If there is one subject that all new parents have in common and want to figure out it's baby sleep! I will tell you what makes it easier when you are a breastfeeding mom. That's room sharing or co-sleeping in the same room with your baby. I even wrote about it here. Using a baby bassinet to keep your baby right next to your bed makes breastfeeding so much easier. So, which are the best baby bassinets for room sharing and breastfeeding? Here's what I used and worked for me.
Kolcraft Cuddle N Care 2-in-1 Bassinet and Incline Sleeper
The Kolcraft Cuddle N Care 2-in-1 Bassinet and Incline Sleeper was the bassinet I used for both of my kids until they were about 3 months and that thing is the bomb!
I actually had a standard size pack N play set up and ready to go when my daughter was born. I was planning to use the bassinet feature of the pack N play for her. On our first night home that was a complete disaster. Apparently newborns do not like to lie in large open flat spaces. Who knew? After two nights of torture I sent my husband to find a bassinet. Sure I had tried to avoid the bassinet and save money with an all in one thing but it did not work for me. Now some full size pack N plays come with smaller bassinets that may work well but mine did not. It was also hard to get the full size pack N play right beside my bed. A feature I realized I needed for easy breastfeeding.
After a little research my husband came home with the Kolcraft Cuddle N Care Bassinet and my baby immediately slept better. It has the option of having baby lay flat or at a very slight incline. It is very cozy and both of my babies loved the incline for those early months. It is not a deep recline like a car seat, swing, or rock N play so I think it is very safe. It also has music, a night light and vibration. The vibration with the recline did the trick every time. Both of my babies really slept great in this bassinet and I am kind of sad to think it won't be used anymore. Hopefully I can donate it somewhere and it can work it's magic for another mom.
All ready the 2nd time around for my baby boy
A few other cool features about this bassinet:
It rolls to move around easily and can also be locked to stay in place. Since it is pretty narrow I was able to roll it into my shower or any room I needed. This is a great feature when you are caring for a newborn and really do not want to let the baby out of your sight. The wheels can also be locked and pulled up to convert to a rocking bassinet.
It has an adorable canopy with a teddy bear mobile hanging down. The canopy can easily be pushed back or removed to have it just open. It has a huge basket underneath for supplies. The vibrating, music playing, light piece snaps on so you can also remove it and move it around. I used it later on with my pack N play so it got lots of use even once the bassinet was outgrown.
The bassinet supports a maximum weight of about 15 pounds. This is around 3-4 months. I was not ready to move either of my babies out of my room yet at that age so at that point I needed to find a new solution. I moved them both to the small portable play yard listed below.
I got my Kolcraft Cuddle N Care bassinet at a local store, but if you are not buying it last minute like me then this is the best price with free shipping.
Graco Travel Lite Crib with Stages
Since my first baby was sleeping okay by 3+ months (not through the night, but I am happy with stretches of sleep!) I was ready to try having her sleep flat but I did not want to move her out of my room yet. By this point I had re-purposed my large pack N play downstairs so I ended up buying a small pack N play type crib/bassinet from Graco called the Graco Travel Lite Crib with Stages.
At the time I thought wow, maybe I should have just bought this from the beginning. I know now that I got plenty of use out of the bassinet and my travel lite crib so I am happy to have used both. This is about 20% smaller than a full size pack N play but can still sleep a baby comfortably till about 5-6 months of age at least. Maybe longer if your baby is not very tall. It appears to be about the same size as the arms reach co-sleepers but at a much lower price and much more versatile. I love the small size of this because it fits right next to my bed easily.
It has three different height levels to be used for different weights. Graco calls it a height adjustable bassinet to grow with your child. The highest one puts your baby up near the top, then there is a middle one and then the bottom setting. I believe the max weight supported on the top setting is around 20 pounds.
It also has a removable canopy with a couple of small removable bears. Both of my kids still play with them. It rolls easily which makes it easy to move from room to room. Once my daughter outgrew this for sleeping I used it to contain her while I shower. I would just roll it in and give her a few toys.
This crib weighs less than 20 pounds and is easy to use for travel. We use this for trips and I find it easy to fold and unfold. I have also taken it to my parents house to use for a day trip, it's very portable.
My son sleeping like a rock in the Graco Travel Lite Crib with Stages
I moved my son from the bassinet to this pack N play when he was around 3 months as well. Both of my kids adjusted pretty easily. My son is close to one now and I still use this to contain him when needed.
If you really only want to buy one item for co-sleeping you could probably skip the traditional bassinet and get this instead. While I did end up with both, it was because of trial and error rather than careful planning 🙂
This is absolutely the best price on the Graco Travel Lite Crib with Stages including free shipping and free returns.
A new amazing bassinet option , the Halo Bassinet Swivel Sleeper
Okay, disclaimer.. I do not own this bassinet but it looks so cool I almost want to have another baby so I can try it. I was perfectly happy with my bassinet and small travel crib but this seems like a genius invention that could be even easier to use.
The Halo Bassinet swivel sleeper rotates 360 degrees so you can move it however you need. The side wall on it lowers so you can reach over to your baby without getting out of bed, maybe without even sitting up! While my bassinet and travel crib both fit neatly by my bed and rolled around I did still have to sit up and lean over to get my baby. This Halo bassinet makes it possible to just reach over, lower the wall and get your baby. And it appears to roll over onto your bed space. So basically you are practically bed sharing but your baby is in a safe space... yeah I want one of these!
It is pretty pricey at $249.99 but awesome sleep is worth the money to me. This thing appears to make breastfeeding and tending to your newborn as easy as it can be at that age. And, it says it supports a max weight of 30 pounds so it seems it would last awhile.
You can find it on Amazon with free shipping and free returns.
I just reviewed the Halo Bassinest in more detail here. Check it out!
Check out this video to see how it works:
Conclusion
Breastfeeding at night is much smoother when room sharing and having your baby right within reach. There are several bassinet and co-sleeper options for parents to choose from but these are just two that worked really well for me at different stages. Plus, one extra one that I did not use but I would definitely be trying if I was still in the market for a bassinet. Maybe I should think about a third baby after all 🙂 ?
Please let me know if you have used any of these bassinets and what you think of them. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or email me at jen@breastfeedingneeds.com