Hi readers, it’s Mrs Reviews here back after a very long hiatus! If you read our latest update then you would know that this was due to the fact that I was just a tad busy having Baby Reviews No. 2. During the end of the pregnancy, I was just too exhausted to summon the mental energy to write anything worthwhile and the Lockdown situation in the UK didn’t really help in making me feel very inspired. But, I am back now post-partum feeling re-energised – and I’ve got a lot more baby products I want to talk about too!
Being a second time mum has been a whole different kettle of fish, at least it has been for me so far. I have felt a lot more confident and relaxed in my approach, though I have been surprised just how much I have forgotten about newborns in under 2 years! My expectations this time around were very low. With my first, I was adamant I wouldn’t co-sleep, that I would try and get baby into a routine, make sure I put him down. Well, I ended up with a velcro baby who had to nap on me for about the first 4 months of his life and I most definitely did end up co-sleeping out of desperation and exhaustion when my bundle of joy would refuse to sleep in the fancy Chico Next2me crib I had excitedly bought for him (read my review of the Next2me here).
This time around, I was fully expecting to have another velcro baby who doesn’t sleep well at night time. Whilst this is all normal newborn behaviour during the fourth trimester, with a toddler in tow, I don’t quite have the same luxury of devoting all my time and attention on this baby. So I researched and sought to purchase different types of baby gear that may help me in being able to put my baby down a little more often. I purchased an expensive baby swing (watch out for this review later) as my first baby would only be soothed by motion if not being breastfed to sleep. I also decided to try a baby sleeping nest to encourage my second baby to sleep in his crib better. I also have my trusty sling available should all else fail.
I know sleep nests are a bit of a controversial topic due to their associated risks. However, this was something that we as parents weighed up against the other risk of falling asleep with a baby in an unsafe position due to exhaustion. The most popular sleep nest on the market seems to be the Sleepyhead, however, it comes with a steep price tag that I wasn’t prepared to invest in. As an alternative, I found the Purflo Breathable Sleep Nest at a much more affordable price of £44.95 (RRP £59.99) (check the current price here) available from retailers such as Amazon and Boots. At a much lower cost, I knew I wouldn’t be too disheartened if it didn’t end up working very well. Moreover, the breathable mesh and air permeable sides helped to allay some of my fears regarding risks of suffocation.
The Purflo website only recommends using the nest for supervised sleep. Whilst we do use it in the daytime, we also place the nest in the baby’s crib at night time. This is again a decision I think each parent needs to consider themselves. At the moment, I am comfortable with this decision because the baby doesn’t move very much in his sleep however as baby gets more used to sleeping in the crib and starts moving around, I would probably want to wean him off of it.
The Purflo nest is basically one long sausage-shaped pillow, curved around into an egg shape and the middle of the nest is covered with mesh fabric with small air holes. The sides of the nest are covered in a soft jersey fabric. You place the baby in the middle of the nest so they get a bit of that cosy hug feeling to mimic their previous life in the womb.
Currently, I wait until the baby is asleep, either after a feed or being rocked to sleep, and then place the baby in the nest. We’ve not yet started the whole wait till the baby is drowsy but not asleep to put them down, but may try that later on. On a good day, baby has been able to sleep in the nest anything from an hour to 2-3 hours both during the day and naptimes. However, if he is unsettled or not in a deep sleep, he will often wake up after a few minutes. I’m hoping as he gets older (you can use the nest up to 6 months) and used to it more, this will get better.
So far, I would say my second baby is a bit of a better sleeper and less fussy than my first son who would not be put down at all when he was first born – I know this can change very quickly though.
We are still on 1-2 hour wake ups at night with this baby, but I am already satisfied with the fact that he will at least go into his crib at nighttime – a marked improvement to my first! Now, whether this is down to the nest or the different nature of my second baby’s personality, I cannot say for sure. All babies are different and no baby item is guaranteed to be effective for all of them. However, if you are struggling with a baby that struggles with being put down to sleep, then I would say maybe consider the Purflo nest. It has been a helpful piece of baby gear for us and comes at a reasonable price.
*This post contains Affiliate Links. If you make any purchases from the link we will receive a small commission to help support our website.
Purflo Breathable Nest
£44.95 (RRP £59.99)
Pros
- Affordable
- Breathable mesh
- Can help baby feel more cosy
Cons
- Not guaranteed to make baby sleep better
Welcome to Mr and Mrs Reviews. Run by Imran and Abida, we are a husband and wife duo reviewing a range of food, lifestyle and parenting products.