Choosing a Bedside Cot for Twins
It's best to keep newborn twins close together however, you must adhere to the safety guidelines for sleeping. The proper crib arrangement will help your twins establish a consistent sleeping routine.
A double bassinet that has the option of dividing it is a great option for twins. These portable beds allow parents to keep their babies close for diaper changes as well as mid-night meals. These beds are also ideal for babies who might outgrow their baby bassinets before they reach the age of toddlerhood.
Space-Saving
Twins can sleep side-by-side in a bedside crib, so long as you follow safe sleeping guidelines (that's to say they should be lying on their backs with the tops of their heads facing each other and feet at opposite sides of the cot). When they're big enough, they can share a bed in a Moses Basket or regular crib.
This Delta double bassinet features a mesh divider that allows babies to be separated, but still close. It also has a convenient storage compartment to keep snacks and wipes close by and also snacks. Plus, it folds flat making it easy to move around the house or on trips.
This EZ Fold Twin Bassinet, available at Walmart can swivel to allow you to bring fussy twins nearer to you to feed them and comfort them. The sides can be raised or lowered for easy access, and are secured for safety. It is a little longer and heavier than other models but is great for the second-floor or grandparent's homes. It also comes with a travel bag. It's also a lot less expensive than the Halo Bassinest Twin.
Convenience
It is not recommended that parents of twins sleep their babies in the same bassinet or crib. Rednose suggests that twins have their own secure sleeping area (crib, portable crib, or bassinet) in the room of the parents/caregivers until they reach the age of 12 months to lower the risk for SIDS. This arrangement is also known as co-bedding. It has been found that twins who have been accustomed to this sleep environment will generally have a more coordinated sleeping pattern than twins who sleep separately.
A twin bedside cot such as the Teknum FELLOW 2 is an excellent method to achieve this. It includes two sets of bedding so that each baby gets their own personal space. This bedside cot is able to easily be moved from room to another as necessary, and also makes it easy to check on the babies without having to wake them up by re-entering their sleeping space or disrupting their rhythms.
Other alternatives include double bassinets specially designed to allow the infants to be side-by-side, and are perfect for mid-night feedings or diaper changes. The Halo Bassinest Twin, for example, has an air-tight mesh divider and an adjustable height to ensure that every baby is visible and reachable throughout the night, and the sides of the sleeper are raised and lower to make it easy to access. Walmart's Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet which is a more affordable alternative, comes with two sleep zones that are separated by a mesh panel, allowing babies to see each one another. The sleeper also swivels around 360 degrees, allowing easy access to the infants.
Many parents have discovered that co-bedding twins with moses baskets, or a small bassinette, is a great option for temporary situations like hospital stays or a visit to the family. However it is recommended to do this only under the supervision of a healthcare professional to ensure that the babies are properly positioned, with their feet to the foot of the cot, and all bedding securely tucked in, to avoid them from becoming suffocating.
Safety
The most important security feature when it comes to twins is that both babies have their own sleeping space. This ensures that each baby isn't smothered or choked by the other. It also helps prevent cot death, which is more frequent in infants who are single than in multiples.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that tritons, twins, and higher-ordered triplets have their own sleeping area. The best way to accomplish this is by having an additional bassinet or twin bedside cot that can be positioned close to your bed while you're feeding or soothing one of the babies during the night.
Although recent SIDS risk reduction recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage room sharing with a parent and avoid cobedding, the reality is that many families with twins and higher-order multiples have difficulty complying with these guidelines (1). In a prior study, it was found that the majority of twin families that co-bedded their children in the first three months of life at home were engaged in dangerous sleep habits.
Parents of twins might not adhere to the current SIDS risk reduction guidelines because of a desire to prolong their own sleep and the inability to accommodate multiple cribs in the home. Additionally, socioeconomic status can affect family decisions about sleep arrangements.
If co sleeper bedside cot are put in a small Moses basket or crib, their bedding may easily entangle them and they could choke eachother. If you choose to sleep your twins together in the same cot it's important to place them in a head-to-foot position and with their bedding securely tucked into each cot to minimize the chance of them smothering each other.
A bedside bassinet, such as the Halo Bassinest Twin, is one of the safer and easier options for twins that want to sleep in a separate bed. The double bassinet has a mesh wall that separates twins to give them each their own secure flat bed. It rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to bring one of your babies closer to you for feedings or calming while still in the comfort of your bed, and its sides lower and auto-return when you move. It is also easy to clean, and can be tucked away into the standard twin-sized bed frame. Take a look at the Delta Children Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet at Walmart. It has the same features to the Halo Bassinest.
Comfort
It's a significant life change to welcome twins or multiples into the world. Not least, they require a lot of preparation and thought when it comes to their sleeping arrangements and how they will get a good night's sleep. Parents often ask themselves what they can do to help their children feel more comfortable in the early years of their lives.
It is possible for twins to share a single cot if they are small. This is called co-bedding and can provide great comfort to newborns as it helps them remember the womb. It is crucial to ensure that the beds are large enough for babies to feel comfortable without touching each other or roll around. It is also important to remember that the baby who waks first must be fed. It is helpful to coordinate nighttime feeds to ensure that you wake one up earlier than the other.
It is crucial to remember that twins are distinct and may develop their own sleeping routines. You may find that one of them wakes more than the other or that they prefer to be closer to you. In this case it is possible to give each twin their own bassinet or crib.
When you are looking for a twin bedside cot, look for models that feature breathable mesh dividers to create distinct sleeping spaces. This is crucial for infants that are prone to heat stroke or families whose moms have had a c-section. Other helpful features include a reversible base, built-in storage space for blankets and toys, and easy-to-maneuver wheels. The Arm's Reach cot, specifically designed for mothers with c-sections is a great option due to its large sleeping area and is easy to maneuver. Other options include the Graco Pack 'n Play and the Fisher-Price Easy Swaivel but they have a smaller sleeping area than the Arm's Reach cot.
It is not recommended that twins sleep in the same bed with an adult even if they're close. This increases the risk of SIDS, and can cause suffocation, strangulation, or entrapment. Instead it is recommended that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that twins have their own secure sleeping areas, like cribs or bassinets, in their parent's room for the first six months.