Babies are the most precious thing in the world, right? For your newborn, you need the best of everything.
Did you know that babies are supposed to sleep with their parents for the first 6-12 months? That’s why you need to be aware of the accessories that will make a room baby proof.
Now here is the part where most parents tend to get confused. At times parents might not figure out what might be best for their child. Crib, cradle, or bassinets?
While both crib and cradle are great, bassinets are best when it comes to the comfort of your child. Bassinets allow parents to keep an eye on the baby. It also ensures that you won’t have to make space for a full-sized crib.
Besides bassinets for breastfeeding are becoming a trend in recent times as they offer comfort to mothers while breastfeeding. If you go out to buy a bassinet, you’ll find that people tend to look for the best bassinet for breastfeeding.
Are you worried about how to pick a good bassinet for the baby? Don’t worry! In today’s article, we’ll be providing you with information about buying the best bassinets for newborns. We’ll be going over the prime points that ensure a perfect bassinet for your baby.
So with that being said, let’s take a look at how to choose a bassinet for your little one.
Things to Keep In Mind While Buying a Bassinet For Baby
While buying a bassinet most people think that it’s very easy to buy one. However, in reality, it’s different. There are quite a few things, which you need to keep in mind while buying a bassinet for baby. Moreover, as the safety and comfort of your baby is the main thing to keep in mind, there is no space for error.
Let’s take a look at what are the things you need to keep in mind while buying a baby sleeper.
Safety Standards
The most important thing while buying a bassinet is ensuring that it’s safe for your baby. That’s why it’s better to take a well-judged step on buying a bassinet than rushing it.
Look at the bassinet while you buy it. Are there any side slats? Is there any kind of decorative accessories that might be stuck on a baby’s clothing? If any of the answers to those questions are yes then they aren’t safe for your baby.
Before 2014, bassinets weren’t subject to federal standards like now. So if you’re looking forward to buying a used bassinet then check for ASTM or JPMA labels. These were the voluntary safety standard labels that were used before federal standards were implied.
Federal Bassinet standards have been active since April 2014. These standards signify that the bassinet is durable, stable and it doesn’t have the risk of suffocation.
Portability
When it comes to portability, bassinets are highly regarded. As bassinets are small in size and weight, you can move the bassinet anywhere around the house with you. This way the baby will always remain close to you.
The wheels on a bassinet make it even easier to move the bassinet around. Don’t worry! There are wheel locks that prevent the bassinet from being drifted away and being moved around by other children.
Another thing most bassinets offer these days is the folding mechanism. A bassinet with a folding mechanism allows a person with the benefit of storing it quickly in scenarios such as traveling or storing it for regular use.
You must check a few things before buying a bassinet with a folding mechanism. Does it have the latching mechanism? Is it easy to put back together?
If the answer is no in both of those situations then its best not to buy that bassinet. A bassinet that hasn’t been assembled properly can lead to disastrous situations. Overall, a portable bassinet for babies will also be beneficial for the parents.
Baby Bedding
Another thing most parents look for is fancy bedding for the bassinet. Though it might look good in a bed bassinet, most of the time, it’s not comfortable for the baby.
Most of the time, simple bassinet sheets fit the bassinet mattress perfectly. However, as bassinets don’t have a standard size, it might get difficult to find the sheets that are perfect for your bassinet. That’s why instead of buying one at a time, it would be better if you bought many at once.
One other thing you need to keep in mind while choosing to bed is that it should be easily removable for washing. Moreover, because of the odd chance of diaper explosion, you might need to wash the bedding quite often.
Mattress Support
Good mattress support should hold your baby without flexing and bending. The supports should keep the mattress held up.
To check if any area isn’t supporting enough, press the edges of the mattress and the middles. Does any area dip easily? If it dips then the mattress isn’t supporting properly. While mattresses acting like a hammock is comfortable for adults, they are quite hazardous for babies.
Weight and Age Limits
Not all bassinets are made for all kinds of children. For example, an overweight baby might need a heavier bassinet.
Normally, most bassinets are made with a weight limit of 16-20 pounds. Most of the time your baby will outgrow the bassinet through their height development even before they reach the weight limit.
There will be a manual with the bassinet, which will instruct you on when to stop using it. Most of the manufacturers will use a time range or a maximum age limit for instructing you on when to stop using it.
Potential Hazards Of Extra Features
Whether you’re looking for a bassinet for a boy or girl, you might be tempted to decorate your baby’s bassinet or use nice-looking features such as a rocking bassinet. But what you need to keep in mind is the potential hazards of those features and how to avert them.
You might be thinking of getting a rocking bassinet for your baby. But what you need to keep in mind while doing that is the potential hazards that don’t come with other bassinets.
Babies gain their rolling skills pretty quickly because of that you’ll not be able to realize if and when your baby is at risk. So if you buy a rocking bassinet make sure that it also has a lock for using it in a stationary mode.
Besides rocking bassinets, the other thing you need to keep in mind is the usage of accessories.
You might be tempted to decorate your child’s bassinet with various kinds of beautiful accessories. But don’t get carried away into decorating with things that might bring potential hazards.
Don’t put things into bassinets that can potentially get stuck on your baby’s clothing while they are rolling. Avoid any kind of hook-related products. Another thing you need to keep in mind is that don’t put any kind of hard objects near your baby’s bassinet.
Buying Or Borrowing a Used Bassinet
If you’re looking to save a few extra bucks then getting a used bassinet might be a good choice. But if you take that decision to utilize a used bassinet then you’ll need to be extra cautious about its safety. Though it has been used before, these are the things you need to check for when getting a used bassinet:
- Enquire how it was stored before handing it over to you. If it was stored in a compared humid and hot place then it’s better not to take that bassinet. Bassinets need to be kept in a cool and dry place so that they don’t get warped or moldy.
- Be sure that the mattress is properly supported. If it dips then it’s better not to take it.
- Ensure that the bassinet is sturdy. If it has any gaps and soft spaces then it might entrap your child.
- All the original parts of the bassinet need to be there when you choose it. If it was modified then it’s better not to choose that bassinet.
Wrapping Up
Your baby is the most precious thing in the world for you. And as parents, you’ll do anything to keep him safe and sound. For the most part, you might be busy taking care of other stuff and not have time to pick the best bassinets for infants.
In this article, we’ve put out every necessary thing you need to keep in mind while buying a bassinet for your baby.
We’ve gone through the major things that make a good bassinet. Things such as safety standards and weight and age limits have been discussed thoroughly here.
The safety and comfort of your baby is the main thing to focus on. Now it’s up to you to keep these points in mind to buy the best bassinet for your little one.
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