Pack and play vs. Crib

mirra23

Hi guys, first timer here. I am trying to decide between a pack and play and a crib. I am living in Ecuador, so the cost of items is at least double what you would pay the states since it is imported. Is a crib absolutely necessary or wouId a pack and play w/ mattress do? I also am dealing with a family of strongly opinionated people. Thanks for your help

LittleApple

You can get away with a pack n play, but a crib is going to be more comfortable and possibly last you longer since you can lower the crib.  You can't lower the pack n play so the kid could potentially climb out.

KikiCohen

LittleApple said:

You can get away with a pack n play, but a crib is going to be more comfortable and possibly last you longer since you can lower the crib.  You can't lower the pack n play so the kid could potentially climb out.

I agree.  The major benefit to the PNP is that you can travel with it.  

CLLDLL

In general I agree with PPs.

To play devils advocate though, I think you could get away with a PnP for the first 9-12 months and then transition to a toddler bed or even a twin mattress on the floor if you really wanted to.

We bought a crib and decorated a nursery for DS2, figuring he'd use it starting around 3-4 months. Instead we he slept in a PnP in our room until around 9-10 months because I was BF'ing and it was just easier to feed him and get him back down that way. He's in a crib now at 19 months, but the minute I think he's close to climbing out I'll be putting a mattress on the floor or getting a toddler bed.

LittleFish1

PnP would be easy to take with if you're moving around a lot. We have barely used our crib (ended up cosleeping for nursing reasons) & occasionally in PnP at home. She sleeps in a PnP at day care and occasionally at home.

Did not get an extra mattress and PnP seemed a bit flimsey when on the newborn setting. We also had a mini cosleeper (didn't get it until later on & the model we got could not be used for anything else) and a rock-n-play. LO slept in the rock-n-play the most with her baby sitter (& stops being useful after they can roll over). If were to go through the process again, would probably go with this Arm's Reach brand Mini Convertible Cosleeper

https://www.armsreach.com/shop/co-sleeper_bassinets/mini-arc-convertible

Will work as bassinet, cosleeper & play yard - smaller dimensions than the pac-n-play. Since can be moved from room to room and should fit through door ways. Be warmed though, getting them aet up and collapsed is very frustrating so will take extra effort.

hollygb22

i would do a crib vs a pnp.

We barely used the newborn napper and changing station. It always seemed like it wasn't level. We bought an extra mattress for the pnp. Even with the extra mattress, she rolls into the corners and wakes herself up since the mattress isn't an exact tight fit and there's a small gap all the way around.

we can get away with it if we're away for a few nights or a week but would never be able to pull it off for long term sleep

fsumom

We barely used DD's crib.  She slept in her PNP for the first few months and then we co-slept.

SunAndRain

If you go with a PNP get one that has a bassinet that is the full size of the PNP - not one that covers only half.  I used our Aprica PNP (don't know if that model is still available but I think Graco has one similar now) and the bassinet feature was awesome for first couple months.  Then we moved DD to her crib.  I would NOT want to use a PNP without the bassinett on a regular basis, however, because it is SO low to the ground that it would be hard to get LO in and out of twelve times per day, day after day...

tbarker14

My DH and I plan to have a crib for this LO. We also plan to get the Lotus everywhere crib (Pnp) for traveling since we will be traveling a fair amount. Also we have a dog, even though he is amazing with kids I wouldn't leave them alone. What if our LO pokes him in the eye or something. So this way when we need to we would just put the LO into the Pnp say to run to the washroom. We prefer a crib, more support for sleeping and since we both are tall people it would be a lot easier to get LO in and out of the crib on a daily basics.

mirra23

Thanks Ladies! All the insight is super helpful. We will be checking to see what cribs they have available here. So far we haven't seen many.... especially brands that I am familiar with here in Ecuador. My biggest concern was the safety regulations here. The couple cribs I have seen just didn't seem safe to me.