Bassinets provide an easy, safe sleeping spot for your infant. A bassinet is easy to move so you can keep your baby near you at night. But a bassinet is too small to accommodate your growing baby for longer than two or three months. The American Academy of Pediatrics study of infant sleeping arrangements, published in the October 2008 journal "Pediatrics," reports that the majority of infants are out of a bassinet within a month of birth.
Basics
All bassinets include safety instructions. This information tells you not only how to put the bassinet together, but also provides safe-use guidelines. Use the information in the guidelines to know the weight limit for your bassinet; it's generally either 10 or 20 lb. If you're uncertain what the weight limit is, Consumer Reports suggests 15 lb. as the safe weight limit for most bassinets.
Developmental Ability
If your child is able to roll over or sit up before he reaches the weight limit on your bassinet, it's time to move him to a crib. Baby Center experts state that a bassinet is too shallow to safely secure an infant who is able to sit. The fabric lining may also present a suffocation hazard to a baby who is able to roll over.
Making the Move
Use the crib as a play location at first. Put your infant in it and sit down next to her in a rocking chair to play peek-a-boo. Then make the crib a spot for nap time. This enables your infant to get used to the crib before transitioning to it for nighttime sleep. Since most parents put the baby's crib in the baby's room, use a baby monitor to keep tabs on your infant to help you with the transition as well.
Safety Measures
The bassinet must be free of pillows, extra blankets or stuffed animals, as must the crib. These items are potential suffocation hazards. Even if your child doesn't move much, the items themselves can fall over your baby's face. In addition, pediatricians recommend putting a baby to sleep on his back to minimize the potential for suffocation or sudden infant death syndrome.
References
- "Pediatrics"; Infant Sleeping Arrangements and Practices During the First Year of Life; Hauck, et al.; October 2008
- "Consumer Reports" Magazine; Safety strategies: Play Yard Precautions; February 2009
- BabyCenter:When Can My Baby Move from a Bassinet to a Crib?
- Healthy Children; A Parent's Guide To Safe Sleep; May 2011
