Does A Baby Need A Moses Basket?
As babies spend quite a lot of time asleep a Moses basket is a convenient and portable way to let them sleep in the same room that you are in without risking waking them if moving from downstairs to upstairs at night-time for example.
What Is A Moses Basket?
A Moses basket is usually a woven wicker basket with handles and a mattress on the base, it will provide your new baby a cosy space to sleep. They usually rest on a stand which can be static or a rocking stand. Which you choose is down to personal choice.
There’s no way of knowing what your baby will prefer, but it’s worth noting that not all babies will settle in a Moses basket as some seem not to like the fact they can’t look around and see much.
How Long Should A Baby Use A Moses Basket For?
People tend to use a Moses basket for newborn babies for quite a short time until they are between 3 and 6 months old. It will depend on your child, babies can wriggle a lot so as they grow a Moses basket can be quite restricted.
As they are only used for a short time a Moses basket can be quite an expensive purchase if buying new but if you are buying a pre-owned Moses basket it’s advisable to buy a new mattress and make sure any of the bedding and the basket lining that comes with it are washed.
Does A Baby Need A Moses Basket?
Some people prefer their baby to sleep for the first few months in a Moses basket as it can be comforting, especially as a newborn may look a bit lost in a cot.
Some people use a Moses basket for their baby during the day and a cot at night to save having to keep moving the Moses basket around.
If you don’t have the room or the budget to allow for a Moses basket they aren’t a necessity though so don’t worry.
Alternatives To Moses Baskets
An alternative to using a Moses basket is if you have a pram / travel system with a carry cot. This helps with both space and budget if you have one already.
Another option would be to use a laundry basket and pad it at the bottom, I know someone who used one during the day so she knew the baby was safe if she left the room for a moment so the baby wasn’t just lying on the floor.
How Much Does A Moses Basket Cost?
A new Moses basket can cost approx £25 for just the basket without a stand (although includes the mattress and quilt to over £250 for a top branded one with canopy.
You can pick up a second-hand Moses basket for anything from £0.99 up to £150 on eBay depending on whether you want a basic one or top of the range one with lots of extras. Even the basic ones will come with a stand and linens. There are some bargains to be had especially if you are prepared to bid on an auction and wait for a few days to see if you’ve won it. Even a buy-it-now purchase wouldn’t set you back too much.
So many seem to be sold cheaply because it’s one of the items that most people only buy for a first child, by the time you have the second, you either have the item already or realise you don’t need as much stuff as everyone tells you you do.
There are also many people that will only buy everything they need in new condition and will sell an item once no longer needed so there’s a higher supply of used Moses baskets than there is demand for them.
Pre-Owned Moses Baskets
If you already have the Moses basket and just need a replacement mattress, or your last baby was a girl and you are now going to have a boy and want to change the colour scheme then you can buy these separately and will work out cheaper than buying a whole new set.
Click Here to see what Moses baskets are available on eBay
Or Click HERE to see what’s available on Amazon
Always make sure to read the descriptions carefully so you are sure what is actually included. Some listings will show a picture of a nice Moses basket only for you to discover that it’s the linens/ dressings that are for sale and the basket is only there to show what they will look like when you put them on your own basket.
As with most of the things that you use for baby you can always sell once your baby has outgrown it in order to help pay for the next thing they’ll need.
