How long can a baby sleep in a Moses Basket? | Babies NZ

How long can a baby sleep in a Moses Basket?

Moses baskets provide a secure, lightweight and cosy sleeping environment for your baby. Most baskets are made from maize or wicker. Wicker baskets tend to be the most long-lasting and the most expensive. 

Moses baskets have carrying handles so that you can move them easily from room to room. They come with a set of bedding, a fabric-covered hood for cosmetic reason purposes, and their own foam mattress.

Moses baskets can be rested on the floor, the Super Nanny range includes a NZ Pine wooden stand so that it can be placed at a more convenient height next to your bed.

Pros of having a Moses Basket

• Your baby may feel more secure in a snug Moses basket than a large cot.
• Very portable, so it's easy to move from room to room.

Cons of having a Moses Basket

• Only used for the first three months or so, which makes it an expensive purchase if you buy new.
• Your baby can sleep in a cot from birth. A crib or Moses basket is not necessary if space is tight, or your budget is limited.

Safety tip: Check when buying a Moses basket that its handles are sturdy and meet in the middle. Carry the basket with the handles together and with one hand underneath supporting your baby. If you're at all worried, take your baby out of the basket before you move it.

Parents' tip: If you want to gradually get your baby used to being in his cot, start by putting your baby to sleep in his Moses basket inside the cot.

How Long Can a Baby Sleep in a Moses Basket?

As hard as it is to imagine, your tiny, gorgeous, snuffling baby will soon start to grow, and the items that seem too big for them now will quickly become very small. Their moses basket, for example, will soon need to be replaced by a cot, but when should you make the move?

Top tips for making better use of your Moses Basket

1. Generally, moses baskets are perfect for the first 3 months, as they keep your baby safe, secure and comforted whilst they adjust to the outside world. Moses basket stands are increasingly popular and are used to help your baby drift off to sleep as it replicates the gentle rocking motion they felt whilst in the womb.

2. When you put your baby down to sleep you must ensure their feet are at the bottom of the basket, this reduces the chance of them wriggling underneath their covers whilst sleeping. As your baby grows taller you will find that their head starts to get closer to the top of the basket, at this point the move to a cot is appropriate.

3. As soon as your baby can roll over. The move to a cot is especially important if this occurs in a rocking moses basket, as this rolling could cause injury.

4. Moses baskets are generally suitable for babies with a weight of 9kg or below, as soon as your child gets heavier then you should move them into a cot.

5. Whilst babies tend to learn to sit up on their own from about 4 to 7 months, if your child does start to develop this ability early then you must move them out of their moses basket as soon as possible. This is also true if your child starts to push themselves onto their knees and hands.

Transitioning from Moses basket to cot

To make the transition from moses basket to cot easier for your little one, you may want to place the moses basket inside the cot for a few days so your baby becomes used to their new surroundings before they go into their big bed.

For more information about getting your baby or toddler to sleep longer, make sure you take a look at our recent blog post on this issue