every child is different and all that... for my first I lovingly prepared a moses basket next to my bed, which the baby pretty much never slept in. It made a great dumping ground for blankets, muslins etc i suppose. She was too big for it by about 4 months anyway (and she was a dinky baby) but technically too young for her own room and cot yet. Not long ago, your child was squeezed in your uterus for weeks (and months). The baby is used to feeling snug; it reminds him of you and makes him or her feel safe and cozy. So, don't worry too much if your baby doesn't have a 10 cm gap all around him. My sons found a more narrow carrycot (or being wrapped in a swaddling blanket) very soothing. If it doesn't bother you, it is highly likely that your baby will be happy and content. The apron is a functional accessory, and you are going to need it (not only) in winter. Thanks to creating shade and protecting the child not only against the cold, the apron comes in handy during the whole year, including some summer days.

A carrycot plays an essential part in the first six months of a baby’s life – it is a light portable cot that can be attached to the chassis of a pram. When it comes to a travel system, it’s the first configuration that will be used with a newborn. If a pushchair doesn’t have a lie-flat seating option, then a carrycot is a must as it allows a newborn to lie completely flat which is essential for spinal and lung development. According to The Sleep Foundation, it is recommended that newborns have 14-17 hours of sleep within a 24 hour period, so its vital that their sleeping environment is safe and comfortable. Things may get more complicated for a summer baby, depending on whether you are insisting on using a carrycot through the whole winter or you are open to a switch for a seat unit. Two of my sons were born in May, and we had switched an average-sized carrycot (approximately 73.5 cm long) to a seat unit somewhere in December / January (when they reached circa 7.5 months of age). Both of them were big boys with a birth weight of over 4 kg, and we, naturally, used a winter footmuff too at the end of bassinet-use!you still prefer to use the carrycot for your summer baby throughout winter, go for the inner length of 75-77 cm minimum. That's because you will need to accommodate your growing baby as well as the winter footmuff._ An excellent alternative for your summer baby is also a stroller with either a soft carrycot, a cocoon, or at least some head hugger. This option is not too costly and saves some storage space later since you don't need to find space for the full-sized carrycot that is not in use anymore. The seat unit is usually more open and better ventilated than the carrycot, and therefore more appropriate for hot summer days. The most common system for moving the carrycot is a handle that is either integrated into the hood or situated just above the hood. Such a handle offers the most stable and most comfortable manipulation. There are also carrycots featuring side straps, but because you have to hold onto and balance two objects in one hand, this system is slightly less comfortable (although still manageable). The third, rather rare option involves using fixed attachments on the side of the carrycot, where you have to use both hands, which makes the manipulation even less comfortable. I want to emphasize the important fact that is often forgotten. Your baby doesn't require an extreme amount of space in the carrycot, and it certainly doesn't suffer in a 'smaller' carrycot. A new baby comes with lots of equipment, some of it essential and some an added luxury. So, what do you really need when it comes to somewhere safe and comfortable for baby to sleep in those first few formative months? From bedside cribs to moses baskets and sleep nests in between, there is so much choice for you and your baby. Yet, the great news is every iCandy carrycot is suitable for permanent overnight sleeping and here's why... Usually, you are adding the carrycot to the chassis directly (without adapters). However, adapters are often necessary for stroller systems featuring a fixed, world-facing seat unit, as the attachment system for the carrycot has to be added. Occasionally, the adapters can be found in systems with a reversible seat unit as well. There are also those stroller systems where the use of adapters is not necessary, but an adapter is available anyway, helping you regulate the height of the carrycot. Using adapters, the carrycot will be sitting slightly higher on the chassis, thus closer to you, allowing bonding. These adapters are standard for brands such as iCandy or Easywalker. An even more sophisticated related function is the adjustment of height directly on the chassis by moving the attaching point, found in, for example, the Stokke Xplory or the Mima Xari lines.

Another - and a rather good - approach is to choose the stroller system with a seat unit you like and just survive any carrycot that' fits it for those first few months, no matter how large or functional it i In the end, unlike the carrycot, you will use the seat unit for much longer, and most of the disadvantages of the carrycot are bearable or easily resolved anyway. The Lullaby Trustalso state that, ‘a room temperature of 16-20°C – with light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag– is comfortable and safe for sleeping babies’. iCandy carrycots have a vented base panel with studded feet, as well as a ventilation panel within the canopy to keep air flowing. The canopy of the carrycot, the seat unit, and even the car seat is for sure an important detail to look at. The rule applying to the carrycot canopy is that it's always better to have more of it (and not to use it) than to get less (and struggle with not-protective-enough sun coverage). For use on the following Mountain Buggies (2015+): MB mini, swift™, urban jungle™, +one™, terrain™ and (2014+) duet™

It is highly unlikely that a baby born in spring will need a carrycot over the following winter. In spring and summer, the baby will still be tiny, so the inner dimensions of the carrycot are not that important for such a baby. You should focus on a quality seat unit, in this case, much more. A sun visor (the longer, the better), a floating follow-the-sun canopy, or an option to unzip a panel and extend the hood is always an advantage. If you need to use it, you will; and if not, you can leave it as it is.

There is a number of ways of providing ventilation to the carrycot. It is always beneficial if some kind of special ventilation system is present, but of course, you can live without it 😉 According to the Lullaby Trust, it is essential that you use ‘a firm and flat mattress that is protected by a waterproof cover. This will help keep the mattress clean and dry, as the cover can be wiped down’. Secondly, they state ‘make sure your baby’s mattress is in good condition and that it fits the moses basket or cot properly’. iCandy carrycots come with a padded mattress with a removable, washable cover that is designed to fit the carrycot perfectly, providing a comfortable and healthy place for your baby to sleep. If you are using a second hand iCandy pushchair for your baby it is recommended that the mattress is replaced.Newborns and young babies need to lie flat in a carrycot at first when you go for walks. Smaller babies don’t yet have the muscle strength to lift and support their upper body and their head. Lying flat also helps the development of their spine. Put simply, lying flat in a carrycot keeps them both comfortable and safe. Child 2 has cheerfully slept alone from very early on, so much so when she outgrew the moses basket at about 3 months I bought a crib (which is bigger) so I can more easily keep her by my bedroom for a bit longer.