One of the most important items you need to buy when shopping for a newborn is a baby bassinet. Whether it’s for a friend who’s expecting a baby, or for yourself if you’re an expectant mother, a bassinet is must-have right from the day the baby is born. This is because newborns tend to sleep a lot (most babies sleep for up to 16 or 17 hours a day). So, you’ll want to ensure that the place when the baby sleeps is cozy and comfortable. Naturally, a lot of thought needs to be put into buying a baby bassinet.
People often tend to confuse a crib with a bassinet. The former takes up a lot more space, is generally not portable, and is most often more expensive than a bassinet. If you’re looking for a compact place to tuck your little one in, and for an option that is portable and more affordable, a bassinet should be your first choice. If you’re considering getting a bassinet, you’ll have a few questions about how to go about buying one. This guide can help you pick the right kind of bassinet for your baby. Read on to find out about basic bassinet safety, about the various kinds of bassinets, and the features you’ll want to look out for when you’re out buying one.
Basic Baby Bassinet Safety
Baby bassinets are a popular choice among new mothers, primarily because bassinets are compact enough to be accommodated in the master bedroom, allowing the parents to sleep in the same room as their newborn. Nevertheless, it’s always wiser to follow certain rules and take certain precautions to ensure that the bassinet is a safe place to tuck your baby away in. Here are some tips to ensure basic bassinet safety.
Ensure the Baby Is in the Right Sleeping Position
It’s best to put your baby to sleep by placing it on its back. This is the safest position for the baby to sleep in. According to the America Association of Pediatrics, sleeping on the back minimizes the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome substantially. So, ensure that your baby lies on its back when it’s in the bassinet. As much as possible, keep an eye on the baby to ensure that it doesn’t roll away into a position that can be suffocating.
Reconsider the Heirloom Bassinet
It’s tempting and fitting to use the same bassinet you slept in as a baby if that heirloom is still around. Unfortunately, older bassinets do not conform to the latest safety standards and requirements. So, you may want to rethink the desire to use an older bassinet for your baby. It’s best to purchase a new one that fits the safety standards. You could still use the old bassinet to hold your baby’s toys and clothes.
Source Your Bassinet Right
Yard sales are, undoubtedly, fascinating. But it’s not really a wise idea to get your baby’s bassinet from a yard sale. This is because you don’t really know how old such bassinets can be, making it hard to ensure that they meet the safety guidelines. Ideally, you should purchase a new bassinet from a trusted source, and verify that the bassinet has been certified to the required standard by a reputable agency.
Lock the Wheels
One of the main selling points of a baby bassinet is that it’s portable, meaning that it comes with wheels. Fortunately, these wheels can be locked to ensure that the bassinet remains stable when you want it to. So, when your baby is still inside, it’s advisable to keep the wheels locked. Also, if the bassinet is near a flight of stairs, or if you have other kids and pets at home, it’s best to keep checking if the wheels are locked at regular intervals.
Do Not Use a Recalled Bassinet
Manufacturers often recall bassinets because of issues like a risk of injury, entanglement, choking, entrapment, suffocation, and tipping. If you get to know that the bassinet model you’re using has been recalled, do not continue to use it any further. Contact the manufacturer and ask them about how to proceed. In most cases, manufacturers offer a refund, repair, or replacement for recalled bassinets.
Types of Baby Bassinets
Baby bassinets come in a variety of models, each with its own unique features. Getting to know the kinds of bassinets can help you make an informed decision when it comes to buying a baby bassinet. In general, some of the most common types of baby bassinets are discussed below.
The Bedside Bassinet
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This is the most standard kind of bassinet, and it comes with all of the basic features. It sports a simple design that allows you to place the bassinet as close to your bed as possible. In recent times, these standard bedside bassinets have begun to be equipped with sheer mesh walls on the sides, so the parents can view the baby from the sides without disturbing the little one. These bassinets also come with adjustable stands that allow you to fold it up when not in use, thus saving space.
The Co-Sleeper Bassinet
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Co-sleeper bassinets are ideal for babies that have breathing troubles, and for nursing moms who need to be in contact with the child. Here, one side of the bassinet can be dropped down and attached to your bed, making the bassinet an extension of your bed. This arrangement makes feeding, snuggling, and comforting the baby an easier task. The best part is that a co-sleeper bassinet can also be used as a standalone bassinet by simply putting the movable side back up again.
The Multipurpose Bassinet
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Also known as the transitional bassinet, this model is ideal for parents who want to keep their baby in a bassinet for the first few months, and then condition them to move to a slightly larger area that’s like a playpen. The multipurpose bassinet comes with a removable bassinet that be attached or removed from the top tier, and a fixed, permanent playpen area at the bottom tier, into which the baby can be moved once it grows out of the bassinet. It’s a great choice for parents who don’t want to buy a separate crib later on.
The Travel Bassinet
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This model is useful for busy parents, single parents, or for parents who travel a lot and cannot leave their babies at home for whatever reason. The travel bassinet can be folded into a compact little size that makes it easy to store and transport it. They are mostly lightweight, and come with their own tote, making it easy to fold it up and convenient to carry them for longer periods, if necessary. The travel bassinet also comes in handy if you’re taking a vacation as a family.
The Smart Bassinet
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A true testimony to the technological advancement of the twenty-first century, the smart bassinet is a model that has moms everywhere breathing a collective sigh of relief. It is especially designed to handle all those fussy cries that babies tend to be prone to at night, after lights out. The smart bassinet can sense if a baby is crying, and it responds with white noise or gentle rocking, bouncing, or gliding movements to soothe an unhappy baby. These bassinets come with settings that can be manually adjusted.
Features to Look For
If you’re planning to go bassinet-shopping, the first thing you’ll want to look for is whether meet the guidelines for bassinet safety issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
According to the CPSC, here are the four things you’ll need to look for in a bassinet.
Conclusion
It’s advisable to continue using the baby bassinet only until your baby can roll over, sit up, or move around freely. Typically, this happens when the baby is between 4 and 6 months of age. Once your baby is able to move around independently, the shallow surface of the bassinet is no longer a safe option. It’s best to move the baby to a crib after that, or use a multipurpose bassinet for a while instead.
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