There are a thousand products out there to help your infant sleep. And new parents, desperate to increase the time between feedings, buy it all. But how much of it works? What do you actually need? How do you know what you need? And what is acutally safe?
Even veteran parents fall for some of these traps. They will think what worked for their first baby wont work for their second. Or they need a crib or co-sleeper when that was not how their first child slept.
So lets explore what is actually necessary, and debunk some of those myths.
Myth 1: I need a crib.
No. You don’t.
Many parents don’t ever use their cribs. They elect to co-sleep and then transfer the baby right into a toddler or twin bed. Others choose to have their baby sleep on a mattresse on the floor.
If you elect to co-sleep or use any method that does not use a crib, and it works for your family, then great! You do not need a crib. And if you didn’t use one for your first baby, chances are you won’t for any subsequent children either. So save the money and use it for something else instead.
Myth 2: I need a Moses Basket or some kind of bassinet.
You do not need anything that fancy. You just need a safe space to put the child down to sleep. It is very helpful to have a dedicated sleeping space for the night, and then some other place to put the child in the main living space for a nap (or just to hang).
This second sleeping space can be as simple as a blanket on the floor, or as complex as an electric swing. But you don’t need a bassinet or a moses basket.
Myth 3: Without some special pillow/ device my child will have a flat head.
No. Just no.
Many of these devices are actually dangerous. Not everything is actually tested by doctors or child saftey advocates. Your child needs to be sleeping on a flat mattress or surface with nothing else in the bed.
Please do not use any device, especially a sleep device, without clearing it with your doctor.
Myth 4: Co-sleeping is unsafe
There are ways to co-sleep that are perfectly safe. As I do not co-sleep with my baby, I would advise you to do some research and ask your doctor for recommendations.
I wanted to co-sleep with my baby, but I am simply too light of a sleeper for that to work. We tried. But our baby babbles in her sleep. And every babble, every shift, every sigh would drive me out of sleep with a shot of adrenaline as if the baby were in distress. After 3 weeks of not sleeping, we put her down in her own bed, and everyone has slept well ever since.
I know of a lot of families that co-sleep and it works well for them. It can even be safer for baby to sleep in the same room as mom and dad since they will notice signs of distress earlier.
Co-sleeping is a choice every family must make for themselves. Just because it didn’t work for me, does not mean it won’t work for you.
Myth 5: My first child slept one way, but my second child will sleep another way.
Nope.
Look, I wanted to co-sleep. It didn’t work for baby number 1, and it isn’t going to work for baby number two for the same reasons. Whatever winds up working for your family for the first child is ultimately what you will end up doing for all subsequent children.
So if you have grand dreams of using a crib, but you never used it for baby 1, your dreams of crib usage will never come to fruition. Same if you wanted to co-sleep but wound up using a crib instead: that co-sleeper will never get used by your family. And that is okay. Set yourself up with good equipment that works for your family, and forget the rest.
So what should I get?
I am all about saving money. The truth is you will not really know what you need until baby gets here. So I would start with a baby box.
The baby box company sends out boxes with mattresses in them to promote safe sleep. The box acts like a bassinet that provides a safe area for baby to sleep in. Use it. Move it where you need to during the day (not with baby inside), and you will quickly see what equipment you need and where.
Maybe you need a swing in the livingroom. A mobile place to set baby down in other rooms. Maybe you need a crib, or a co-sleeper. Using the box will tell you.
Since you are not buying everything before baby is born, I would add the specific items in each category you want to a registry, then just buy the sleep items you need as you need them. About 50% of what I thought I needed for her to sleep safely, I wound up not needing. Luckily I didn’t buy those items because I had the baby first.
No matter how you choose to sleep, you will still need bedding. So get some swaddle blankets and sheets to fit whatever choice you made for the short term (baby box comes with sheets).
To get a detailed breakdown of all the baby sleep options, click here.
What does your sleep setup look like? Did I forget any tips or myths? Comment below.
