Product Spotlight: Cribs, Travel Cribs, Bassinets, Etc.

mdfarmchick

Where is baby going to sleep? If this is your second or more, what worked for you and what didn’t? What works for traveling with baby? Any products you hated? Give us the scoop. 

lovemesomemonster

We have a small room so last time I got a baby box (essentially a cardboard box with a mattress) for the cost of shipping because I wanted the stuff they sent in it. After borrowing a bassinet and how big it was when put together I gave it back and used the box for 4 weeks and then moved him to his crib. We all slept better once he was in his own room and it is right next to ours so I was comfortable with it. 

For a travel crib we were gifted a pack and play which is fine but with the amount of flying we do they are heavy. I would like to get the Lotus travel crib this time because they are so light and the gear you have to travel with really adds up so any weight you can deduct is worth it! If you don’t fly often we have this travel crib and it works great: https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Trend-Nursery-Center-Tanzania/dp/B01F9FLEL4

szwill86

We used a pack n play with the bassinet insert for the first 3 months with DS for nighttime and his crib for naps. I hated having to get out of bed at night to get him (it was too big to keep beside) to do MOTN feeds. After 3 months, it was only his crib for naps and nighttime. I think this time around I want to try the Halo Bassinest since it can be right next to the bed and has a collapsible side for easy access to baby. Anyone use this/something similar before? 

jumpy57

Hello! This "system" has worked well for our first two girls so we'll probably do it again

Full size crib:
We wanted something made out of hard wood (not pine) for durability. I think the brand of ours is Pali and it has held up great. It has the option of becoming a toddler bed or headboard/footboard but we didn't buy those attachments and don't really plan on covering it. If you do plan on converting and using through the future plan on getting something that covers the top rails in case you have a chewer!!! DD1 left some teeth marks. This was always set up in the nursery because I didn't want to worry about taking it apart and moving it (won't fit through doors).

Travel:
We have a Graco pack n play and have been very happy with it. We did get one with a flippable changing station attachment that we never use. We do use the bassinet feature (that raises up the whole floor) until baby becomes mobile. We set this up in our room and use it until baby is old enough for her own room. It's a bit heavy and works fine for car travel but I don't think I would want to fly with it. We also just keep one at my sister's because we visit often and it's really convenient. I did try and buy a mattress protector thing for it but it was quilted and too puffy and just didn't work well. I would recommend something really thin as a water proof barrier between the sheet and "mattress". We did not add any additional padding or mattress because I don't think they meet safety regulations

Sheets!
I really like the quick zip sheets for the full size crib!!!! Then if there's a leak/blowout you just unzip the top and replace and don't have to wrestle with the mattress!!! Other strategies are to do two layers so you just pull off the top sheet and mattress protector and are good to go

lovemesomemonster

@jumpy57 yes I’m the double sheets! Ours goes mattress protector, sheet, mattress protector, sheet. Then if there is an issue we just pull the top two off and it is already made! We also didn’t take the plastic off the mattress when we bought it so that is an added layer. We haven’t had any issues but we will be using it for baby #2 so if we had it will be nice to have it in like new condition. 

hannahbananas11

We were gifted the pack n play for travel, but I didn’t like it, mainly because the mattress didn’t lay as flat as I’d like. It would get “bubbly” areas where the mattress would be pushed up because of the boards in the mattress that fold and aren’t connected to each other, and it made me anxious when DS was still very little but was able to roll to his stomach while sleeping. I’m sure it would’ve been safe, but my anxiety wasn’t going away and I’d keep waking up MOTN to check on him. So I bought the Baby Bjorn travel crib instead and love it. The mattress only has one fold instead of three like the PnP, and the board is one continuous piece instead of three, so it lays flat and doesn’t get pushed in at all. The mattress is also wipeable, so I don’t need to worry about putting a waterproof protector under the crib sheet. And it’s a lot easier to travel with (lighter, more compact, and easier to set up). If you don’t fly regularly and don’t have my sometimes irrational anxieties about sleep safety, a PnP will suffice just fine, though, since the Baby Bjorn is a lot more expensive.

mdfarmchick

I have a mini crib that lives in our room for the first 6-9 months. Once my kids start only waking up one or two times a night to feed, we switch them to the full size crib in the nursery. My 2.5 year old is still in the crib for now, so the timeline should work to switch him before we need to move the baby over. If all else fails I guess I can buy a second crib. I chose a mini crib because I wanted a full mattress option for the baby, and pack and plays make nervous for some of the same reasons @hannahbananas11 mentioned she didn’t like hers above. 

PSA: all rock-n-plays are recalled. Not here to debate, you can do a google search about why.

We have a Baby Bjorn travel crib and it was worth every penny. It’s been around for two kids and will be around for this one too. 

hannahbananas11

@mdfarmchick UPS just delivered the Babyletto mini crib that I ordered last week! With DS we had his full-size crib in our room until 6 months when we disassembled it and moved it to the nursery. That was a pain in the ass, so I’m really excited to have a mini crib in our room this time around!

babyturtle22

I'm trying to decide what to do for a crib/basinett! I always had in my mind I would get a bedside basinett for easy access in the middle of the night, such as the Halo or Lotus (which also converts to a travel crib when they get older). Does any one have input on either of these or something similar? 

But after reading this thread and realizing the bedside basinett only works for about 3 months until they start rolling over, I'm wondering about the mini crib since it can be used longer. For those that use a regular or mini crib in your room right away, is it not that big of a deal to get in and out of bed to get them in the MOTN and it's worth it to get something that lasts longer? 

tamalahoops

@babyturtle22 FTM here so no experience of my own yet. We're opting to go with a Halo bassinet for our room and have a hand me down full size crib set up in our nursery. We were just gifted the 4moms pack and play that we plan to use downstairs until babe outgrows the Halo, then we'll probably move that into our room. 

szwill86

@babyturtle22 same as what @tamalahoops said. This time around, I want something bedside so I can just roll over and grab baby for those MOTN feeds instead of getting out of bed and walking across the room to (for us was) the pack n play. I did read a million reviews on the Halo Bassinest today which I originally wanted, but think I might go with the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper Versatile from Buy Buy Baby. Tons of people said the Bassinest was initially good but then got wonky and lopsided, causing baby to be moved to one side. The only downside to the Arm’s Reach one is that it’s not swivel (but can be moved back and forth as it has wheels) and does not have a collapsible side for easy access. But if you keep it low enough to be even with your mattress, it doesn’t seem like it will be an issue. Sorry that was so long! #notanad #notsponsoredbyarmsreach

hannahbananas11

@babyturtle22 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but tbh, you'll most likely need to get out of bed multiple times during the night in the first month or two if you plan to nurse. My son pooped almost every time he nursed until he was a couple months old, so I'd always get up, nurse him with a nursing pillow while sitting on the side of the bed, then change his diaper, sway a bit until he fell back asleep, then put him back down. I think the draw of the Halo is that people like being able to get the baby without getting up, but I absolutely avoided lying down in bed with him in the first month or two because I was so sleep-deprived, I'd fall asleep almost instantly into a deep sleep as soon as I would lay down, and that's really dangerous with a newborn, especially since I had a pillow and a blanket in bed with me. And if I just wanted to check on him randomly through the night while he was sleeping, I could easily see him through the slats of the crib while lying down in bed since I just put the crib a few feet away from my side of the bed, basically accomplishing the other main selling point of the bassinet (that you have have it right by you).
I don't really get the hype around those swivel bassinets because you don't get much use out of them for the money. Maybe a couple months at most. A mini crib, which is the same price or cheaper than a Halo bassinet, will last you up to 18 months if you really want (one of the moms in my F19 bmb just moved her son out of the mini crib a couple months ago at 16 months; she lives in a small apartment).

babyturtle22

@tamalahoops that seems like a good plan, thanks for sharing! Very nice to get a hand me down crib

@szwill86 definitely going to look into the Arms Reach Co-sleeper, I've been reading tons of reviews too and it's hard to sift through everything but good to know about the Halo reviews, I hadn't read that there were issues with the mattress being lopsided 

@hannahbananas11 your honest feedback is much appreciated I definitely worry about falling asleep with baby if I'm in bed sitting up or laying down, that is a huge fear of mine so I can totally see that it makes sense to get up and be able to change a diaper and feed without that risk.  I guess I'm trying to figure out a way I can limit my fiance being woken up (we both know it will happen but he will be the one working full time doing anesthesia so it's in everyone's best interest if he is well slept)  and was thinking if baby is crying and they are in arms reach I can just roll over and pick them up and start feeding and be more responsive to the early cues of hunger/wakening instead of crying loud enough for us to hear, me get out of bed to get them and get settled again feeding before they stop crying? 
I know some crying and waking up fiance is totally inevitable and what we signed up for with having a baby but I'm trying to avoid him needing to sleep in another room on work nights if possible  

birdiejo

@hannahbananas11 this is true for me. I don’t think I ever nursed in bed MOTN. 

We are going to build our crib back up in our room and keep the baby there til (?) 

I think we moved my son at 7ish months and I was so sad that he was so far away. With the house that we have now the baby would be even further so maybe we’ll just move before I need to consider any of this. We’re basically setting up a nursery inside of our room but our room is weirdly large so there’s plenty of room. 

Pack n play works great for travel. If we were flying it was usually to my mom and she kept one at her house. 

hannahbananas11

@babyturtle22 I totally get the worry about your fiancé getting enough sleep. Mine will also be working soon after the birth (he's only taking off two weeks starting at week 38 for me), and needs to be fully functional to keep his patients safe. What we did with DS and will do again with this one is my H slept in another room (futon in our apartment's living room with DS, and with this one it'll be the spare bedroom in our new house). That worked well. There were times when DS wouldn't calm down easily, especially if he was gassy or cluster feeding. So having H in a totally different room helped H's sleep immensely.

I will add: make sure to have a system in place where you also prioritize sleep for yourself, too. This was the system that worked really well for us, and it sounds like my H has similar sleep needs as yours: I'd nurse DS in the evening around 8 or so. Then I'd go to bed early (around 8) and H would watch DS for the first few hours of the night (from 8-11ish) while I got some uninterrupted sleep. We had a little infant swing in the living room where DS could sleep in sight of my H while he watched tv quietly or studied (or H would just hold DS, since that time was usually DS's witching hour when he'd refuse to sleep). When it came time for DS to nurse again (around 11), H would wake me up and I'd nurse DS in my bedroom and take over for the night, and H would go to bed in the other room. So I'd get to sleep without interruption from 8-11 (and then with interruptions from 11 until morning), and H would get to sleep without interruption from 11:30ish until 7:30ish. H felt well-rested for work, and I'd be able to survive each day knowing that come 8 PM, I'd be able to go to bed no matter what kind of mood DS was in and get at least a few hours of guaranteed alone/sleep time.

hannahbananas11

PSA: drop-side cribs (the cribs where the side can be let down to easily get the baby) have been recalled in the US and are illegal to sell or even donate because of injuries and deaths related to the side of the crib dropping or trapping the baby. Watch out if you buy a used crib or get a used crib gifted to you that it's not a drop-side crib. All US cribs manufactured after 2012 do not have drop sides.

ETA: here's and article describing them and why they're now illegal: https://www.verywellfamily.com/drop-side-crib-safety-issues-294016

szwill86

@hannahbananas11 I didn’t even know drop side cribs still existed! Not in the market for a new crib, but good to have in my wheelhouse of baby knowledge. 

hannahbananas11

@szwill86 yup! When I was pregnant with DS, my MIL offered to give me the crib that she got at a yard sale for my niece. It looked really nice in the picture she sent and I accepted it, and later, before assembling it, found out that it had a drop side. I threw it away (illegal and also just unethical to donate) and put a non-deadly one on registry. My MIL thought I was overreacting by not keeping it because “both of her kids had drop side cribs and were fine”. So I explained survivor bias and how I’d rather not take known risks with my child’s life. 😆

angelofmusick

@hannahbananas11  I would have done the same. Recommendations change over time for a reason. They used to not require car seats too and a lot of babies were just fine, but is it worth the risk of being one that is not? Luckily my parents and in-laws both understand and respect this. We still have conversations about differences from then to now, (sleep position recommendations, blankets or no blankets, etc.) but no push back.

hannahbananas11

@angelofmusick My MIL doesn’t usually comment or push back, but I think she just didn’t understand fully why drop-side cribs were dangerous. The only other thing she commented on in that way was not buying used carseats. She didn’t get why they have expiration dates, and why you can’t use one after a crash if it looks fine. Once I explained my reasoning, though, she didn’t push further. Who knows if she ended up agreeing with me or not, but she and I are close and she knows that I’ll stick to my guns. So maybe she just figured I couldn’t be reasoned with and backed off. 😆

jumpy57

I will second that a newborn usually needs a diaper change with each feeding middle of the night. I was also really nervous about falling asleep in bed with baby so would either sit up or go to a chair every time. I also couldn't do any sort of bassinet that looks like an extension of my bed because I could almost guarantee my dopey dog would end up in there with the baby. If your SO is a light sleeper then he should probably sleep in a different room for at least part of the night but if he's an average to heavy sleeper he might be fine to stay in. I always woke pretty readily if baby woke up and she was on my side of the bed. I would leave the room if she was extra upset about something. Come up with a plan and you can always change it if needed ❤️ 

I think a mini crib is a great option if you aren't comfortable with a pack and play.

moguippy

So I’ll be the odd man (lady?) out. We moved DS to his own room at 2.5 weeks. We had originally had him in a delta bassinet that someone had given us (link below). It wasn’t my favorite bc it has a light and a music button and a few times I accidentally pressed the music button in the middle of the night and it’s loud AF. We moved him to a full size crib in his room right across the hall at 2.5 weeks bc I simply could not have him right next to me. Any little noise he made I woke right up even if it was nothing. And I think he was waking up to any little noise we made. We all slept better when we moved him to his own room. We leave the doors open and I don’t even need the baby monitor to hear him. That wasn’t our plan so you never know how it will work out. Even before we moved him to his own room, I always nursed him the the nursery anyway for the same reasons as above (sleep deprivation) and I felt like I needed a light and the rocking chair with a boppy was more comfortable and I felt like I might wake up H by feeding in bed.  My H happens to be deaf in one ear so he never hears my DS cry in the middle of the night from the next room. 

I also agree with @hannahbananas11 about prioritizing your own sleep. Our system was I would do all night wakings (read: my child didnt sleep at night for 8 weeks) and H would take over from 6am-10/11am and I would get 4-5 hours of sleep (he would give a pumped bottle). That only worked for the first 3 weeks when H was home but I would not have survived without that sleep. 

We just use a graco pack n play for travel (we don’t really fly). When he was little, we kept it set up in the living room as a changing station since the nursery is upstairs. DS still naps in one at my parents (he’s 2 and about to outgrow it). 

lovemesomemonster

@moguippy I was the same way with moving baby early, he was in our room about 3 weeks then we moved him into the crib in his room across the hall for the same reasons you stated. Once we did that we were getting about 5 hour stretches some nights and it was magical. 

I also agree with what some were saying about sleeping in different rooms. My H was in his busy season so he literally was on his laptop the whole time I was in labor and was back at the job site two days after kiddo was born. He is a light sleeper but did fine with a normal night but if DS was really fussy I would sleep in the spare room.

We had a different set up for getting some rest than most, while I was on maternity leave I just did it all during the week (I 100% know I had a good sleeper from early on and an efficient eater which made this possible) and on weekends he would get up and change him and then bring him to me to feed him and I would put him back down. We kept the routine of him changing and then me feeding when I went back to work because it was less time either of us had to be up at a time.

hannahbananas11

@lovemesomemonster we did the same (H change, I nurse and put back down) once DS was in a more sustainable pattern of sleeping 4-5 hours between nursing sessions and H moved back into the room (probably about 3 months in). We kept that arrangement all the way up until we sleep trained DS and he was sleeping through the night, which happened around 8/9 months old.

moguippy

I know a lot of ppl do the H changes diaper and mom feeds but we didn’t. My H is utterly useless if he doesn’t sleep so the extra few minutes to change a diaper didn’t bother me if it meant I got those few hours in the morning and H could sleep through the night. And we got lucky, while my DS didn’t sleep at night for like 8 weeks he suddenly started sleeping through the night (mostly) around then (or just 1 wake up) once we could actually get him to go to sleep. 

also. Link to bassinet bc I forgot before. Again, not a recommendation, but something we didn’t care for. 
Delta Children Deluxe Sweet Beginnings Bedside Bassinet - Portable Crib with Lights and Sounds, Falling Leaves https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00GJIXMQG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cz.AFbWM5HCWM

babyturtle22

I appreciate everyone's input and sharing what worked and didn't work! I have taken care of so many babies but I get to pass them off to someone else at the end of my shift and figuring out the logistics of how to take care of them when the next shift isn't coming and you're sleep deprived is new to me. 

@hannahbananas11 thanks for sharing what worked for you! I guess I keep thinking "I won't be working and he will so I'll just take care of the baby myself 24/7 when he's working" so I appreciate the reminder that I need to take care of myself too and make sure I'm getting sleep esepcially if my baby doesn't like to sleep- sorry @moguippy that sounds rough for baby to not sleep well at night for 8 weeks, I hope your next baby is a better sleeper. 

I am already getting a slight glimpse into sleep deprivation with getting up multiple times to pee throughout the night and taking at least an hour or so to go back to sleep  

birdiejo

With my daughter, we moved her early on as well but her room was right next to ours and the pack n play lived downstairs for changes. 

Our home now is a 1950s style ranch. Our bedroom is on one end and the baby would be five miles on the other end essentially on top of my other two kids. Just simply due to layout I’ll be keeping the baby with us. 

My husband can sleep through it all so I’d only wake him when I was about to tear my hair out. 

jumpy57

@babyturtle22 (and anyone else) 😳 please don't ever assume that baby care is 100%  on you. Even if you take nights that means your SO is either taking charge at some other time or supporting you and the baby in other ways (laundry, dishes, and cooking?)

In my last BMB, those that took on everything eventually had a lot of resentment in their marriage and had to work through that on top of caring for a baby. Communicate with your SO and set realistic expectations for both of you (subject to change of course). Also note that your SO might accomplish something in a different way AND THAT'S FINE! DON'T MICRO MANAGE! Unless there is a safety concern. Your SO is a parent learning things just as you are so remember it is a family and a partnership to get everything taken care of.

moguippy

I agree with every word @jumpy57 said. Like literally every word. 

babyturtle22

@jumpy57 thanks for that reminder! My SO is very helpful with cooking, cleaning, etc. so I know he'll help out and be supportive, but I also know since he'll be working and I won't be, majority of the baby and household care will fall on me. We also don't have family close to help and don't know anyone in our new area yet (with COVID meeting people and making friends is much harder) so it will be an adjustment but we'll work it out.  That's a great idea to communicate ahead of time and set expectations instead of when we are both sleep deprived and adjusting to parenthood! 

Also will have to remind myself A LOT to not micro manage him... 🤐 

jumpy57

I will also add (and will probably say it again later). Don't be afraid to leave the house for a bit by yourself for groceries/hair appointment/meet someone for coffee. Your SO and baby will be fine and will figure it out and you will feel a little bit recharged. DH and I are still able to maintain a social life because we have worked out a taking turns system (example: we still curled in the winter but signed up for separate nights).

moguippy

I know this doesn’t apply to the original thread topic but it seems to be where this is headed so I will add it now lol. A lot of dads want to help but feel discouraged bc baby usually wants mom and if you are breastfeeding there’s not much dad can do there. Find things for him and baby to do! A big one for us is bathtime. H has done most bath times since DS was born (over 2 years) and it’s a great time for them to bond, I am not needed and I can sit on the couch for 10 minutes and relax. 

hannahbananas11

@jumpy57 omg yes to the leaving the house and letting SO take over child duties (and not micro-managing)! One of my friends who has a 19 month old has only left the house without the baby/toddler a couple of times since birth (!!!) because she feels separation anxiety from the baby and hasn’t put in much effort to deal with that, and her H is a jackass who totally takes advantage of those insecurities and never encourages her to take time for herself, either. It’s a perfect storm and it makes me so sad and frustrated.

Every one of you on here is a human being first and foremost, outside of being anything to anyone else. And even when you have a kid, you’re still a person separate from that child just like that child is a person separate from you. Take care of yourself, if for no other reason than to be a good example to your child of setting healthy boundaries and fostering teamwork within the family. It won’t always be easy and sometimes it’ll be damn near impossible, but don’t ever give up on maintaining your sense of self and your own mental health. And, thinking of my friend, don’t take any shit from a partner who will gladly take advantage of you when you’re clearly struggling.

babymamadimo

My husband had to return to work after our son was 1 week old so I handled everything. I also had post partum anxiety and the thought of leaving the house made me way more anxious than any enjoyment of getting out of the house. I would still take time for myself though. Our routine was when my husband got home from work I would hand over the baby and wash some bottles or go take a long shower and put some music on so I couldn’t hear any crying and feel like I needed to go back out there. I was also an exclusive pumper so my husband enjoyed those little 20 min cuddle sessions with the baby while I pumped alone. There were many days in the beginning where I napped when baby napped and my husband came home to a disaster of a house but he knew it was a day that I needed to nap a lot and he would pick up the slack. You just have to establish a routine that works for you because every household is different. 

hannahbananas11

@babymamadimo That's such a great idea to take a shower or listen to music to drown out crying if you're not on kid duty but you're still in the house. Crying and fussing make me really anxious, too, but don't phase my H one bit.

jumpy57

It's sounding like this board will be a good support system when babies come ❤️❤️❤️

lovemesomemonster

I agree with everyone in here! My H went back to work 2 days after and I was home for 14 weeks. Even with that he would take over all diapers and bath time when he got home which gave me a little break to do something I wanted to get done. Even now we have our routine, I wash in the bath, he takes him when he is done and gets him ready for bed. It is his time with him and gives me time to do dishes or something uninterrupted. We also switched to him putting DS to bed every night after he stopped breast feeding and then I do mornings and daycare drop off. It is all about a routine and both getting some “me time” as well as bonding time.

hannahbananas11

Also, don't think that just because you're home and your partner is at work that you're not "working". As a SAHM, I look at childcare and home maintenance as my "job" just like I used to look at my library job, and I deserve just as much "time off" as my H gets from his job. That means that when he gets home in the evenings, we split house and childcare evenly, same with the weekends. We aim to both get equal amount of time to ourselves to do the things that fill our buckets (running for him, reading and quilting for me). We didn't get an equal split until DS was sleeping through the night (back to the whole idea that H needed sleep in order to be on his A-game when treating patients because duh), but we work really hard at it now.
Don't ever fall into the mindset that staying home to take care of a newborn, or being a stay at home parent, is somehow a vacation and less work than being in the office/job site. Some people (most of whom have never had a newborn) may act like that about mat leave, and they deserve alllllll the side eye.

moguippy

Yes! Being a SAHP doesn’t mean you “don’t work”. It usually means you work more. I work 8 hours in an office. I can walk away from my desk and take my hour lunch break and do whatever I want. I can get up from my desk and pee without being interrupted. When I watch DS at home? I can barely get a second to myself. My H always said he wanted to be a SAHD and he did it 2 days a week this summer and it was definitely much harder than he thought. 

babyturtle22

Definitely was not trying to imply that being a SAHM isn't "working"! I just meant that he'll be working out of the house and will need to be well rested for his job and my job will be taking on a lot  of the baby and household care (while also making sure I'm well rested too!). My mom was a SAHM until I was in middle school and I totally despised people that said she "didn't work" and just got to stay home, taking care of 3 kids does not seem like an easy job at all.

I'm just trying to figure out the best way to balance it for us and it's nice to hear everyone's input. I can't imagine not taking breaks for myself and letting SO take over, that would be sooo exhausting!! 

hannahbananas11

@babyturtle22 I didn’t read your comment as such, no worries! Y’all can rest assured that if ever I disagree with something you post, I’ll let you know directly.