How are some bassinet style sleepers with 'soft mattresses' considered safe?

[crash1]

This is sort of a half-cross-post from my post here that just didn't get much response and 5% of me is stressing about the situation while the other 95% is just plain confused. I'm expecting my first baby mid-June and don't really have many friends who've had kids yet that I can talk to and also just don't think I know the right words for researching my concerns (also I'm in the U.S. if that matters). In my efforts to keep baby furniture to a minimum/efficient amount, my original plan was to use a pack n play for the baby to sleep in (as a crib, which I believe is considered a 'safe' sleeping space as long as nothing else is used other than a very snug sheet(?)) but I intentionaly registered for the pack n play that had a bassinet part that sits on top (I believe it's the version right before this one) so that we could use that and it would be a little easier than doing a lot of bending over immediately postpartum. Additionally, a friend gave me their old version of this sleeper (I am fairly certain this is differnt than the Fisher Price item that was recalled, but they do look a little bit similar). And despite my efforts to be minimalist here, I was just gifted a newer (maybe safer?) bedside bassinet/sleeper (here). What I'm confused about is all 3 of these bassinets have a soft 'mattress' that velcros to the bassinet itself. I initially ordered sheets for the pack n play bassinet and while they do fit, they are NOT snug, so I'm obviously not going to use that.

My point of confusion is... how are these bassinets supposed to be used for safe sleep? Or can they be used at all with that soft mattress that can't hold a sheet snugly? Are you not supposed to use sheets at all and just wash the insert in the middle of the night if it gets dirty? I searched through some past posts here about pack n play sleep and saw that if nothing smaller works for me, I can use the pack n play normal hard backed mattress as a safe sleep space until baby outgrows it, but since I have now accumulated these other options (I care more about the bedside bassinet, the Fisher Price sleeper I was suspicious of from the start and happy to just get rid of it or use it only when baby is awake).

Apologies if this isn't the right place for these questions, I'm just at a loss and do want science-based reasoning for helping me understand what is best for my baby. Thanks in advance!

 

[jesking]

@crash1 I believe it has to do with how thin the mattress is. It can be softer if it's very thin. Baby isn't going to squish into the mattress and suffocate, especially on their back.

Interestingly most pack n plays are not approved for sleep here in Canada, much to the chagrin of parents who are seemingly left with few safe sleep options away from home. (Most people including me use them anyway.)

 

[worldprayerchain]

@crash1 That style of bedside bassinet is usually okay but I personally wouldn’t trust a random Amazon brand for baby sleep. It could be totally fine or it could not be. There’s just no way to know.

The Graco pack n play will tell you in the manual if the attachment is safe for sleep but usually they’re just for containing baby. The “bassinet” of the pack n okay refers to when the mattress is elevated. The hard mattress of the pack n play is a safe sleep space as long as it’s secured according to the manual and only when using Graco pack n play brand sheets, although a lot of people forego the sheets and just wipe down the mattress as needed.

In my experience, have a bedside sleeper and then a crib was the most efficient way with the least amount of furniture but I’ve had all of these so far with my three kids. I’ve never had a ton of success with babies sleeping in the pack n play because it’s just not terribly comfortable but there are a lot of people who only use that up until a bed with no problems

 

[tspidey630]

@crash1 This is a Fakespot Reviews Analysis bot. Fakespot detects fake reviews, fake products and unreliable sellers using AI.

Here is the analysis for the Amazon product reviews:

Name: 3 in 1 Baby Bassinets,AMKE Bedside Sleeper for Baby, Baby Crib with Storage Basket for Newborn, Easy Folding Bassinet for Baby and Safe Co-Sleeping,Adjustable Portable Baby Bed,Travel Bag Included

Company: Visit the AMKE Store

Amazon Product Rating: 4.7

Fakespot Reviews Grade: D

Adjusted Fakespot Rating: 1.6

Analysis Performed at: 05-13-2023

Link to Fakespot Analysis | Check out the Fakespot Chrome Extension!

Fakespot analyzes the reviews authenticity and not the product quality using AI. We look for real reviews that mention product issues such as counterfeits, defects, and bad return policies that fake reviews try to hide from consumers.

We give an A-F letter for trustworthiness of reviews. A = very trustworthy reviews, F = highly untrustworthy reviews. We also provide seller ratings to warn you if the seller can be trusted or not.

 

[sarahsknight]

@crash1 Join the FB group Safe Sleep and Baby Care—Evidence-Based Support for help determining whether all your sleep spaces are up to current standards. They should all have a label on them with the ASTM standard, and you can check to ensure that’s the current one and not something outdated.

The short answer is that there are legal standards that products in the US have to conform to. They’re called ASTM standards and are set by the CPSC. If the mattress isn’t firm enough to meet those exact standards, then it’s illegal to sell it as a bassinet in this country. If the product is sold in the US and the manual says it’s a bassinet, crib, playard, or mini crib, then you should be good to go, but for extra certainty, you can look up the ASTM standard it meets. If it meets them, then it’s firm enough to have passed safety tests, and you don’t have to test it at home.

That bedside sleeper you were gifted looks a bit sketchy to me, with its alphabet soup company name… Sadly, because something is described as a bassinet in the Amazon listing doesn’t mean it meets ASTM standards. I don’t see the manual on that Amazon listing, but check there and on the bottom of the bassinet for the ASTM standard, and if you can’t find it, contact the manufacturer to ask.

PNPs are safe for sleep (if they’re sold in the US as a playard, other countries don’t use them for sleep so it isn’t the same product), and they actually don’t need sheets because the mattress is wipeable. I always had sheets on ours, but sometimes the kid spits up on all your sheets in a row and you just gotta use the bare mattress, lol. The bassinet we had also had a wipeable mattress. It doesn’t take long at all to wipe it off and dry it.

But your best bet is to check the PNP/bassinet manual to see if sheets are allowed, then buy sheets from the manufacturer only, and not a third party. If the ones you get from the manufacturer don’t fit well, take a pic and contact customer service. They should be able to tell you if something is wrong and you need a replacement, or if the fit is correct.

My experience has been that some crib sheets fit more loosely than others. Burt’s Bees sheets are really snug, so that what I used with both my kids as infants. I don’t know how much it actually matters, but I wasn’t comfortable with how loose other crib sheets were.

 

[crash1]

@sarahsknight Thank you! I didn’t know there was an ASTM standard but that’s super helpful and I will be checking the sleep spaces for them.

 

[brendang]

@sarahsknight Not OP but thanks for your post, I learned a lot.

I'm trying to find out if the mattress I bought fits ASTM standards. I see that if it's bought on Amazon that may or may not be the case and mine was bought on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QM5PP9Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The bassinet was gifted to me and we wanted to have two mattresses so we bought one on Amazon but now your comment is making me wonder if that is the safest thing or not.

 

[sarahsknight]

@brendang Check the bassinet manual to see if adding a mattress is allowed. Most bassinets and PNPs say to only use the one they provide.

I highly recommend that FB group from my comment. They have tons of info on how to check if your product meets current standards.

 

[brendang]

@sarahsknight Sadly I don't have access to the manual because it was gifted to me second hand. I'll check out the FB group though, thank you

 

[sarahsknight]

@brendang You can just Google it. You can also contact the manufacturer directly to get them to send you a copy, but it’s probably on their website. Check the ASTM label for the date it was made and make sure the manual you find online is from that model.

 

[brendang]

@sarahsknight Thank you so much!

 

[kleio]

@crash1 I’m pretty sure it has to state it’s a bassinet in the manual for it to be considered an actual bassinet and safe. Sleepers/nappers, despite their name are not actual safe. Unless it’s stated in the manual that it’s a bassinet it’s not safe.

 

[coleton_7]

@crash1 Regarding the Graco pack and play, I do not have that one, but another similar one. We didn’t use the smaller bassinet that attached to the top for the same reason you mentioned — it seemed way to soft. However, we did use the raised portion that is the same size as the pack and play but brings the bottom higher up. We actually used that for him to sleep in day and night for the first 3 months (we did shifts at night and whosever shift it was in the living room with the pack and play while the other was able to get uninterrupted sleep). We did not put a sheet over the pack and play mat, and just wiped it down as needed. It worked really well for us with the changing station attached.

I realize this doesn’t answer your question, but hopefully helps with using the pack and play.

 

[crash1]

@coleton_7 Yes, that does help, thank you!! Glad to hear it was easy to just wipe down and not bother with sheets.

 

[tornado16]

@crash1 I had one of those fisher price bassinets and yeah we did just wash the mat if there was a mess and moved him to the pack and play (raised bassinet, with net, not one that sat on top)

We mostly used it to have something safe to put him in on different floors from our bedroom.

 

[teresacr]

@crash1 The target/fisher price bassinet should be fine assuming the “old version” you have isn’t too old and wasn’t recalled.

The amazon one is a bit sketchy. technically none of the bedside sleepers are approved for safe sleep in the US though if they’re made by a reputable brand and considered safe in other countries I’d personally feel comfortable using one. But like others said, not one from a random amazon company.

Whichever you use, If the manufacturer sells specific sheets, use that sheet as it will be the safest option

 

[crash1]

@teresacr Yeah. Thanks. I’ll see if I can find the brand’s sheets for it. I have certainly learned a lot about how to register for things and what I might actually want for a baby if I end up having more lol.

 

[dannawally]

@crash1 My 4month old is currently sleeping in the Amazon AMKE bassinet next to me. Granted when the side is down I can understand why it isn’t technically “sleep safe”. However since he’s been sleeping through the night I’ve left all four sides up. I’m not sure how it’s unsafe for sleep. It has a firm mattress with sheets that can be ordered from the manufacturer that fit snugly, there aren’t any gaps between the mattress and the walls of the bassinet, and the walls of the bassinet are breathable fabric or mesh pulled tight.

 

[crash1]

@dannawally Thank you! When I posted this I hadn’t unpacked it yet because I wasn’t sure if I’d just return it but I did unpack it enough to see it has a more legitimate “mattress” than the fisher price one. I understand people’s concerns with a random Amazon brand too, and while I may not have ordered this for myself it would be nice to be able to make use of it so I’m glad to hear it has worked for you.

 

[thiago]

@crash1 We used the Pack n Play bassinet attachment for my son’s naps when he was a newborn. I agree its mattress is soft. My assumption was that it’s okay because he wasn’t even close to rolling while he could fit in it and that the firmer mattress becomes necessary to protect their ability to breathe once they roll. He sized out well before then.