A few weeks ago I shared a picture of Owen snoozing next to me in his bassinet and I got lots of questions about it, so I figured I’d share our experience with the HALO Bassinest Swivel Sleeper we’ve been using since we got home from the hospital!

Before Owen was born, I knew that I’d want him to sleep in our room for at least the first month while we adjusted to our new life. I know plenty of people have their babies sleep in their crib on day one, but being a first time mom, I had far too much anxiety about his first few nights at home to do that. Having him close by made me feel so much more comfortable.

If you’re pregnant and thinking about having your babe sleep in your room for a while, I hope this helps clear up any concerns you may have about why it’s convenient and what bassinet to invest in!

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Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper Review

Peace of Mind

I can’t tell you how many times I woke up in the night and stuck a finger under his nose or put my hand on his chest to make sure he was breathing—paranoid much?! Having a bassinet in our room made me feel infinitely more confident about my skills as a mom and I can now say that I no longer worry about whether or not he’s still breathing in the night, ha! The sides of the bassinet are made from a soft, breathable mesh material that you can see through, so I can check on him without even sitting up. When you’re that tired, being able to just open one eye to check on your babe is pretty priceless.

Another reason we decided to have Owen sleep in our room at first is because our apartment has two floors and being that far from him not only made me a little nervous, but also sounded exhausting. Who wants to walk up and down the stairs multiple times in the night?

Swivels to Reach Baby Easily

This is probably my favorite feature of the HALO Bassinest. The base stays in place, but swivels around, so you can easily maneuever your baby into your lap for a late night/early morning feed without having to get out of bed. See exhaustion below, for a reminder on why this is such a huge perk of this bassinet.

Makes Nursing Easier

Whether you’re breastfeeding or not, you’ll have to feed your baby several times throughout the night. Having them close by makes the whole process so much easier. All I had to do was swivel him over, pull him out and feed him. Unless he needed a diaper change, I could feed him and burp him without ever getting out of bed. It sounds like a little thing, but when you can barely keep your eyes open, this is pretty amazing!

Built-In Storage Pockets

On either side of the HALO Bassinest, there are two pockets to store things like burp clothes, pacifiers, and a nose sucker—who knew babies get such stuffy noses! It’s so nice to have all these things nearby, but also out of sight! Having a spot to store them in the Bassinest keeps my side table clean, which weirdly, helps me feel somewhat normal.

Baby is Safe

Our doctor specifically told us to not sleep with our baby in our bed and to me, that makes perfect sense. What if one of us accidentally rolled over on him? Blankets could also easily get caught over his face and mouth too and make it hard for him to breathe. When he’s in his Bassinest, he’s safe, but still close!

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Soothing Features

Okay, to be honest, we haven’t actually used these features, but they’re definitely a perk. This swivel sleeper has a night light, vibration, sounds and music. I was hesitant to get Owen used to falling asleep to vibrations because I worry it will make his transition to the crib harder. He falls asleep just fine without it, but it’s nice to know that it’s available to us if he ever does have trouble sleeping!

Exhaustion is Real

Duh! Any parent will tell you that those first few weeks (and months) are exhausting. Babies are unpredictable and get hungry and fussy at the least convenient times. Often, it’s just when you’re finally dozing off that they decide to wake up again and eat! Having your baby nearby makes for less crying (and easier calming), and less work on your part to tend to them because they’re already right by you. The HALO Bassinest makes it possible to care for your baby without even getting out of bed—win!

We’ve also been having Owen sleep in the HALO SleepSack Swaddle, which isn’t really part of the bassinet, but a huge help in getting him to sleep longer stretches. When he first came home we were swaddling him in a tight swaddle and he fought it like crazy. We’ve found that he sleeps best with arms overhead. He was also kicking like crazy too. The SleepSack Swaddle lets his arms stay out, but is still tight and soothing around his mid-section. It’s bigger in the leg area so he has room to kick around and soothe himself to sleep. I love that the zipper starts at the bottom because it makes those middle of the night diaper changes so much easier! I can change his diaper without rustling him too much, which makes it easier for him to fall back asleep.

Hopefully this helps you make any decisions about a bassinet for your baby! If you have any more questions about the Bassinest, leave them below! Did you have your baby sleep in your room for the first few weeks or months? What products did you love?

BTW, our nursery reveal, and Owen’s birth story.