Crib Vs. Bassinet

I used the pack n play in my room- it was cheaper and convenient. With my third I used a Moses basket that I could carry around the house so I could be near her while with my older two.

Having baby sleep in the same room in their own sleeping space (crib, bassinet, etc) reduces SIDS compared to baby sleeping in their own room.

I had a lot of people tell me that the bassinet was a waste of $$ so I skipped it - I wish I had had one. We went with a pack'n'play with bassinet insert instead, but it was too big and bulky.
Since most people use it only for a few months, I would get a nice used one!
Good luck!

When my first child was born, I had a bassinet and a crib, but the first 3 months of his life he was in the bassienet in my bedroom and then when he was old enough that I know he could handle being in another room and also me, it was better. I had no name brands items for my children. I don't have a particular kind I liked.

We used only a crib with both of our kids. We formula fed (please no bashing), so there was no advantage to having a bassinet. We had to get up anyway and walking 10 feet into their rooms wasn't a huge deal. Honestly, even if we wanted our kids in our room it wouldn't have worked. Our son is an extremely active sleeper (would bust out of swaddling as an infant) and our daughter snores. We ended up getting a monitor that only activated to crying -- before that, it was almost impossible to sleep because they were so noisy. To this day, they're still very noisy sleepers. Thank goodness they have their own rooms.

We had a Simmons crib we loved, but now I'm reading the way to go is a crib without a drop side. Those seem to be the source of all of the troubles with babies dying.

I agree that the bassinet is a waste of money too. With my first we only used the crib and #2 we started in the bassinet. It was nice having the bassinet so close to my bed when nursing but they grow out of them too fast. Now with #3 on the way were starting with only the crib and it will be in our bedroom for a while. I don't remember the brand bassinet we had but it was a very basic white one from walmart for $60-$70.

If you buy a bassinet I HIGHLY recommend you purchase one that has a LIGHTED UP MOBILE! (Ours is Kolcraft.) Our kids LOVED it. It would put them to sleep all the time! But other bassinets just don't seem to do the trick. The light is so soft and the little bears go in a circle on ours. The babies would just stare at them and fall asleep. Plus, I could lay there and watch the baby because of the soft light. Ours also has a vibrating and music option but the lighted mobile is MOST important! This bassinet was the ONLY reason I got any sleep in the first few months of our kids lives!

I think our kids were in the bassinet till they were close to 5 months old...... We LOVED having it.

As for cribs. Just get one that has 4 stationary sides. We purchased a used on for our first child and the bar kept dropping on its own! I called the company and they were very rude and said that they don't warranty cribs forever........ It was made in the 90's. So we tossed it in the dumpster and bought a new one from a baby store. Cost us $3?? on clearance from $5??. Because of the problem with the old one we strictly looked at the ones that had 4 solid sides. NO MOVING PARTS! Then you should be safe. I think even our local Target store carries that kind for like $200 now.......

I had a bassinet that I used with my daughter. I loved it because I kept it in our living room all day and that is where she napped or where I would put her if I needed two hands for something. We lived in a ranch house so moving it was easy so at night I put it in her room and she slept there. However, she was never very content in there and used to fuss a lot. My husband kept telling me to put her in her crib to sleep, that the crib mattress would provide better support and be more comfortable. Finally, a few weeks before she turned 3 months, I put her in her crib and she slept beautifully! My son was a big boy and I only used the bassinett for him to nap a L. in the living room. I learned my lesson with my daughter and immediately started with the crib for bedtime. I would recommend getting one at least to have in the living room for the first few months.

We used the bassinet for both kids for a few weeks and then moved them to the crib. It is nice to have for the first few weeks when they don't really have a sleeping schedule so they can be near you or so you can rock them back to sleep in it while you are half asleep in the bed next to them. I wouldn't use it for much longer then a few weeks though because the baby will begin to get used to sleeping in your room and it could be hard to transition him. With my second I would nap the baby in the crib during the day on and off before I put her in there at night so she could get used to it. We also used the Angel Care monitor so that we did not have to worry about SIDS. I LOVE that monitor...it was way worth the money.

Anyway, I think it would be a good idea for you to get one (maybe used or a very basic one) for the first few weeks but I wouldn't use it much past that. You can turn around and sell it when you are done with it on Craigslist or something. We used a Kolcraft one I think and it wasn't too expensive. K-Mart and Wal-Mart have them.

Good Luck!!!

I used a bassinet, bought one off Craigslist. It was very convenient, and I liked the vibrating feature, that helped my son sleep. I think it was a Kolcraft brand. We used it for about 3 months, then put it back up for sale on Craigslist (we don't have a lot of storage space). I plan on doing the same thing for our next baby. As for a crib, we got one from my sister. It does have the drop down sides, and had a recall. We got the fix kit, but you really don't need one with drop down sides.

I had originally just bought a crib for my son. Then the day we brought him home, my husband went to the store and bought a bassinet. There was NO way I was putting him in another room. And our room wasn't big enough for a pack n play. Plus, I was nursing, so it was really nice to have him right there when he needed to eat. We just got a fisher price or something like that at Target. It wasn't that expensive. I would say to get one.

I loved the Bassinet, I had it in my room till my son was 5 months (I got it used). It was so convenient to nurse him. At 5 months my son was in his own room and a crib. I stayed in the room a few nights till he got used to it.

I am not sure on the brands but can give you some insight on the crib/bassinet thing. For my first child I did the crib thing, he never used a bassinet. I was ok with it, but didn't know any better. I did have to get up out of bed and go into his room for a couple of months until he learned to sleep through the night.

For my next child I got a bassinet and LOVED it. It is just so convenient in those first few months when they are up all the time. I ended up using it again for the third one and plan on it again for my fourth on the way.

Now my friend did not like the bassinet because any stirring the baby did woke her up. I did not experience this but if you are a light sleeper this may not be the option for you.

Good luck and congrats!

I am also a new mommy and I bought a 50 dollar bassinet from WalMart. It comes with both blue and pink ribbon to put around it and baskets for underneath. It was great for me because I could have my daughter right beside my bed, which was very comforting. Also I had a hard time picking out a crib I felt was best for me and the baby. Having a bassinet bought me more time to research and get a crib that I love.

For my first we used a crib right from the start and it was great as we didn't have to transition him from a bassinet to a crib in his own room, he was there from day one. My kids have to share a room so in the interest of letting my son sleep we used a travel crib in the living room for the first six weeks then moved her to the crib in the kids room. Since she never slept in our room the transition was smooth and we have a travel crib for trips (we bought it for camping with my son so it has been used many times and worth the expense). As for the crib my dad built us one with metal hardware he purchased online so it is sturdy we've had no problems and no worries about recalls, but it was expensive since he built it out of oak and all the non-t toxic stains and safty hardware were verry expensive, but we plan on useing it for all our kids and hopefully passing it down to grandkids. We have an older Graco travel crib that has no frills or changing tables, mobiles etc and so far have dodged all the recalls and have had no trouble.

We just bought a cheap bassinet from wal-mart... only cost $25 and we use it for her to sleep in when we are not in the bedroom where the crib is. (she fusses quietly until she gets mad, then goes into a full-fledged fit... so we need her where we can hear her) Its super convenient too, I can put her in it and park her next to the bathroom when I want to shower or do makeup, near the kitchen when Im cooking, etc. so I don't have to stop what Im doing to talk to her or let her know Im there. She sleeps in her crib at night, but during the day it's usually the bassinet. Plus, when you are done using it, you can sell it on craigslist or at a baby consignment store and get some of your $$ back. My DD is only 2 mos old, and I think she will be out of it before too long, but she is a bigun! (she was 9lb 12oz at birth... now 13 lb 4 oz) but I think it was well worth it!

Hi Mindee - congratulations on your new addition arriving soon! With all of the recalls you are right to question which is the best option for your little one.

Budget will factor in to your decision. Bassinets can be expensive, especially when they are really only used for about 75 days. We chose to purchase a pack-n-play with a bassinet feature. Definitely check recalls, especially if you are going to purchase something second hand - which is fine and will save you a lot of money.

One thing that I liked about our Graco pack-n-play bassinet was that it was well-supported with metal rods and was the full length of the playpen. Some have only a small half-size compartment. We were also given a nice Moses basket that we were able to use the first couple of months which was great for hanging out in the family room, at the park or at a friend's house.

For recalls, check out a site called www.cpsc.gov for the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. You can also check out the manufacturers website for current recall information.

I had my first baby in December. I bought a crib and a bassinet because I bought the bassinet from Walmart's website for only 40 and bought a Graco crib from Target for around 200. The bassinet is good if your planning on having a nursery because your newborn gets to sleep right beside you and with as many times as a newborn wakes up in the middle of the night, you will want that baby to be right next to you! Especially if your breastfeeding! You won't really need the crib till around 4 months so it's up to you when you decide to buy it. I'm glad that I had my set up though before my baby was born because it's so much less hassle to assemble it then it would be with a baby to worry about (I was also single though). So, if you can afford it I would buy both of them. But a co-sleep might also work better for you and your newborn then a bassinet, you don't really need both of them. Co-sleepers are also cheaper.

I personally liked having a crib. We did not get a drop side crib and we used the Consumer Reports baby products guide to make sure we bought the safest crib. We also ended up getting a pack and play that has the bassinet insert for infants.

Congrats! I just had my first too, such a great experience! Yeah if you can afford both then I would definitely get the bassinet along with a crib. As it was mentioned already - it is sooooo convenient to have them right next to you for those early morning feedings - I could just roll over and with one hand actually pick up my baby and start feeding, so I wouldn't even have to get out of bed! Very nice when you're still healing "down there". However depending on your comfort level I've had friends who from day one (some with their first and some with 2nd or 3rd children) put them in a crib in their own room and just use a monitor. I couldn't have done that though because I was so paranoid all the time that my baby wasn't breathing or that she had spit up on herself that if she slept away from me I would have stayed up all night worrying! :)

As for brands I don't have any suggestions because mine was borrowed from my SIL. But one thing you could also do (which I did later out of convenience) is if you get a Pack n' Play then a lot of them come with little bassinet and changing table "attachments" I guess is what they are - anyway that was my favorite to use because she still slept next to me in the "napper station", I had her diaper stuff and a change of clothes on the actual mattress part and I could change her diaper right there too - it takes up more room in your room, but I definitely loved it! I have a Graco and it's really nice. Plus a Pack n' Play will allow you to travel easier because they are already comfortable sleeping in it! :)

Anyway good luck on everything and I hope you find what you're looking for!

We borrowed a bassinet (or you could Craigslist one). DS was only in his bassinet for 5 weeks before I moved him to the crib.

DD is due in a few weeks, and my plan is to skip the bassinet all together.
It's a waste of $$, if you ask me.

I had both and used the bassinet for the first six months. We had the bassinet next to my side of the bed, which made middle of the night feedings very simple. I borrowed a bassinet, but I really recommend them. We moved our daughter into her crib and her own room at six months. As far as the recalls, find a good quality crib. Most of the recalls have been the drop side type. So if you don't know which too avoid, just avoid all of them. I have a non-recalled drop side, but I can say that I never used the drop side option. Have fun with your new family member!

Bassinets are a waste of money! I would get a "pack n play" that has the bassinet insert! It works SO well! And then after you don't need that feature anymore you have a playpen to use....
Seriously save yourself the money!
I didn't move my little ones from the pack n play until just before 3 months... they slept in our room and it worked so well.
Just go to babies r us and check out the isle that has them. There are so many to choose from. You for sure don't need the super pricey ones, but make sure you get one that has the bassinet insert (I think most now do) and one that has storage on the side. It is very helpful for the late night changes in your near future!
Good luck!

I started with the bassinet. Mine was on wheels so I pulled it around the house with me. Which was most helpful when I had to take showers and didn't want to be away from the baby (1st time mom concerns,lol). It only lasted about 2 months as my baby grew too big for it and I moved him into the crib. I also felt since a bassinet was smaller it somehow, to me, seemed cozier as he was used to being in small spaces for 9 months. I don't have a brand to suggest as I used the "family" bassinet that I had when I was a baby. I would check out Buy, Buy Baby they have a lot to choose from. good luck with your new little bundle of joy!

Used one for all 5 kids the first 3-6 months of their lives and it worked great for us. However, you may be a light sleeper and need them in the other room so maybe borrow one to make sure you like having them in your room. Some of mine did better after a feeding to put them in bouncy chair or vibrating seat to fall asleep or swing so they were upright a little and didn'b burp and wiggle for an additional 2 hours after feeding so my bedroom always looked cluttered the first couple of months. Anything for a little sleep right??

We got a crib and bassinet for our son when he was born. We were thinking of putting him in the bassinet in our room for the first three months. Turns out he hated the bassinet since the first night he got home. We didn't want to put him in the crib yet since it was in a different room. So my husband put him in the stroller and he loved it so he slept in his stroller for the first month and after he turned 2 months we put him in the crib at night time. During the day he still napped in his stroller. He is 10 1/2 months now and still prefers to nap in his stroller.

I think the idea of a bassinet is good but you won't know if your baby will like it until you bring him/her home and try it out.

We borrowed a co-sleeper to put next to our bed. It was fine for about 2 weeks, but I found that after that time the baby and I were more comfortable with her in her crib. Every baby is also different, so you never really know. I wouldn't invest in one.... maybe you can borrow one since you don't use them for too long - or use the pack & play in your room for a while (great suggestion). Congratulations!!!

I think it matters on a couple of things, If you are going to breastfeed, then you def. want a bassinet for next to the bed. K-Mart has a portable one that is nice it folds up to a small briefcase size. But one thing you want in a bassinet is mesh sides. I used a solid plastic wicker looking one that was passed down in my husband's side and my son got to hot in it, it did not breath. If you are formula feeding then crib is fine as long as you have a really good monitor. 1st time parents are so worried about SIDS that they like to keep the baby close by, but if your room is not big enough to house the crib for a while then the bassinet again would be a good choice.

I think the Summer video monitor is the best on the market. You can hear everything and see it too. It is SO durable. you can get it at Target for $189.00. SO worth it. My friend has the monitor that has a SIDS alarm that she loves.

My kids are so big they only used the bassinet for 6-8 weeks then they were too big.

Good Luck Shopping

We put our twins in a crib and didn't even bother with a bassinet. I loved that they were in their own room right away, and our bedroom was and still is "ours". I never minded walking to their room in the middle of the night to breastfeed them. I figure that if they will eventually be in a crib, I didn't want to pay for an item that I didn't absolutely need to have. It worked for us.

HI there. Just wanted to share that I just recently posted a similar question - though, mine was pak n play vs bassinett. Anyways, I had over 30 responses and thought it might help ya out. Just click on my name and my profile should appear. I am going to be having my 3rd child and with my first 2 I kept in our room until at least 6 weeks.

Congratulations on your soon to be baby and Good Luck!!

Our first son slept in his bassinet for less than 2 weeks. For our 2nd and 3rd, we used a little fold up bassinet from Target in our room and for trips (we were on the road a lot then). I think I would have preferred that for our first. I'd get a used bassinet, if you go that route, and just check the serial number for the recall. Some consignment stores check for recalls before putting it out for sale. Buy from one of them. The crib works fine, though, and if there's a reason baby needs to be in with you, you can use the bassinet part of a pack 'n play, if you have one of those. If you have a large house, though, you might like having a place for baby to sleep near where you will be working. Congratulations!

We had the PnP bassinet in our room however, the only place it would fit was on the opposite side of the bed where I sleep. Because of this, I had to get up walk around the bed to the bassinet, pick her up and took her to her room where the rocking chair was to nurse. I'm sure it was an odd setup for me and your could (hopefully) be better but, for me personally I should have never had the bassinet and went straight to the crib. Now we have the PnP for a play pen but, never used it! She's napped in it 2x while it was in our basement and we were watching movies. It's also really tough to collapse and pop up so we don't even take it while traveling. If you choose to go this route, make sure to NOT do what we did lol. While shopping for it test them out in the store instead of just looking at the prettiest design. Btw, our PnP was a Chicco brand and I've heard others had similar issues with trying to collapse them. Good luck!

I love our bassinet. But I would look for an inexpensive used one. I love having the newborn at my bedside, especially when just a touch will comfort them enough to sleep. I literally slept with my arm draped into the bassinet sometimes, because the baby would stay asleep, which meant I could sleep, too.
I also avoided those bleary mid-night feedings when i'd stumble to the baby's room like a drunkard, scared that I might fall down the stairs as I passed them. You just sit up, pick up the baby, feed the baby, and both go back to sleep.
With my first, i couldn't wait to get him out of the room, because I would listen to his irregular baby breathing and worry that he was going to stop. I moved him out of the bassinet before he was sleeping through the night, hence the bleary midnight feedings I mentioned before. With my two other babies, it wasn't a problem.
I don't use the drop-side on my crib very often. I'm fairly tall, so I can reach in easily. I'm ~5'9" If you have an Ikea around, they have cute, modern cribs without drop sides (so that part won't get recalled!) and they don't cost much, either.

I used a bassinet all 3 times and I would do it again. The convenience of having them right there with you in your room for those first few months for nighttime feedings was soooooo worth it for me. I was very grateful to not have to get out of bed several times a night!

What we did with both of our boys is keep them in a bassinet in our bedroom for about the first 4 or so months (or until they were sleeping through the night so I wasn't doing night feedings anymore). This made it super easy and nice having them close. Then we transitioned them to the crib in their room. I'm not sure how much bassinets run, but we bought a pack-n-play that has a removable bassinet in it. I LOVE this! Because then when we travel we can take it with us, and we still do for my 9 month old (except we don't use the bassinet anymore). I'm sure we will do this with every child we have. I would really recommend the pack-n-play just because it is so versatile and they are less expensive and easier to store. I'm sure you can find one at a garage sale or on craigs list or somewhere.

good luck and congrats!! :) That is exciting! :)

i had both a bassinet and crib and because i felt more comfortable with my new baby being in my room it was easier to just get the bassinet and place it next to my bed but once he was big enough i put him in the crib in his room. the bassinets to some are a waste of money because of the short amount of time its used so if you have the extra cash i would suggest you purchase it but you might try and get a second hand one on craigslist or a second hand store. like i said they are practially unused so why not. as for the recalls, when you buy a crib there is a letter inside telling you how to register it just incase it is ever recalled they will contact you by email. i bought i great one at target. stay away from "drop side" cribs those r recalled more than the "fixed side" ones. congrats on your baby and god bless

Trying to get my oldest to use either a cradle or crib proved to be an absolute nightmare. We ended up w/her sleeping in her carseat a majority of the time.
My mother-in-law bought a bassinet for our youngest and it was a godsend. She would sleep in that no problem, by her 3rd month she was sleeping through the night from 8pm - 5am. Talk about the life! I truly believe a lot of it has to do w/how confined they are in a bassinet & the one we had vibrated, played music and had a mobile plus nightlight. It was the best choice we could've made. Good luck!