Buying a Moses Basket

A moses basket is a great buy for your new baby as they provide a cosy and secure place for your baby to sleep. They are also lightweight and portable, so can be moved from room to room with you or can be used as a travel cot so your baby will always have somewhere comfortable and familiar to sleep. The only downside to buying a moses basket is that most babies will outgrow them by the time they are 5 months old.

Moses baskets are usually made from materials such as maize or sometimes palm. But if you want a good quality product, opt for wicker which will last better as well as being more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Although the cost is sometimes slightly more for a wicker moses basket, it is a good investment as the product will still be almost as good as new if you want to use it for subsequent children, if you want to pass it on to friends or relatives, or if you want to sell it on afterwards.

Most moses baskets come with a foam mattress, fabric hood and one set of bedding. Since young babies are prone to spitting up their feeds and having the occasional leaking nappy, it is a good idea to purchase additional moses basket bedding for when the original set requires washing. Alternatively, you may wish to use baby sleeping bags - which are mostly suitable from when the baby weighs 10lbs or over - or swaddling blankets with your moses basket.

It can be beneficial to purchase a purpose built stand for your moses basket, or buy a model which comes with one included. The biggest benefit of having a stand is that it makes it easier to tend to your baby's needs at night, if the moses basket is placed next to your bed. Having the moses basket at a convenient height for lifting an infant in and out of it will also mean that you are less likely to disturb your baby, or startle them into wakefulness, when placing them down to sleep. It is also, of course, better for your back. For safety reasons, you should only use a purpose built stand with the moses basket and never place it on any other elevated surface such as a chair or a bed.

When your child has outgrown their moses basket, it can help with the transition to sleeping in a cot if you place the moses basket inside the cot for the first few nights. This will make the cot and its surroundings seem more familiar when you finally move them out of the moses basket.