Not all parents decide to use a bassinet for their new baby, yet some find it is a convenient way to keep their baby close while she is sleeping. Bassinets are much smaller than cribs, and some can even be moved from place to place. However, your baby should make the move to sleeping in a crib once she becomes too big for the bassinet.
Function
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends that you have your baby sleep in the same room with you for the first six months. One way to do this, without taking up a lot of space in your bedroom with a crib, is to have your newborn sleep in a bassinet. Some babies also sleep better in smaller spaces, according to the magazine "Parents." However, it is also fine to put your baby to sleep in a crib right from the start, and this is what Consumer Reports recommends.
Time Frame
Babies grow out of bassinets within three to six months, according to "Parents." Compare your baby's height and weight to the maximums that the bassinet manufacturer recommends. If he is taller or heavier than these maximums, he should no longer use the bassinet.
Considerations
Cribs are the best choice of sleeping spaces for babies, because the federal government has determined crib safety regulations, according to Consumer Reports. Bassinets do not have to follow any standardized safety regulations, although the better ones conform to the ASTM International bassinet standards. Should you decide to use a bassinet, make sure it has the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, or JPMA, certification, which shows that it conforms to these standards.
Warning
If your child is sitting up on her own or pulling to a sitting position, the bassinet is no longer safe. Bassinets are typically too shallow to prevent her from falling out from a sitting position. As soon as she starts to try to sit up, you should move her to a crib. You can't be sure exactly when she will master sitting up on her own, and you don't want to be surprised if she sits up unexpectedly and falls out of the bassinet.
Expert Insight
Consumer Reports recommends using a full-size crib in your bedroom for the first six months if you have the space, rather than using a bassinet. If you do use a bassinet, when your baby reaches the maximum weight for that bassinet, which is usually between 15 and 25 pounds, you will need to start putting him in a full-size crib to sleep.
