Posted by Maria to
While some new studies have shown that a newborn infant will sleep better in a bassinet than in a crib, The crib is still the most commonly use item.The theory behind the bassinet is that it closer mimics the confinement of the womb the baby has felt safe in for the first nine months of life. Due the smaller size of the bassinet the baby gets a more comforting feel. This thought carries on into the reasoning of why newborns are comforted when held close to the mothers breast, where the heartbeat care be heard and also why a newborn will sleep when swaddled snuggly into a warm blanket.
A bassinet is a more portable item and can be moved from place to place as the need arises. This is handier if the mother is still breast feeding because the child can be placed or removed easily from a bassinet that can be set beside the parents bed in the babies first few weeks in life.
The crib is still arguably the most common choice for parents who are looking to buy furnishings that will be usable as their child grows; preferring not to rebuy new furnishing as the child outgrows others. A crib is also a more stationary item and is usually built to last longer.
It is very important for new parent to remember to not put and toy, blankets or pillows into a crib or a bassinet while the baby is sleeping.
While both a bassinet and a crib both have up sides and down sides it is ultimately the parents choice to choose the one that fits into their lifestyle.