7 Small Changes You Can Make That'll Make An Enormous Difference To Your Twin Bedside Cot
Choosing a Bedside Cot for Twins
It's best to keep twins in the infant stage close together however, you must adhere to the safety guidelines for sleeping. Selecting the best crib arrangement will aid your twins in developing an established routine for sleep.
A double bassinet that has a divider is a great option for twins. These portable beds let parents keep their babies close for diaper changes and mid-night feedings. They also work well for infants who might outgrow their bassinets before baby 2 years old.
Space-Saving
If you follow safe guidelines for sleeping, twins can be in a bedside crib side-by-side. They should sleep on their backs with their heads in a straight line and their feet at the opposite ends. When they're old enough, they may also sleep together in a Moses Basket or a regular crib.
This Delta double bassinet features a mesh divider that allows babies to be separated but still close. It also has a pocket for storage for snacks and wipes. It's also foldable making it easy to move around the house and take on excursions.
Another alternative is the EZ Fold Twin Bassinet from Walmart, which swivels to bring your twins' fluttery little ones closer to you for feeding and soothing. The sides can be raised and lowered for easy access and are locked to ensure safety. It's a bit heavier and longer than other alternatives, but it's a great choice for grandparents' or second-floor homes and comes with a travel bag. It's also much cheaper than the Halo Bassinest Twin.
Convenience
While many parents of twins might be enticed to put the twins together in a single bassinet or crib but this is not generally recommended. Rednose suggests that twins have their own secure sleeping space (crib, portable crib, or bassinet) in the room of the caregivers/parents until they reach the age of 12 months old to lower the risk of SIDS. This is referred to as co-bedding. It has been demonstrated that twins who have grown in this type of environment develop a more synchronized sleeping patterns.
A twin bedside cot such as the Teknum FELLOW 2 is an excellent method to achieve this. It comes with two sets of bedding to ensure that each baby gets their own space. This bedside cot can also easily be moved from room to another as necessary, and also provides a convenient way to check on babies without having to wake them up by re-entering their sleeping space or disrupting their sleep patterns.
Double bassinets are a different option. They allow babies to sleep side-byside, and are ideal for diaper changes or feedings during the middle of the night. The Halo Bassinest Twin, for instance, comes with a breathable mesh divider and an adjustable height to ensure that each baby is visible and reachable at all times, while the sides of the sleeper can be raised and lowered to make it easy to access. If you're looking for a more affordable alternative, the Walmart exclusive Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet is similar, featuring two sleep zones separated by mesh panels that allow babies to see one another, and the entire sleeper is able to rotate 360 degrees, giving ease of access for each infant.
For situations that are temporary like an emergency family visit or hospitalization Parents have reported success with co-bedding twins in a large moses basket or small bassinette with divider. However this should be done only under the supervision of a medical professional to ensure that the babies are placed properly, with their feet to the bottom of the cot and all bedding is securely tucked in to avoid them from becoming suffocating.
Safety
When it comes to twins sleeping together, the most crucial security factor is that each baby has his or her own sleep space. This ensures that every infant is not smothered or otherwise trapped by the other. It also helps to prevent deaths in cots, which are more common with single babies than multiples.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that twins, tritons and higher-ordered multiples have their own space to sleep in. This can be done by using an additional bassinet, or twin bedside crib that you can place on your bed to feed or sooth one of your babies during the night.
Although the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently issued guidelines to lower the risk of SIDS by encouraging room sharing and disabling cobedding, many families of multiples and twins find it difficult to follow these guidelines (1). A previous study found that a majority of families with twins that were cobedded during the first three months at home opted for unsafe sleep practices (room sharing without cobedding).
Parents of twins may not adhere to current SIDS guidelines due to the desire to rest longer and absence of space in the home to accommodate multiple cribs. Additionally, the socioeconomic status of a family could influence their decisions about sleep arrangements.
If twins are positioned side-by-side in a tiny crib or Moses basket, they can easily get caught in their bedding and potentially choke on each other. If you decide to place your twins in the same cot ensure that they are placed in the position that their feet are right next to their heads and their bedding is placed in each cot securely. This will lessen the chances of them choking on each one.
One of the safest and more convenient options for twins to be able to sleep independently is a bedside bassinet like the Halo Bassinest Twin. This double bassinet comes with a mesh wall that separates twins to give them each their own safe, flat sleep surface. It swivels a full 360 degrees, allowing you to bring one of your babies closer to you for feedings or calming while still in the peace of your bed, and its side walls lower and automatically return every time you move. It is also easy to clean, and can be tucked away into the standard twin-sized bed frame. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, check out the Delta Children Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet available at Walmart. available at Walmart and offers similar features as the Halo Bassinest.
Comfort
It's a significant life change to welcome twins or multiples into the world. They require plenty of planning and thought not to mention when it comes to the place they will be sleeping and how they will get a good night's rest. While bedside crib or cot regarding their bedroom space are made later in life parents are often unsure of how they can help their children get comfortable in the early stages.
When twins are young, they are able to share one crib. Co-bedding is a method of comforting newborns by bringing them back to their womb. It is important to ensure that the beds are large enough for the babies to feel comfortable without touching or rolling around. You should also keep in mind that the baby who is the first to wake up must be fed. It is beneficial to coordinate feeding times at night so that you can get one baby up before the other.
However, it is important to keep in mind that twins are distinct and may develop their own sleeping routines. You might find that one child sleeps better than the other or is more comfortable being close to you. In this case, it might be best for the twins to have their own bassinet or crib in their room.
Look for twin bedside cots that have breathable mesh dividers for separate sleeping areas. This is crucial for babies that are more prone to overheating or for families with c-section moms. A reversible base as well as wheels that are easy to maneuver are also helpful features. The Arm's Reach cot is a good option for this purpose because it has a spacious sleeping area and is designed with moms who have c-sections in mind. Other options are the Graco Pack 'n Play and the Fisher-Price Easy Swivel but they offer a smaller sleeping area than the Arm's Reach cot.
Even if they're close, it is not recommended to let twins share a bed with an adult. It is an increased risk of SIDS, and can cause suffocation, strangulation or entrapment. Instead it is recommended that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that twins remain in their safe sleeping spaces, such as bassinets or cribs, in their parents' rooms for the first six months.