A baby cot is often top of the list when it comes to getting ready for your baby’s arrival. However, many of us don’t know when to buy a cot. Should you get your first choice as soon as you find out you’re expecting? Should you wait a little further along until you’ve established the design of your nursery? Maybe you’re hoping that the crib you’ve been eyeing up will go in a mid-season sale a couple of months down the line! Every journey is different. Being parents ourselves, we thought we’d give our insight in buying a cot, when the right time is and things to look out for.
When Is the Right Time?
The truth here is that there is no right time. It comes down to personal preference and what you feel is right for your journey. Of course, it’s good to be prepared, but keep in mind that there is no rush, especially whilst you embrace the changes to your body in those first few early weeks. There will be months ahead to prepare and nest, ready for baby’s entrance. It’s important that you’re guided by what you feel is right.
We recommended doing as much research as you can before making the all-important decision. There are so many different baby cribs on the market, and it will never be a case of ‘one size fits all’. Keep in mind that it’s something your little one will use every single day and will become a large part of your lives and day to day routine.
Additionally, you want to be sure that the baby cot has everything you’re looking for in a crib, including the right aesthetics to fit with baby’s room. Some people prefer to use a crib as a starting point for the nursery theme, whilst others prefer to decorate the nursery neutrally and find an accompanying cot. Neither is right or wrong; ultimately, it’s up to you when to buy a cot, so long as the crib you purchase hits your specific criteria.
What Type of Cot Is Best?
So, we’ve established when to buy a cot, but what cot is best for your baby? Unfortunately, you won’t know how your baby gets on with a crib until they’re here – so you’ll have to go with your gut on this one. However, our advice from the get-go is to consider a rocking baby cot. We’ve tried and tested this ourselves and can tell you from experience that investing in this kind of crib will save a lot of sleepless nights (more on that below!). It’s also a space saver, saving you from having to invest in an additional Moses basket and/or carrycot as well as the fixed standing cot.
Baby is only going to grow, so it’s worth getting a baby cot that is extendable, this way, you can get months of extra use out of it. It’s cost-effective and will save you having to buy a whole new crib whilst you’re getting into new routines with your little one.
Benefits of a Rocking Baby Cot
We promised a few more details on reducing those sleepless nights with a rocking baby cot. Well, it’s true – rocking a baby to sleep works. In fact, Nini Baby was born out of our first experiences of parenthood and struggling with sleep in those initial months with our first-born son. We were lent a traditional Indian swinging cot for him to sleep in – at this point we’d tried everything else, so we thought we had nothing to lose! It swaddled and comforted our son, gently swinging him from side to side and he was asleep within minutes. The rest is history!
It makes sense that little one would find the most comfort in a swinging cot. Prior to birth, baby spends every moment in the womb. Think about the amount of natural movement they’ve become accustomed to after 9 months in there! Babies naturally respond well to motion in sleep. Lying on a rigid surface is different to what they’ve been used to and can sometimes be extremely unsettling for a newborn. We created NiniPod with this in mind, promoting better sleep through natural movement.
Get in Touch
If you’d like to join the better sleep movement and learn a little more about Nini Baby products, then we’d love to hear from you! Follow our journey @ninibabyuk, or feel free to contact us with any questions here!