I was faced with the same dilemma myself at first. Let us look at what options are available, and go through their pros and cons.
Moses Basket
What?
The Facts
- Secure, lightweight and cosy sleeping environment.
- Is normally used for the first 3 months of a baby's life.
- Can be made out of palm, maize, or wicker - with wicker being the most expensive but sturdy, long-lasting option.
- Can easily be carried around the house.
- Usually come complete with a set of bedding, a fabric-covered hood and their own foam mattress.
- Baby may feel more secure in a snug Moses basket than a large cot.
- Easy to move from room to room.
- Can be set up on a stand or rested on the floor as desired.
- It is used for a very short period of time.
- If handles aren't long enough to meet in the middle, it might not be as secure, and you will need to hold it from underneath as you move it from room to room.
- Baby's limbs can sometimes get entangled in the handles.
What?
- Can be part of a 3-in-1 travel system, which when attached to the wheeled frame become a pram, or can be purchased as a stand-alone from specialist website.
- Baby may feel more secure and snug in a Carrycot rather than a large cot.
- Like the Moses basket, it can be carried around the house from room to room.
- Also like the Moses basket, it is usually used for the first few months of the baby's life.
- Can be a money-saving option if it is already included in your 3-in-1 travel system.
- Can either be left attached the the wheeled frame, or detached as a stand-alone.
- Might provide a better sense of security for Baby.
- Is usually quite heavy when empty, let alone with baby inside it.
- Most of the time, you will need to get a separate mattress for baby to sleep on. Carrycot mattresses for night-time sleeping needs to be firm, to provide support for Baby.
- Can be a hassle to attach and detach Carrycot from wheeled frame on a daily basis.
Crib
What?
The Facts
- It is not even remotely related to MTV.
- Usually made of wood.
- Can be purchased flat-packed, for your own sweary-assembly-times!
- Bigger than a Moses basket/Carrycot, but still smaller than a cot. This means it still provides that snug, secure feeling for Baby.
- Is usually used for anywhere between 4 - 6 months.
- Comes with a rocking/gliding action feature.
- Rocking or gliding action may help your baby to settle to sleep in the first few weeks.
- Used for a longer period of time than Moses basket/carrycot, so better value for money.
- Looks cool.
- Once Baby learns how to sit up by him/herself, Crib is no longer a safe option for him/her.
- More expensive than Moses basket/Carrycot.
- Not portable.
- Might need a separate mattress.
- Rocking/Gliding motion is a personal preference, so your Baby might not like it.
What?
The Facts
- Looks like a simple sling, and hangs from a wooden/metal frame.
- Can be gently rocked to aid Baby to sleep.
- Can be bought complete with sheets, mattress and a mattress cover.
- Is used for the first few months of Baby's life.
- Very cosy sleeping environment that may help young babies settle themselves to sleep.
- Looks cool
- Expensive
- Not widely available
- Will be outgrown after a few months.
- Might not be as safe an option if Baby tends to move around a lot in his/her sleep.
What?
The Facts
- Will last Baby from birth until baby is approximately three years old.
- Usually made out of wood.
- Some feature a 4-position floor which means it can have it's depth adjusted as your baby grows, moving the floor further down to increase distance from floor to top of side-barriers.
- Mattress usually is purchased separately.
- Most have a drop-side feature, granting easy-access to the Baby.
- Most are sold in flat-packs, meaning they require sweary-assembly-times!
- Better value for money as they last for a few years - and if you get a cot that can be transformed into a junior bed, it will last even longer!
- Plenty of room to attach Cot Mobiles for your baby's amusement.
- Take up a considerable amount of space, meaning unless you have a large bedroom, baby might have to sleep in his/her own room. Not fun for those midnight feedings!
- Having too small a mattress means there is a gap between the mattress and the cot's frame, which can be dangerous.
- Drop sides must be childproof - but not adult-proof as otherwise, they can be a safety hazard in the former scenario, and a nightmare in the latter.
- It can be a painful experience if Baby bangs their head against the cot's slats. Which will happen at some point in time.
What?
The Facts
- A half-way between a cot and a playpen.
- Can be easily stored away when not in use.
- Can also be easily moved from one place to the other [such as houses, or when travelling].
- Have a mesh window on the side which allows you to see Baby pretty easily.
- Easy to store away when not required
- Can be a penny-saver if used as both cot and playpen.
- No head-bashing-against-slats incidents.
- Can be subject to quite a bit of wear-and-tear if faced with extensive use.
Safety tips!
Remember always to position your baby on their back. Try to maintain a room temperature of 18c at all times if possible. For the highest safety conditions, buy a good quality cot bed mattress.
Some parents prefer to use a Sleeping Bag rather than blankets to begin with, to avoid risks of the bedsheets smothering baby. This, is what Baby would look like in said Sleeping bag.
Personally, I have been given a Moses basket which I may or may not use. To begin with, I will probably opt for the Carrycot-on-wheels [i.e. pram] option, especially since Creature is due in early February [i.e. cold weather], and will then switch to the Cot once s/he outgrows the Carrycot. I opted to buy a Travel Cot as well, since I have a love for travels. Whenever at home though, I intend to use the Travel Cot as a playpen alternative.
For further reading on the above-mentioned options, you can clicky here, here, here and here.
So on this note, I bid you good night! Here's a little something to help you drift off
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