There are lots of items of equipment you'll need to buy when a new baby comes along, and for most parents-to-be, a moses basket is often top of the shopping list. Moses baskets are ideal as a sleeping place for new babies, and the fact that they are so lightweight and easily transportable makes them such a popular choice. However, the question that frequently gets asked by many new parents is how long can a baby sleep in a moses basket for? Here's everything you need to know about this topic.
How long can a baby sleep in a moses basket?
Moses baskets are designed for newborns, but there will come a time when a baby outgrows the basket, and they'll need to move onto a bigger place to sleep, such as a cot or a cot bed. There are no hard and fast rules about how long a baby can sleep in a moses basket for because babies are all different in terms of size and weight. For instance, one baby at four months of age can be a lot bigger or smaller than another baby of the same age, so each individual situation is different. However, as a rough guideline, it's recommended that a moses basket be used for babies up to the age of around 3-4 months, although this could extend up to six months for smaller babies. As well as going by age, you should also use a baby's weight as a guideline. Generally speaking, a moses basket should be used until a baby reaches around 9kg or about 20lbs in weight. Moses baskets are designed to be lightweight so you can easily transport them from one room to another. However, once a baby starts to get heavier, it will become more difficult to lift and move the moses basket around comfortably and safely, so that's why adhering to the weight limitations is especially important.
Other considerations
You'll also know that it's time to move your baby out of a moses basket and into a cot when they start to sit up or pull themselves up by themselves. If a baby has achieved this milestone before they reach 3-4 months old or they weigh around 9kg, you'll still need to move them to a bigger bed. There is a danger that they might fall out of the basket otherwise. Another thing that you need to be on the lookout for is when a baby can start to roll over by themselves. Babies should be placed down to sleep on their back until about the age of one. However, babies can start to roll over from as early as four months of age, so as soon as you notice this happening, and your baby is still sleeping in a moses basket, it's time to upgrade their sleeping arrangements. Otherwise, a baby could be at risk of suffering injuries. You should also make sure that the basket is placed on a firm flat surface if it isn't in an appropriate stand, and there should never be any toys with strings attached to the basket, which could become a choking hazard if baby starts to move around. As baby starts to grow, make sure that the mattress in the moses basket provides them with the support they require, and that it fits the basket snugly without leaving any gaps or spaces around the edges, which they could roll into and get trapped in. It's also important to remember that when a baby is placed in a moses basket, their feet should be positioned as close to the bottom of the basket as possible. The idea behind this is that it can prevent the little one from wriggling underneath the blankets during their slumber time. As your baby starts to grow, you'll find that their head begins to reach nearer to the top of the basket, so this is another sign that baby has outgrown their moses basket and needs a bigger place to sleep.
Sleeping arrangements
New babies tend to sleep for around 18 hours per day, and while some of this sleep may take place as naps whilst travelling about in a pram or
pushchair, or in a
car seat, most of these hours of slumber will occur in a moses basket. Many new parents place the moses basket in their bedroom at night next to their bed, typically placed on a supportive stand, some of which even have a soothing rocking motion. Indeed, experts recommend that babies should
sleep in a moses basket in the same room as their parents for the first six months, even during the day, as this can reduce the chance of SIDS occurring.
Moving on
However, once the time arrives for a baby to move on from using their moses basket, it's important to ensure that the baby feels comfortable with this arrangement and the transition goes smoothly. Most babies move on to a cot or cot bed once they've outgrown their moses basket, but it can seem like a huge change for a little one to suddenly have so much space around them. In order to help baby get used to this transition, it's worth placing the baby inside the moses basket in the cot or cot bed for a while, so that they can become familiar with this new environment. Since moses baskets are only used for a very short period of time, they can normally be used again in the future if any other babies come along, or if you decide to gift it to someone you know who may be expecting. If you'd like to take advantage of the benefits of owning a moses basket for when your newborn comes along, take a look at the beautiful range of options at For Your Little One https://foryourlittleone.com/pages/moses-baskets.
