Choosing a Bedside Cot for Twins
Newborn twins sleep best when close to each other, but it's important to adhere to the safe sleep guidelines. The right crib arrangement will help your twins develop a consistent routine of sleep.
A double bassinet with a divider is a great option for twins. These portable beds allow parents to keep their babies close for diaper changes and mid-night feedings. They are also ideal for babies who may outgrow their bassinets prior to 2.
Space-Saving
If you adhere to safe guidelines for sleeping, twins can sleep in a bedside crib side-by-side. They should be positioned on their backs, with their heads touching and their feet on the opposite ends. They can also share a bed in a Moses basket or a crib when they're old enough.
This Delta double bassinet comes with mesh dividers that allow babies to be separated but still close. It also comes with a storage compartment for snacks and wipes. Additionally, it folds flat and makes it easy to manoeuvre around the house or on trips.
This EZ Fold Twin Bassinet, available at Walmart is swivelling to allow you to bring your twins who are fussy closer to you to feed them and comfort them. The sides can be raised or lowered for easy access, and are locked in place for safety. It is a little longer and heavier than other options, but great for second floor or grandparents' homes. It also comes with a travel bag. It's also less expensive than the Halo Bassinest Twin.
Convenience
It is not recommended that parents of twins put their babies in the same crib or bassinet. Instead the Rednose group Rednose recommends that twins be given their own secure sleeping space (crib or bassinet or portable crib) in the parents' or caregiver's room until they reach 12 months old in order to reduce the risk of SIDS. This arrangement is also known as co-bedding. It has been proven that twins who are used to this sleep environment will often form a more synchronized sleep pattern than twins who sleep on their own.
One of the most convenient methods to accomplish this is by using a twin bedside crib or cot cot, like the Teknum FELLOW 2, which comes with two separate bedding sets so each baby can have an individual and comfortable space. The rocking bedside crib cot can also be easily moved from one room to another when needed. It offers an easy and convenient method to check on your babies without disrupting their sleep or awakening them.
Double bassinets are an alternative. They permit infants to be side-by-side, and are perfect for feedings and diaper changes in the middle of the night. The Halo Bassinest Twin, for instance, features an air-tight mesh divider and a height that can be adjusted so that each child can be observed and reached at all times, while the sides of the sleeper can be raised and lowered to allow easy access. Walmart's Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet which is a more affordable alternative, has two sleeping zones separated by a mesh panel, allowing babies to see each one another. The sleeper also swivels around 360 degrees to allow easy access to infants.
Many parents have realized that co-bedding twins with moses baskets or a small bassinette can be a good solution in situations of a short duration, like hospital stays or a family visit. However this should be done only under the supervision of a healthcare provider to ensure that the babies are placed properly and with their feet towards the bottom of the cot and all bedding securely tucked in, to prevent them from suffocating.
Safety
The most important safety feature when it comes to twins is that they has their own space to sleep. This will prevent every baby from being smothered, choked, or otherwise choking by the other. It also helps prevent cot deaths, which are more frequent with single infants than multiples.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that twins, triplets and higher-order multiples have their own sleeping space. This can be achieved with an additional bassinet, or twin bedside cot mattress crib that you can put on your bed to feed or soothe one of the babies throughout the night.
While the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently issued guidelines to lower the SIDS risk by encouraging room sharing and discouraging cobedding, many families with twins and multiples have found it difficult to follow these guidelines (1). In a previous study, it was discovered that the majority of twin families that co-bedded their children during the first three months of their lives at home engaged in unsafe sleep habits.
Parents of twins might not adhere to the current SIDS risk reduction guidelines because of a desire to extend their own sleep time and the inability to accommodate multiple cribs at home. In addition, the socioeconomic status of a family can influence their decisions about the arrangement of their sleep.
If twins are positioned together in a crib or Moses basket, they could easily be entangled by their bedding and could choke on one another. If you decide to put your twins in the same cot together, make sure they are in a position where their feet are next to their heads and that their bedding is tucked into each cot securely. This will lessen the chance of them choking on each one.
One of the safest and more comfortable options for twins to sleep independently is a bedside cosleeper bassinet like the Halo Bassinest Twin. This double bassinet comes with a mesh wall that separates twins to give them each their own safe flat bed. It can rotate 360 degrees to bring your baby closer to you for feedings or to soothe without leaving the comfort of your bed. Its side walls lower and auto-return when you move. It's easy to clean and can be tucked away in the standard twin bed frame. Check out the Delta Children Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet at Walmart. It has similar features as the Halo Bassinest.
Comfort
It's a huge change to welcome twins or multiples into the world. They require lots of planning and thought especially in regards to where they will sleep and how they will get a good night's rest. Parents often ask themselves what they can do to help their children feel comfortable from an early age.
It is possible for twins to share a single cot when they are very small. This is called co-bedding and it can be a excellent comfort for babies as it brings them back to the mother's womb. The key is to make sure the beds are large enough to allow the infants to be comfortable without touching each other or rolling around. It is important to keep in mind that the baby who is the first to wake up must be fed. It can be helpful to co-ordinate night feeds so that you can wake one up earlier than the other.
It is important to remember that twins can have very different sleep routines. You may find that one baby sleeps more than the other or prefers to be close to you. In this instance it might be best to give each twin a separate crib or bassinet.
When looking for a twin cheap bedside cot cot, ensure that it has air-tight mesh dividers that create separate sleeping spaces. This is particularly important for babies who are susceptible to overheating, or families with c-section moms. Other helpful features include an adjustable base, built-in storage for blankets and toys, and easy-to-use wheels. The Arm's Reach cot, which is designed for c-section mothers is a fantastic choice due to its large sleeping space and is easy to move. The Graco Pack 'n Play or Fisher-Price Easy Swaivel are also options, but have a smaller sleeping space than the Arm's Reach cot.
Even if they're close, it's not recommended for twins to share the bed with an adult. This could increase the risk of SIDS and lead to strangulation or suffocation. Instead, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that twins sleep in their own safe sleeping areas, such as bassinets or cribs in their parents' rooms for the first six months.