleep when I'm worried about rolling on the baby, etc. I know some people really enjoy co-sleeping, but I've never been comfortable with it. And it's hard to break as they get older and I cannot sleep with a todddler in my bed because I'm a light sleeper. Anyway, the cradle is nice because they are right there for nighttime feedings but in their own area. A crib can work too if the nursery is nearby. When I have started babies off immediately in a crib I have put a divider in the crib to make it seem smaller. Babies come from a tiny womb into a big world and feeling enclosed and snuggly gives them comfort.

That's what has worked for me, but you might want to be open to a number of different options. Every family/baby is different.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 12-05-2005 - 8:12am

I always used a bassinet for the FIRST month or so because a smaller area makes the baby feel more secure. I did find with my second that he could not sleep in our room, we had to put the bassinet in the nursery. Every little sound we made would wake him up!

Good luck.

Mary

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2004
Mon, 12-05-2005 - 11:58am
we tried a bassinette for the first couple of weeks but nick was too big for it and he just slept better in his crib.



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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-23-2004
Mon, 12-05-2005 - 1:13pm
My babies were in a bassinet in our room for the first 6-8 weeks for nighttime sleeping. For naps during the day I put them in their cribs. No problems moving them from the bassinet to the crib at night.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 12-05-2005 - 4:15pm

I said "both," meaning do whatever works. With my first, we started her in the crib in the nursery, which was right next to our bedroom. However, when she woke at night, I generally nursed her back to sleep in our bed and ended up co-sleeping most of the night. As she got older and slept longer stretches, she eventually spent the whole night in her own bed.

With my younger DD, my older DD was still using the crib, so we started with a bassinet in our room. That worked fine, but I still ended up co-sleeping most of the night b/c I'd fall asleep while nursing and just not put her back. When she was around 2-3 months, I started her in the crib in the nursery for naps and then put her there at night (once older DD was in a big bed). At a year old, she still wakes at night, so she starts in her bed and spends the rest of the night in our bed.

Heck, both my girls also spent plenty of newborn nights in a swing, car seat, bouncy seat, or whatever worked just so we could get some sleep. ;-)

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Tue, 12-06-2005 - 12:23am

I voted "both" for the same exact reason. No matter what you plan to do or how much money you spend on a fancy bassinet, bedside co-sleeper, etc., you never know what will work best for each baby.

With our first daughter, we had to have her in bed with us for the first few days (in a sleep-positioner type "nest") until she felt secure enough to sleep in a bassinet next to the bed. She slept at least 6 hours straight from the beginning, though, and we found that after the first month or so she actually slept even longer in her crib by herself (probably because she didn't hear us moving around to wake her).

Our second daughter was a bit different, because she had pretty bad reflux, and would spit up everywhere anytime we laid her on her back (which was horrible, because then we had to clean her up, change her clothes, bedding, etc. and then start all over again, so no one was getting any sleep). We figured out that she was fine if we let her sleep in more of a sitting position, so she spent the first 2 or 3 months sleeping in her swing or car seat next to our bed. After that she starting taking naps in her crib and pretty soon was sleeping 12 hours in her own room every night (yay! lol).

So plan to do what you think is best, but be prepared to try a few thing until you find out what works. :)


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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-03-2005
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:56am
Hello,
Thanks to all the voters!
I will put the baby in the cradle frist and see how that is.
The baby will be in our room the frist year...
I am not sure about putting together both.
I wasnt sure why or what one should we use.
Now we know.
I just couldnt watie to use both, to see them and they both are for a newborn.
or I was gona use the cradle in the family room frist.
But going back to the crib and bed at night for feedings, and thinking i may again fall a sleep with baby. (bfing). cradle seems easer, and because of otheer reasons you say.
Thanks!