I purchased this co-sleeper after having my baby in bed with us for two months. Its great for parents who want their babies in their room with them, but rather not have them actually in the bed. I can lay right next to my baby, safely and comfortably and be able to easily reach in to rub or pat his back when he stirs during the night and needs some comforting. I prefer it over a pack n' play because you can secure it to the bed, the one side goes down so its easier to reach in, and its much smaller than a standard size pack n' play. I tried having the bassinet up against the bed in the same manner and it wasn't working out for me so I purchased this co-sleeper. Our bedroom is on the small side and if I had to use something the size of a pack n' play it would have never worked.
Sorry to see some people arguing over the reviews for this product. I think that its the same with anything, different people have different opinions. Whether or not you enjoy this product will be based on the what you expect from the product and your individual needs. I personally don't need to get out of bed to feed my baby with this co-sleeper as some of the other mothers have indicated, but I could see why some other parents would need to. I didn't purchase the product because I thought it would help me from having to get out of bed. I purchased it because I want my baby next to me at night without having him in my bed, and I want to be able to easily reach in and help sooth him if he needs some comforting during the night. Therefore, depending on your needs you may love this product or you may be disappointed.
I only have a few warnings with the Mini Co-sleeper. It is much harder to fold up than one would hope. I have to flip it upside down to get the bottom bars to fold completely. It is also very hard for me to put the one side up and down, my husband and I have both struggled to do it. The last of my complaints are the sheets. I've found cradle size sheets are the closest. You can order the right ones from Arm's Reach if you want to pay 15 dollars each plus shipping.
On a more positive note, the storage space at the bottom is a plus, baby can use it for longer than a small bassinett and nothing beats the convenience of having your baby close to your bed but not in your bed at first.
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We had already debated the co-sleeper versus play yard decision & chose a play yard, reasoning that we would use it longer & that it wouldn't be that big a deal to hop out of bed a few steps to grab the baby. Then I had a c-section & my husband ran out to get the co-sleeper after all. We got the mini because I just didn't want to have to crawl all the way to the foot of my bed to get up like I would have to with the full size.
I was just sure this would make night time breastfeeding much easier. (You know: grab the baby, latch her on & lay back & get a few more winks while she nurses.) If you haven't yet had your baby & you share this fantasy: get over it. You won't be laying down to nurse with a brand new baby. And if your baby is like mine (90% on the growth charts) she likely may have out-grown the mini by the time she can nurse successfully laying down.
But I still give this 5 stars because it made life so much easier. We chose to have our baby sleep in our room until 3 months. All those crazy sounds that you're not used to coming over a baby monitor from another room, mean you really won't get any sleep because you'll be trudging up & down the hall all night long, and not just for feedings. Likewise, a crib or play yard (even in the same room) has the problem that you'll be getting up dozens of times a night to check on her. But with the co-sleeper, I just had to turn my head & see that she was fine. It's a lot easier to get back to sleep if you haven't had to get out of bed.
We weren't prepared to commit long-term to co-sleeping or "the family bed." I always knew we would move her to her own room at some point. (It turned out to be 3 months, instead of the 2 I'd originally planned.) As a new, first time parent, I know I got a lot more sleep than I would have with any other set up. (And sleep is soooo precious in those first weeks!) By the time we were ready to move her to her own room, the mini was getting pretty tight, but it was just the right size for our needs & for the period of time we needed it. We didn't need the ability to use it as a play yard later, like the full size can, because we already own a Graco play yard. But, honestly, we've never even used it.
If you are planning to have your baby sleep in your room for 2 to 6 months, the mini co-sleeper will be perfect.
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We purchased the Mini Co-Sleeper instead of a bassinet or a cradle because we liked the idea of having our baby right up against the bed.
The sleeper is very sturdy. It has 2 wheels and 2 stationary legs, so it can be mobile when needed, but stationary when baby is in it. It also has a strap that fits underneath your mattress and attaches on the other side, which would secure the sleeper to the bed. We didn't actually use this feature because I wanted to be able to move the sleeper to get in and out of bed without crawling over my husband.
One side can fold down or up depending on whether you want to use the sleeper as a free standing unit or attached to the bed. There is also a storage compartment that is great for storing extra sheets.
My favorite thing about the Mini co-sleeper is the peace of mind it gave me. As a first time mom, I was a little nervous at first. Always wanted to check on the baby to make sure he was ok, hadn't rolled over, etc. This way I could check on him without waking him or my husband.
The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the cost of extra sheets. Mini Co-Sleeper makes their own extra sheets (one comes with the sleeper but you'll need to buy extras). The special sheets have velcro on the bottom that stick to the bottom of the sleeper to keep it secure in place. The sheets are nice, but they're like $12 14 each which is ridiculous. And they're hard to find (not carried through Amazon). The salesman at the store told me that regular cradle sheets will fit fine. We use the Koala Baby sheets and they are a little big but they do work ok. We put a waterproof mattress pad down and the sheet on top and that seems to give the mattress a little extra cushion. Again, not perfect, but it's still ok.
Overall, I really feel like we made a good choice in getting a co-sleeper over a bassinet or cradle. My son is now 4 months old and has moved into a crib, but we will definitely be saving this for our next child.
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We love our mini co-sleeper. It has been great both attached to the bed, and used separately. It is small enough to fit in our tiny 1 bedroom New York apartment. I have a bassinet as well, and much prefer the mini co-sleeper. The manufacturer states that this can be used as a changing table as well, but I would recommend another product if that is what you're buying it for. The mattress area cannot be raised or lowered, and it is far to low to be used as a changing table. In addition, the fabric cannot be removed from the frame making washing very difficult. Despite this I still really like this product and highly recommend it.
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I purchased this to go along with my whole house humidifier cause Honeywell doesn't give you all the stuff you need with the humidifier. However, read up on what is included and what is not. I bought a seperate humidistat because I thought I needed one but there is actually one in the humidifier package. Most modern furnaces don't need the separate transformer and sail switch that come in this kit. You can find the schematics online for your furnace if you don't have the manual it came with to wire to the 24v output on the control board in the furnace unit and not have to use the sail switch and 24v transformer. Hence, I'd recommend buying the water tubes and ducting at a hardware store. I would imagine that if I'd thought ahead far enough I could have found the 5" duct and hoses for around $20 or less and saved myself some money. My mistake is your lesson here I guess.
