do babies need

[rookie]

a regular crib or can they use a pack-n-play style crib as their regular crib?

 

we own a pack-n-play but not a crib.

 

thanks

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I have two friends that used their large pack-n-play as a crib for all of their kids (nine in total). I don't see why not. We used ours for the first six months since she was in our bedroom and really enjoyed it. We were given a crib, so if we had to buy one, I don't think we would have either.

[milovany]

I have two friends that used their large pack-n-play as a crib for all of their kids (nine in total). I don't see why not. We used ours for the first six months since she was in our bedroom and really enjoyed it. We were given a crib, so if we had to buy one, I don't think we would have either.

 

:iagree:

 

We have used a portable pack-and-play playpen for our last two babies. No problem.

[rookie]

okay, thanks. i did not know if there was some health/physical reason not to keep using it. i think we'll skip spending money on a crib then.

 

i appreaciate the replies.

[Carrie12345]

My 7yo hardly used her crib. We thought we were done, so we got rid of all cribs. We didn't get one for the 3yo, and we don't plan to get one for the new baby, either. Although, if we don't start changing habits right now, we may have to buy another pack and play. Ds likes to climb in there to play with toys he doesn't want to share, lol.

[Mejane]

I don't believe so. As a matter of fact, if I had it to do over I wouldn't buy half the junk I thought we had to have for a baby (bassinet, crib, changing table, bathtub, monitor...)

[lisamarie]

I ended up using one for my DD until she was about 18 mns old because she slept in our dining room due to lack of bedrooms. If you are concerned about the lack of padding, you can buy a PNP mattress--I got mine from Toys R Us. It's 1 inch thick and just a little bit softer for long term use. But I do have several friends who've used their PNP as is for their kids.

[cathmom]

no

 

One of my twins got the crib, the other the pack and play. When they got a bit older they would take turns. When they got a bit older, they totally destroyed the pack and play and we threw it away and they got to sleep on an old full size bed. Ah, the joy of twins!

[Murphy101]

They don't even need that, imo.;)

 

But if you want to one, that's fine.

 

We never kept a baby in cirb or otherwise past age 18 month. We never allowed toys in the bed either.

All mine ever did was sleep in them, the minute they awoke, they were taken out.

We might let them fuss a few minutes until they fell asleep, but we never have had the CIO attitude.

So there really wasn't an issue of it getting torn up by the them.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Martha

[duckens]

Our neighbor lady bought us a gorgeous bassinet for dd while we were pregnant. We used it one night.

 

Dd insisted that we cosleep...and she's still in our bed! :glare:

 

Just making the point that you never know what will work for a specific child.

 

FWIW, we would not have had room for a crib in our tiny apartment. As dd grew, I had hoped to have her sleep in our pnp.

[Renthead Mommy]

I think they'd be fine with just a PNP.

 

When my son was 2 months old we were going to visit my inlaws. Their guest room was tiny, and no one had kids by them.

 

He was only 2 months old, and I had every intention of just letting him sleep in a dresser drawer, (on the floor, not in the dresser!).

 

My inlaws went balistic! I think they nominated me for worst mother of the year! LOL!

 

My grandmother on the other hand thought it was perfectly acceptable and said it was common practice when visiting with infants back in the days before PNP!

 

So no matter what you choice, you'd already be ahead of me and what I'd let a newborn sleep in! As least as far as my inlaws were concerned back then! LOL!

[Parrothead]

The only thing I'd be concerned about is a possible lack of support. If the PNP sags in the middle or otherwise does not properly support baby then I'd see about a crib or a crib mattress to go with.

[juelle]

Dd 9mos is still in the PNP til I make curtains so she can move into her room. 6kids and 4 bedrooms, but we live in only 3 bedrooms. How silly is that? If the boys didn't play so much baseball, perhaps the baby would have curtains!:001_smile:

 

No problem with the PNP, though.

[RebeccaS]

When oldest dd was a baby, dh lost his job. We sold our house and moved to a rental house that was so tiny (just 1 tiny bedroom, tiny kitchen tiny living room, teeny bathroom...you get the picture.;)) We had no room for a crib. Dd slept in a PNP for a very long time. She was still in it when we moved. She was 14 months or so. It worked out really well for us.

[Murphy101]

I've always used those over sized rectangular laundry baskets!

 

Really funny bc dh's cousin paid something like $150 for one of the Moses baskets and when she my laundry basket was horrified she didn't think of that first. :lol:

 

 

I think they'd be fine with just a PNP.

 

When my son was 2 months old we were going to visit my inlaws. Their guest room was tiny, and no one had kids by them.

 

He was only 2 months old, and I had every intention of just letting him sleep in a dresser drawer, (on the floor, not in the dresser!).

 

My inlaws went balistic! I think they nominated me for worst mother of the year! LOL!

 

My grandmother on the other hand thought it was perfectly acceptable and said it was common practice when visiting with infants back in the days before PNP!

 

So no matter what you choice, you'd already be ahead of me and what I'd let a newborn sleep in! As least as far as my inlaws were concerned back then! LOL!

[Murmer]

My 13th month old has been in a PnP all he life. It makes traveling easy :)

[MorganClassicalPrep]

My daughter slept in a pack and play until she was 18 months old. She HAD a crib (and a beautiful room, that I worked hard in, stripping floors, refinishing hardwood, painting...) that she never slept in. Never. Not once.... :lol:

 

I wanted her near me. After she outgrew the bassinet, I had every intention of moving her to the crib, but didn't like the idea of her so far away. (Next room over...) So into the pack and play she went. It actually ended up working out well for us, since we did a lot of traveling and visiting friends, and DD always had her bed to sleep in.

 

When she outgrew it at 18 months, she went into my bed... lol.

[Deb in NZ]

My 3 dc only slept in our PNP. We never saw the reason to get a proper crib. DH wanted us to use a Billum Bag (from PNG) as a crib, but I put my foot down & insisted on a portacrib. It worked out great as we traveled quite a bit when dd was little & she settled quickly as she slept in "her" bed every night no matter where we were staying. All our dc used the PNP until they were about 2yo, then they moved into a proper bed.

 

JMHO,

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I've always used those over sized rectangular laundry baskets!

 

Really funny bc dh's cousin paid something like $150 for one of the Moses baskets and when she my laundry basket was horrified she didn't think of that first. :lol:

 

 

Brilliant, Martha! I love it!

[Terabith]

We never used a crib at all. We bought one, but wound up cosleeping, on a king sized mattress on the floor. Well, I take that back. We stored clean laundry in it. :glare: But a crib is not, by any stretch, a necessity.

[asta]

Someone bought us a beautiful crib that kid never slept in. Ever.

 

IMO, all babies need are mom, diapers, a blanket and a boob.

 

 

a

[ChristusG]

Advertisers make you think you need all sorts of things for a baby. For our first, we went shopping and bought ALL those things.....when baby came, we probaby didn't use half of them. A crib was one of those things we never used, not even one night. But then again, we never touched our pack n play either LOL.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Someone bought us a beautiful crib that kid never slept in. Ever.

 

IMO, all babies need are mom, diapers, a blanket and a boob.

 

 

a

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

You had me rolling with this one! You're right.

[AHASRADA]

Thanks for all the wonderful replies, everyone (incidentally, I am not the OP, but was wondering the same thing!)

 

We had only a crib for our 1st, in his own room at the other end of the hall, and I was exhausted having to get up and drag down to get him for every feeding. He moved to a twin bed at age 3.

 

With #2dd, I bought a bassinet at a used store, which worked great next to my bed for the 1st 6 months or so, at which time she moved to the crib, then to a twin bed at age 2.

 

Fast forward 10 years, all the baby stuff has long been sold or given away, and here I am expecting #3!

 

Ideally, I wanted one of those co-sleeper bassinets that attach to the side of my bed http://www.armsreach.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_1&products_id=19, but they're $200 and I couldn't find a used one. (but if you are considering buying both a bassinet and a crib, and either at full price, I would look into buying this instead :)

 

Then I got the great idea of a PNP (which costs just as much, but are easy to find used). I found one for $30, so that was my plan for the 1st 6-8 months until we got a crib when she wouldn't need so much night nursing. It never once occurred to me to leave the kid sleeping in the PNP (or a laundry basket, for that matter!) until they were 2! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one planning to use a PNP as a bassinet, and you're making me feel much better about the decision.

 

BTW, for anyone who is co-sleeping but worried about the baby rolling off the bed (which did happen to my dd when I fell asleep nursing), I found this wonderful, long bolster pillow that attaches to the mattress. It can be used for littles in their own bed as well, in place of those darned gates.

http://snugtuckpillow.com/theproduct.html

 

Thanks again!