The Babybay bedside cot
The award winning Babybay bedside cot provides all of the benefits of a co-sleeping environment without having to worry about your baby being squashed or injured in the night. Suitable from birth to six months, the cot can be safely attached to your bed with adjustable clamps and you can alter the base to match your bed’s height so you can bond with and comfort your baby while they sleep next to you. This also means you can manage those night feeds without having to get out of bed – which is no small bonus. The Babybay can also be positioned as a stand-alone cot as it comes with an attachable side rail. Better still, it can be converted into a bench seat, a desk or a highchair once your baby has out grown it… Win, win, win.
£294; mamasandpapas.com – or it can be rented from NCT

Cocoonababy by Red Castle
First off: this isn’t a bed baby should sleep in all night, but rather a ‘day bed’. A rather posh sounding notion, it is in fact a genius piece of design which enhances daytime sleeps giving you time for the odd shower or a quick nap on the kitchen floor. Designed by a team of obstetricians in collaboration with the French company Red Castle, this clever ergonomic cocoon is now available in the UK; enabling newborns to lie on their back in a semi-foetal position reminiscent of their mother’s womb, the familiar positioning helps to provide young babies with peace and calm while its structure helps the baby feel contained and comfortable. As well as ensuring you both a bit more shut-eye, used from birth to around three or four months, the nest is specifically designed to help limit startle reflex, gastric reflux the appearance of a flat head.
£129.95; mamanatural.co.uk

John Lewis Anna Cot
John Lewis’ Anna cot is perfect for the more traditional option, with its natural wooden birch frame. The mattress can be adjusted to lie at three different heights to see infants well into their toddler years. Snazzily, it also features a unique foot and one-hand operated drop-side, which makes lifting your baby in and out of the cot a little less melodramatic – and reduces risk of back strain.
£120; johnlewis.com

Amby Hammock
The Amby Air baby hammock offers a natural sleeping environment for your newborn that mimics the comfort of the womb. Proven to increase sleep duration for even the most difficult sleeper as they provide comfort and ventilation while also a swaddled environment, the hammock is backed by 25 years of experience and research by the people at Amby – a family-run company that has just recently brought their products to the UK from Australia. Their aim is to get parents in Europe to think differently about the use of hammocks for babies, as that apparently is how so many babies sleep soundly across the world. We’re not arguing.
£219.95; amby.co.uk

‘Once Upon a Time’ Moses Basket with Rocking Stand
This traditional-style Moses basket is an ideal first bed. The sturdy basket provides security and comfort while the rocking stand helps to gently soothe your baby to sleep. The basket comes with a 2.5 tog quilt and a soft foam mattress, and is handy indeed for moving a sleeping baby around the house or garden with you. The design, which was created by the Mamas and Papas design team in collaboration with the ‘Once Upon a Time’ interiors collection, is pleasantly neutral making for a cot that is practical, pleasing to the eye and gender-free.
Basket £110; stand £39.95; mamasandpapas.com