Choosing a Bedside Cot for Twins
It's best to keep newborn twins close together however, you must follow safety sleeping guidelines. Choosing the right crib arrangement will aid your twins in developing a consistent routine of sleep.
A double bassinet with an divider is a great option for twins. These beds can be used as portable beds to allow parents to keep their children close during mid-night feedings and diaper changes. They are also ideal for babies who may 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 be positioned on their backs with their heads pointing towards each other and their feet at opposite ends. They can also share a bed in a Moses basket or a regular crib once they're big enough.
We really love this Delta double bassinet, which has a mesh divider to allow babies to remain separate but close to each other. It also has a convenient storage compartment that can keep snacks and wipes in the vicinity, too. It is also foldable making it easy to move around the home and travel with on trips.
This EZ Fold Twin Bassinet, available at Walmart, swivels so that you can bring your twins closer to you to feed them and calm them. The sides can be raised and lowered to make it easier to access them and they are secured for safety. It's a little heavier and longer than some other options, but it's great for grandparents' or second-floor 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 place their babies in a single crib or bassinet however, this is not recommended. Rednose suggests that twins have their own safe sleeping area (crib or portable crib or bassinet) in the room of the parents/caregivers until they reach 12 months old to lower the risk for SIDS. This arrangement is also referred to as co-bedding. It has been found that twins who are accustomed to this sleep environment will typically have a more synchronized sleeping pattern than twins who sleep on their own.
A twin bedside cot such as the Teknum FELLOW 2 is an excellent way to achieve this. It comes with two sets of bedding so that each baby gets their own personal space. The bedside cot can easily be moved from room to another as needed, and it makes it easy to check on babies without having to wake them by re-entering their sleeping zone or disrupting their sleep patterns.
Double bassinets are a different option. They permit babies to sleep side-byside, and are ideal for feedings and diaper changes during the middle of the night. The Halo Bassinest Twin has a mesh panel that is breathable and adjustable in height to allow each baby to be easily accessible and visible at all times. The sides of the sleeper also adjust to lower and raise for quick access. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, the Walmart-exclusive Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet is similar, with two sleeping zones separated by a mesh panel that allows babies to view each other, and the entire sleeper can rotate 360 degrees to give an easy access to every infant.
Many parents have discovered that co-bedding twins with moses baskets or a small bassinette can be a good solution for temporary situations like hospital stays or a visit to the family. This should only be done under the supervision of a healthcare provider. They will ensure that the babies are properly placed in a crib with their feet placed at the foot of the crib and all bedding tucked in.
Safety
When twins are sleeping together, the most important security feature is that each baby has his or her own space to sleep in. This ensures that each infant is not smothered or otherwise infected by the other. It also helps to prevent the death of a cot, which is more common in single babies than in multiples.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that triplets, twins and higher-order multiples get their own sleep space. This can be done by using an individual bassinet or twin bedside crib that you can put on your bed to feed or soothe one of the babies throughout the night.
While recent SIDS risk reduction guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage room sharing with a parent and discourage cobedding but the reality is that a lot of families with twins and higher-order multiples have trouble adhering to these guidelines (1). A previous study found that the 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. In addition, socioeconomic status could affect the family's decisions regarding sleeping arrangements.
If twins are positioned together in a crib or Moses basket, they can easily become entangled by their bedding and could choke on one another. If you decide to put your twins in the same cot together, make sure they are in an area where their feet are next to their heads and their bedding is tucked into each cot securely. This will reduce the chances of them choking on each one.
One of the safest and more comfortable options for twins to be able to sleep separately is a bedside bassinet like the Halo Bassinest Twin. This double bassinet has an enclosed mesh wall that can divide twins and give them their own safe, flat sleeping surface. It rotates 360 degrees to bring one of your children closer to you for feedings or calming without having to leave the comfort of your bed. 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. Take a look at the Delta Children Twin EZ Fold Double Bassinet at Walmart. It has the same features as the Halo Bassinest.
Comfort
It's a significant life change to welcome twins or multiples into the world. Not only that, they require a great deal of planning and thinking regarding their sleeping arrangements and how they'll get a good sleep. While decisions about their future room can be made when they are older parents often ask how they can help them to settle in the early stages.
It is possible for twins to share a cot when they are very small. bedside cot 6 months plus is known as co-bedding and it can be a wonderful comfort for newborns since it brings them back to the mother's womb. It is important to make sure the beds are big enough for babies to feel comfortable without touching or bouncing around. It is also important to remember that the baby who awakes first must be fed. It can be beneficial to coordinate feeding times at night so that you can get one up earlier than the other.
It is crucial to remember that twins are distinct and may develop their own sleeping patterns. You may find that one child sleeps better than the other or prefers to be near you. In this case it may be beneficial for twins to have their own crib or bassinet in their room.
When shopping for a twin bedside cot, look for models that feature ventilated mesh dividers that can create distinct sleeping spaces. This is particularly important for babies who are susceptible to overheating, or for families with c-section mothers. A reversible base as well as wheels that are easy to maneuver are also useful features. The Arm's Reach cot, which is specifically designed for mothers with c-sections is a great option 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 a smaller sleeping space than the Arm's Reach cot.
It is not recommended that twins sleep in the same bed with an adult, even if they are close. It is an increased risk of SIDS and can cause suffocation, strangulation, or entrapment. Instead, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that twins have their own secure sleeping areas, such as bassinets or cribs in their parent's room for the first six months.