Choosing a Bedside Cot for Twins
It is recommended to keep the twins in the infant stage close together However, you must follow safety sleeping guidelines. A proper crib arrangement can help your twins develop the same routine of sleeping.
A double bassinet that comes with a divider can be an ideal option for twins. These beds can be used to keep their infants close for diaper changes and feedings at night. They also work well for infants who might outgrow their bassinets before baby 2 years old.
Space-Saving
As long as you adhere to safe sleeping guidelines, twins are able to be in a bedside crib side-by-side. They should sleep on their backs with their heads in a straight line and their feet on the opposite ends. When they're big enough, they can sleep together in a Moses Basket or a regular crib.
This Delta double bassinet comes with a mesh partition that allows babies to be separated, but still close. It also has a storage pocket for wipes and snacks. It is also foldable making it easy to move around the house and take on excursions.
Another alternative is this EZ Fold Twin Bassinet from Walmart It can swivel to bring your twins' fluttery little ones closer to you for feeding and soothing. The sides lower and raise for access and secure themselves to ensure your child's safety. It's a little larger and heavier than other options, but it's perfect for second floors or grandparents' houses and comes with a travel bag. It's also less expensive than the Halo Bassinest Twin.
Convenience
Parents of twins may be tempted to put the twins together in one crib or bassinet, this is generally not recommended. Rednose recommends that twins have their own safe sleeping space (crib or portable crib or bassinet) in the room of the caregivers/parents until they reach 12 months old to lower the risk of SIDS. This arrangement is known as co-bedding. It has been demonstrated that twins who grew in this type of environment develop a more synchronized sleeping patterns.
One of the most convenient ways to achieve this is to use a twin bedside cot, like the Teknum FELLOW 2, that comes with two distinct bedding sets so each baby has a personal and comfortable space. The bedside cot can be easily moved from one room to another when needed. It offers a convenient and easy way to check on your children without disturbing their sleep patterns or waking them up.
Other options include double bassinets which have been designed specifically to allow infants to stay side-by-side and are ideal for nighttime feeding or changing diapers. The Halo Bassinest Twin has a mesh panel that is breathable and adjustable in height to allow each infant to be seen and reachable at all times. The sides of the sleeper can lower and raise to allow for easy access. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, the Walmart exclusive Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet is similar, featuring two sleep zones separated by a mesh panel that allows babies to view each other and the entire mattress swivels 360 degrees for easy access to each infant.
For situations that are temporary, such as an emergency family visit or hospital stay Many parents have had success in co-bedding twins in a large moses basket or small bassinette with a divider. However, this should be done only under the supervision of a healthcare professional to ensure that the babies are properly placed, with their feet to the floor of the cot and their bedding securely tucked in, to avoid them from becoming suffocating.
Safety
The most important security feature for twins is that both babies has their own space to sleep. This prevents the baby from being smothered, choked or otherwise being choked by the other. This also helps avoid deaths in the cot, which are more prevalent in infants with one parent than in multiples.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that twins, triplets and higher-order multiplications have their own sleeping space. The best method to achieve this is by having an additional bassinet or twin bedside cots that can be placed close to your bed when you feed or soothe one of the babies during the night.
While the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently issued guidelines to lower the risk of SIDS by encouraging room sharing and avoiding cobedding, many families with twins and multiples find it difficult to adhere to these guidelines (1). A previous study revealed that a majority of families of twins who were cobedded in the first 3 months at home opted for unsafe sleeping practices (room sharing without cobedding).
Parents of twins may not adhere to current SIDS risk reduction recommendations due to a desire to extend their own sleep time and a lack of space to accommodate multiple cribs in the home. In addition the socioeconomic status of a family may influence their decisions about sleeping arrangements.
If twins are placed side-by-side in a small crib or Moses basket, they may easily become entangled by their bedding and could choke on each other. If you decide to place your twins in the same cot ensure they are in a position where their feet are next to their heads and that their bedding is put into each cot securely. This will lessen the chance of them choking on each one.
One of the safer and more comfortable alternatives for twins to sleep independently is a bassinet that sits beside the bed like the Halo Bassinest Twin. This double bassinet comes with an insulated mesh wall that separates twins so that they each have their own secure flat bed. It rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to bring one of your children closer to you for feedings or soothing without having to leave the comfort of your bed, and its sides lower and auto-return every time you move. It is easy to clean, and can be tucked away into the standard twin-sized bed frame. For a less expensive alternative, check out the Delta Children Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet available at Walmart. available at Walmart and has similar features to the Halo Bassinest.
Comfort
Welcoming twins or multiples to the world is a major life-changing. Not only that, they require a great deal of planning and thinking regarding their sleeping arrangements and how they will get a good sleep. Parents often wonder what they can do to make their children feel more comfortable at an early age.
It is possible for twins to share a single crib when they are small. Co-bedding is a method of soothing newborns by reminding them of their womb. It is crucial to make sure that the beds are large enough to allow babies to feel comfortable without having to touch one others or roll around. bedside crib travel is also important to keep in mind that the baby who wakes first needs to be fed. It is helpful to coordinate night feeds so that you can awake one baby prior to the other.
It is important to keep in mind that twins may have different sleep patterns. You may find that one child sleeps better 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 you are looking for a twin bedside cot, look for models that feature air-tight mesh dividers that create separate sleeping zones. This is particularly important for babies prone to overheating, or families with c-section mothers. Reversible bases and wheels that are easy to move are also useful features. The Arm's Reach cot, which is specifically designed for mothers with c-sections, is a great choice because it has a large sleeping space and is easy to maneuver. The Graco Pack 'n Play or Fisher-Price Easy Swaivel are other options, but offer smaller sleeping areas than the Arm's Reach cot.
Even if they're very close, it's not recommended for twins to share the bed with an adult. This increases the risk of SIDS, and could lead to suffocation, strangulation or entrapment. Instead the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that twins sleep in their own safe sleeping areas, such as bassinets or cribs, in their parents' room for the first six months.