For our first baby we had a crib. We got a crib (actually one was purchased for us) because that’s what every one else had. That’s what we were supposed to get. So there we were, exhausted but politically correct in the baby sleeping department. That is until we couldn’t take the sleep deprivation and wisened up to the benefits of co-sleeping. We’ve never gone back to having a crib or bassinet or anything of the like. Even the twins co-slept with us until they got to big. There is after all a space limit to how many people can comfortably fit in one bed.
We did however, use swings. In the world of natural attachment parenting, swings are a faux pas I’m told. However, we used swings regularly once we had two–especially with the twins–and the attachment parenting police never came over. I do have to say though that out of my attachment parenting acquaintances that balk at the idea of putting a baby down. . .NONE of them had as many small children as I have had at one time. I suspect they’d start whistling a different tune pretty quickly if they were faced with two newborns and a 2 year old and a 4year old. . .but I digress. My point is that if I had to do it over again, I would seriously consider a baby hammock instead of a swing.
Some parents actually use a baby hammock instead of a crib but I still lean towards co-sleeping. However, a baby hammock has several advantages over a crib.
Unlike a crib, a hammock will move with a baby. Baby hammocks have a little ‘bounce’ in them (for lack of a better word–but please don’t envision a small type of a traditional backyard hammock) so when the baby moves naturally in his sleep, the movement lulls him back into a deeper sleep. (Or at least that’s the theory.) In addition, some hammocks are even designed to incline which make them ideal for babies with reflux.
Look soon for my Baby Hammocks 101 article where I give the scoop on the various types of hammocks available to buy.