Bed or cradle?
Cradle or cot, the choice is yours for your baby's first nights at home, the main thing is to choose a bed that meets the standards to guarantee his safety, and is adapted to his age and movements. Check that the mattress and fitted sheet are exactly adapted to the size of the bed or cot and that there is no space where your baby can bury his head. Easier to slip into the parent's bedroom, or even to move around the flat or house for daytime naps, the cot offers a reassuring cocoon for a newborn, and can be used for up to 4 or even 6 months, depending on the child's size and weight. If your baby likes to open his arms and occupy the space during his sleep, let him sleep in a classic bed with bars instead.
"Co-dodo" sleeping cradle: the good option
There are also cradles specially designed for safe co-sleeping: small beds that attach to the parents' bed, allowing the baby to sleep as close as possible to its parents. An ideal solution for babies who need to feel secure and who still wake up several times a night: lying at the same height, they will be rocked by their parents' breath...
Natalys' choice
The Linea co-sleeping cradle by Leander. A bed designed to bring the baby closer to his parents while creating an intimate cocoon for his sleep. The cradle is fixed on the parents' bed, at the same height as the mattress, to allow touching and reassuring the baby with a simple gesture, thanks to a removable partition. We particularly like its refined and well thought-out design, mounted on wheels, it is easy to move around the house.
A well-organised bedroom
It's not just babies who need comfort for those first few nights of rest... Young parents, who may get up three or four times in a few hours, deserve to spare their efforts and their sleep. For a young mother, certain positions and movements can be complicated or painful just after giving birth. Be very organised, therefore, by placing everything you need within easy reach on a bedside table or a side table that you have installed in the bedroom: nappies, bibs, bottle, doses of milk, bottle warmer, mineral water, even a changing table... If you are breastfeeding, leave the breastfeeding cushion in the bed, it can be used as a pillow, so that you will find your position more easily when you wake up at night. Installing a low-intensity bedside lamp and an armchair in the bedroom for breastfeeding or bottle-feeding can be a good idea for these few weeks of living together.
Practical accessories
If you have to move from one room to another several times a night, especially to change your newborn, consider installing several softly lit nightlights along your route. Put a soft carpet in your room, prepare a pair of warm socks and a soft cardigan to keep you warm, your favourite bottle of water or herbal tea in a thermos... Also think about putting a small notebook near you, to note down the times of the bottles or feedings. Finally, if you're worried about falling asleep in the middle of your baby's meal, pre-download a few episodes of podcasts or series you like on your phone and listen to them on headphones.
