Are play yards necessary?

jlgregory75

I think it would be convenient to have one but DH doesn't think we need one because they never used one with his older son (already 20 yrs old). We had one given to us. It's in good shape but a bit bulky and missing the carrying case so I want to trade it in at the BRU Baby Expo toward a new one. What do you ladies think?

makinithappen

I don't think they're necessary.  I had one with S and it just turned into a giant toybox.  The only good thing about them is the bassinet if baby will sleep in your room, but we are using something else for that purpose since our room won't allow a PnP between the bed and dresser with any room left

jlgregory75

Well, we are getting a bassinet with our travel system but baby won't fit in it for very long.

Nechie122

It depends.  I used one because DB preferred sleeping in it over a crib until she was close to eight months old (yes, we did not use the crib until she eight months.)  She might be a special case, though.

Now we use it for traveling or as a playpen when we need to a safe place to put DB (who's into everything -- we can't take our eyes off her for a second). 

I certainly think you could play it by ear, though.  It's not something you'd need right away. 

dojo1

Not necessary but nice to have if you plan on having baby sleep close by for breast feeding initially or if you plan on traveling with lo.

GirlWithTheMostCake

I definitely didn't think they were a necessity in the beginning. I have a Go Crib that I use for travel and couldn't think of what I'd use a Play Yard for...then I got one. I totally think it's a great thing to have. It makes it easier once the baby is mobile and you need to do something for a few minutes. You know they're safe in there if you need to look away for a moment. I don't travel with mine, but I use it at home and really like it.

HappyToBe2012

For us, a play yard/PnP is absolutely necessary.  We have a two story house with the bedrooms on the second floor and living areas on the first.  Having the PnP on the first floor is great because I can put DD down and still get some things done while keeping an eye on her.  If we didn't have it, I'd constantly be carrying her up and down the steps for naps and whatnot.  Plus, it will be great when we travel with her to have a place she is familiar sleeping in.

cassoppea

Im kicking myself for getting one. What we should have done is bought something like a Rock n play sleeper for the newborn stage and then moved her to her crib. Then I would have bought a nice travel crib like the Baby Bjorn one or the Phil as Teds one. Those are lighter and pack up easier for traveling. The play yard/PNP is such a PITA to set up and break down. We used it for my LO when she was a newborn then moved her to our bed and then to her crib. We can't take it on vacation because it's too bulky and heavy and the set up sucks. And any time it would be useful (like going to a friends house with the baby and wanting to put her to sleep so we can stay) we just are too lazy to pack it up. Such a waste of money! ETA: I have tried to use it like PPs have mentioned to put my LO in to play while I'm getting things done - she screams the whole time. So if thats what you are going to use it for, you may want to wait on it. Id much prefer one of those gated play areas for my LO over the PNP to keep her safe.

ablou

HappyToBe2012:

For us, a play yard/PnP is absolutely necessary.  We have a two story house with the bedrooms on the second floor and living areas on the first.  Having the PnP on the first floor is great because I can put DD down and still get some things done while keeping an eye on her.  If we didn't have it, I'd constantly be carrying her up and down the steps for naps and whatnot.  Plus, it will be great when we travel with her to have a place she is familiar sleeping in.

All of this applied/applies to us.  We kept our PnP downstairs until he was about 6 months old, and then packed it away to use only for travel.  Bean still sleeps in his PnP when we travel. 

Ours is a Chicco LX, and I prefer it to the Graco one at my mom's house (Chicco one is sturdier, IMO).  Bean sleeps better in the Chicco one, too.