Convice me I need a pack n play

monlyn9 · August 2009

We registered for one but did not get it for a gift (MIL was going to buy it but they were out of stock when she went to the store so she got our carseat instead, which I am happy about!). We were going to buy it ourselves (we actually have tons of store credit at BRU right now) but I don't know that I need it. I plan to have the baby sleep in the crib (nursery across hall from our room) from the first day. If by chance that doesn't work out, I have a friend that offered a moses basket and another that offered a basinet for us to use. We have a small house (1250 sq ft) on one level (we have a basement too but I only go down there to do laundry). My mom (in town) and MIL (45 min away) have bought (or plan to buy) PnPs for their houses for when baby is visiting.

So, given all of this, do I need to spend the money on one or can I do without? TIA.

christin3580 · August 2009

I say you can do without but I didnt want one and got one as a shower gift and MIL wont let me return it

agmaso · August 2009

Nope... you don't need it.

?

We only used ours as a bassinet for the first few months (which you are covered with if you have the moses basket) and sometimes for travel but that wasn't necessary because most relatives have something we can borrow and most hotels provide them as well.

thatgirlang · August 2009

I can't convince you. We didn't like ours. Well, DS decided he didn't like it so we didn't. He hated the bassinet feature and was in his crib pretty quickly. We had a Moses basket which we actually loved. But the PnP was a waste and just took up space in our room. GL!

wingsfan524 · August 2009

I used mine in our room even though we planned to have DS sleep in his crib. Some nights were just rough and I could put it up and take it down easily if I needed to. Also, this was awesome when we had to travel out of town for weddings and such. I never really thought about it because I didn't think it would happen, but we ended up getting invited to quite a few out of town functions. It was much better than using a hotel crib. It was so easy to put up and down and the changer on it was nice to use when we were there too. Other than that, if both sets of parents are going to have something I wouldn't say it's necessary.

Klafountain · August 2009

i want one to having my downstairs livingroom so if i need to make dinner and don't want to have to crate the dog I can just lay our lo in there... also i have family 4 hrs away so i will need it when i go out to visit them

but if we lived in a one story small house like yours i would probably reconsider it

XXLAURAF · August 2009

Prob not unless you get it to keep at your mom's house.. I put one on my registry but to have at my mom's house bc we are getting a bassinet for our room for the first few months and then hopefully baby will stay in the crib in it's own room..

shabang21 · August 2009

We have one from Target that was $99 that includes the bassinet and changing station. We plan on using it in our living room, that way the baby can nap there whenever we're in here.

I don't think it's something you absolutely need, but there are plenty of things that aren't needed. I'm glad we have ours!

mamaofliam · August 2009

We travel tons so need it for that but if you don't, then you really don't need one. You have solutions already for the main reasons for needing one except for travel. You have all the bases covered.

**Gretchen** · August 2009

We don't have one and have yet to miss it.

We also have a fairly small ranch. My parents have a crib at their house we'll use when we go there. His parents live in Spain, so no chance of us lugging a damn PnP all the way there.

We had planned on her sleeping in her crib from day one, didn't happen. She was in an arms reach co-sleeper mini until she was a month old. Now she's in the crib. Sounds like you have back-ups though (moses basket/bassinet) if the crib doesn't feel right at first.

I say go without and if you decide you need it - go buy one then.

KOscar · August 2009

I would skip it or at least wait and see if it's something you need down the road. We're getting one to bring to my parent's house when we go for visits. Sounds like you may be lucky though and have one less thing to purchase!

IselaCid · August 2009

We never had one for DS and still don't have one for DD. I figure if one day we see a need, we can buy it then...but so far, have never needed one!

Mrs.DeliaMarieP · August 2009

I figure you can live without it to start, at least, and you can always get it later if you decide you need one.

wwsurf81 · August 2009

I say that you don't need one. For all the reasons that we got one, you have covered. We're going to use ours as a bassinet for a few weeks (because our nursery is upstairs, not across the hall like you). After that, we will mostly use it on trips to grandparents (they don't have one). Aside from that, the only other use I can think of for you is a place for the baby to safely play or hang out outdoors. I plan on wheeling it outdoors once in a while, but I plan on taking him outdoors a lot because I like fresh air. If that appeals to you and it's your only reason to get one, find one on craig's list. A friend of mine got a really really nice one for $40.

jen5-03 · August 2009

Heck no you don't need one. I never had one with DD. Like you I live in a small one story house and had other plans for her sleeping as a newborn.

I borrowed one ONCE for a trip. And DD hated it anyways. She has never slept in one.

peppermintgirl · August 2009

It doesn't sound like you need one. I wouldn't bother getting one if I were in your position, at least. We live in a two story house, and I have really bad knees, so going up and down the stairs several times a day just wouldn't work. Even if my knees were fine, I wouldn't want to do it, and I plan to have LO downstairs when I'm downstairs and vice versa. She'll probably be spending the night with DH's grandfather and we'd be taking the PnP over there too.

MommyandKate · August 2009

I think they're helpful when the baby is first mobile and you need to put them down in a safe place for a few minutes while you do something else, or if you want them outside but not crawling in the grass. I don't see any need for it before they're mobile.

melly918 · August 2009

If you've been offered a moses basket and a bassinet, I would take them instead of getting a PnP. I already have a very old PnP without bassinet, but then my friend gave me an older PnP WITH a bassinet feature (it's very different from today's models, but serves its purpose) so I will be using that in my bedroom. If she didn't give me that PnP with bassinet, I would probably have bought a moses basket or a Arms Reach co-sleeper.

monlyn9 · August 2009

Thanks for all of the advice ladies. I think I will hold off and see if I need one later rather than buying one now.

octoberbella · August 2009

We're a lot like you. We have a small one story house about 1250 square feet. I plan on getting one because I do not have any backups if sleeping in the crib doesn't work out right away and the grandparents don't have anywhere for him to sleep on visits. We also have a big Lab who will probably be more interested in licking the baby than doing anything else in life so I think we'll keep the PnP in the living room to keep the boy slober free.

mariahcohen · August 2009

I say use your store credit for something else...there is always going to be something you need and it will better than a PnP. IMO

Meridianwings · August 2009

I don't think a PnP is necessary unless you have a two-story house or you travel quite a bit. All of the ladies that use one a lot, fall into one of those two categories.

Since we fall into neither category, I didn't want one either.

Convice me I need a pack n play

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