Crib or Not Question

Due to what sounds like similar space issues, my son slept in his pack an play for his first year. It worked out just fine, and then he didn't have any problems sleeping when we went places to visit family and friends because he was already used to sleeping in it.

It's totaly up to you a friend of mine used a pack-n-play instead of a crib for her daughter too, because they didn't have the room, or the money, and it worked out great for them.

I didn't read any of the responses so forgive me if I repeat. I would not buy a crib. We only had one child and rarely used it. If I did it again I would not waste the money.

check out this website if you are still feeling bad about wanting to use a pack n play. This is a NATIONAL organization and pack n plays are what they use. http://www.cribsforkids.org/ Cribs are dangerous, kids can climb and fall a long way from the top of a crib, they may not fit their heads through the bars but htose lil legs and arms still get stuck! crib slats are uncomfortable and bumber padding is unsafe, play pen netting is better. Not to mention cheaper, can be used longer and extremely more versitile. I still have mine and my youngest is 2 I keep it for guests with babies. Would you want to put a crib up and down for a guest or use your crib to travel. It doesn't make you a bad mom honey, it makes you a smart one!

I know quite a few ladies who use a pack n play exclusively. Lots of them just don't have room and its hard to justify the extra expense sometimes. As long as your kiddo is comfy in it I say go with it!

Otherwise if you decide to buy one, like another poster said go for one that converts.

If you do not have the room for a crib, then don't buy one. My sis-in-law had a crib, but ended up using the pack-n-play with her last b/c they did not have room either. Will this baby be sharing a room with any siblings? If you decide to buy a crib, you could get one that converts into a twin bed. Just another thought.

Good luck with your decision and congrats on baby #3.

I would think the Pack-n-play would be fine.. If you do decide that you would actually like a crib, seriously check out IKEA. They are inexpensive and smaller than a normal crib. I am living in Sweden so it's just natural that we go to IKEA for our basic furniture but they really are great. It's just an idea if you decide you do not want to stick with the pack-n-play.

I never had a crib for my third child and just used our pack and play. I just made a waterproof cover for bottom piece in the crib and everything was fine. It is a good idea to make it pillowcase style if possible or to pin it underneath so it isn't a suffocation hazzard. By the time she was too big for the pack and play, I was able to use a regular bed with a safety rail.

I have a friend that did that for her third child. She still sleeps in the pack and play and she is 16 months old. They haven't had any problems at all. You can get a portable crib that is more like a regular crib but smaller for around $100 (or cheaper on craigslist). The mattress for those is very thin also but I think you can get one that is a little thicker.

We did a pack n play with our 3rd until we just moved recently. Our 2nd wasn't ready to get out of the crib and due to space issues, we didn't have room for another crib. Our son slept with us at night more than in the pack n play but it worked for when we needed it. We did put a blanket in the pack n play, with a quilted sheet (made for a pack n play - at Toys R Us) over it so this wasn't a safety concern but it made it much softer. You just do what you can.

I think the pack and play would work just fine. Eventhough we had my son's crib set up- he almost always ended up in the pack in play that was small enough to fit in our room- didn't bother either one of us a bit.

Hi H.. I have a 7 month old little girl that has been happily sleeping (comfortably) in a pack-n-play since birth. We are planning to get her a real crib soon but don't currently have the space. Your child will NEVER know if you saved money by just using the pack-n-play or buying a crib that has previously been used (just research if there has been any recalls on the crib or p-n-p obviously).

I've looked back and regreted spending so much on a crib when it was hardly used. If I had to do it again I would shop for a crib at IKEA. I've never used a Pack & Play so couldn't give an opinion on that.

I totally don't think you are a bad person! But if you are feeling bad (which you shouldn't!) there are other options. There are portable cribs. They are a small version of a crib and fold to save space if you need it! There are a couple on Wal-Mart's website. If you have a Wal-Mart close you can even have it shipped to the store & save shipping charges! Congratulations on your addition & the baby will be happy with whatever you choose! :)

My neighbor has 4 kids...never owned a crib. She slept with them when they were babies. Whatever works!!

You do NOT need to get a crib. If you think you need one, just find a used one that is safe. Test the rails by making sure a pop can can NOT fit through them. (That's how my daycare licensor said to know if the rails are a safe distance.) Otherwise, just use what you have! CONGRATS>

You're not a bad mom at all. You've just been hit with "guilty mom" syndrome. Just think of it this way, there are many cultures in the world where babies never even sleep in cribs and they are doing fine. The baby will be fine!

H.,

We did the pack and play until our little guy was almost 15 months due to a space issue. He didn't seem to care. He now has a big bed and seems to be out of it more than in. I would give it a try and if it doesn't work, you can take it from there.

Congrats on your new family member!

G.

My son wouldn't sleep in a pack n play...and AS SOON AS I put my kids in their cribs...they slept through the night! So, for me, I say get a crib bcuz I've had such good luck with them. I bet you can find someone who will loan you one...and as far as space....you can always make room. AND I think they sell smaller cribs that day cares use...Congrats!

PS - No one thinks you're a bad mom...and why would you care what a bunch of strangers think anyway? We all do what we've go to do!

Yeah, pack n play all the way! We did the new crib thing and I wished over and over that we would have just used her pack n play instead. It is so much easier than having a crib to squeeze into a room and all the other stuff, like diaper changing table, dresser, regular bed, etc. that is already in a bedroom. My sister has had 12 kids and they all have used a pack n play as their 'bed' and it worked great for her and the babies :) She has a HUGE house and still used a pack n play, so space doesn't always matter!

I don't know if there is any great reason to get a crib over a pack-n-play, particularly if there are no other kids coming who would need it and if space is a concern. My middle son spent his whole first year in a pack-n-play, since as soon as he could move, he liked to crunch himself up in the corner, and the crib bars were so hard that he always banged his head; he preferred the soft mesh. The only concern I can think of is making sure you use well-fitting sheets, but I think they're easy to find. You don't want to take the chance of something fluffy or poorly fitting becoming a strangulation hazard. And keep in mind that with the pack-n-play, you're going to be lowering baby to nearly floor height over and over again, which was terrible on my back. But other than that, I say go for it. And you're definitely not a bad mom for thinking about it; it looks like it worked for a lot of other families too!

I know people that have had their babies sleep in a pack 'n play throughout their whole babyhood. I don't think my kids would go for that (they really like a super soft sleeping area) but there's nothing wrong with it.

I don't think it would be bad to use a Pack n play - Of if you really feel bad about it, some child development experts recommend simply putting a mattress on the floor for your baby/toddler.

I slept with my daughter until she was 3, and loved it, so that's an option for you too.
In short, I recommend doing whatever works for your family! :)

Good luck!

I say just stick with the pack n play. There's nothing wrong with that. :) Cribs are so expensive and bulky, and if you're like us with limited space, you really have to get creative with your furniture. :P We have a basinet for the first few months, but we haven't decided if we're going to get a new crib or not. (already gave away ours since we thought we were done) If you have a nice pack n play already, I'd just go with that to save space/money. Congrats on Baby #3!

Pack and plays are the PERFECT bed....cheap, transportable, no need for bumpers, breathable, lower to the ground so if the child were to take a fall it would not be as bad compared to a crib, and you can get the changing table attachment to put on it, too. There are sheets for pack and plays and also mattress pads that are made to fit in there. And, if you start right from birth, your child will be perfectly fine sleeping in there if that is all he/she has ever known. I say forget the crib. But, if you do want to get a crib just make sure it is solid and that you cannot fit a pop can between the slats. Any used crib mattress should be very firm with no rips around the edges. I honestly don't see why so many people feel the need to go out and buy brand new $300 cribs and $300 car seat/stroller combos, $300 crib bedding, $100 swings, $60 bouncy seats, brand name formula- even though the generic is the exact same thing... being thrifty certainly does not make you a bad mom. My sister went out and bought so much new stuff for her first baby...now for her second, I bought the baby's first whole year and a half of clothing [and then some] for about $100 used and she had no idea she could save that much. Anyway, I think the pack and play will be just fine. Congratulations and good luck!

My good friend used a travel crib until her daughter was almost 1 year old. It is a fold up crib, much smaller than a conventional crib but just as nice. That might be an alternative for you.

they do sell crins for small spaces but i think cribs are a waste of money too. my first 2 kids slept in their car seat until about 3 months old, we switched to a crib for awhile and shortly after their firts birthday both kids would only sleep in regular beds..We just had our third in June she has been sleping in the pack n play. I admit though we did buy a crib, but she sleeps just as well in either..GO with what works for your baby! :)

S.

H., my son spent more time in the pack and play than he did the crib- I wouldn't worry about it myself, just use what you have.

Our son never slept in his crib (the cat uses it more than we did). We ended up buying him a twin size mattress and laying in on the floor. It doesn't look very nice, but I didn't have to worry about him falling off (especially, when he was moving more). His room was very child proof so we just put up a baby gate, so he couldn't roam the house. Now that he is older, we kept the same mattress but bought a bed frame. Our crib was a total waste of money.

H.,

I have known people who did this and it worked for them. My first two were out of the crib by 17 months because I got put on "lifting restriction" and couldn't take them out. It's not ideal, but it works.

S.

Do you have any pets? I had planned to use the pack and play with the bassinet insert as a bassinet, but the first night home from the hospital one of our dogs jumped right into the pack and play. Just something to think about if you have dogs or cats.

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I have a 17 month old. She is #4 and we have a 3 bedroom house. We were planning on moving to a bigger house, but that was when all of this housing market junk started. So, due to space reasons she has been in a pack and play since day one. There have been no problems. She knows no different and just thinks of it as her bed, which it is.