DH and I are flying with the baby from Georgia to Colorado in May (she'll be two months old) so his grandparents and extended family will get to meet the baby. We will be staying with family while we are there, but where will LO sleep? The simple answer is in the bed with us, but I don't plan on bed sharing and don't want to even start that. So, do we take a pack n' play? I'm just trying to plan to take as little as possible because I don't want to pay outrageous fees for extra checked bags. If we're going to pay all those fees it's almost better to just get something for her to sleep in once we get there and then donate it or something.
WWYD?
Re: Where will LO sleep when we travel?
We bought the Baby Trend Nursery Center with Close N Cozy and Travel Crib/Mini Play yard.
It folds up really small and the close n cozy is going to be our bassinet since we have such a low bed, it can sit next to ours and I can peek over at night to make sure everything is ok!
I was wondering about how portable that was. Ideally I would like something that will fold up enough to be packed in my bag so I don't have to check something extra.
I would definitely take a pack n' play, or like a PP suggested, if grandma picked up an inexpensive one to keep there, that would work as well. My mom is only 45 minutes away, but she did this and it was great to have a spot for DD to nap/spend the night without having to bring EVERYTHING with us!
If you're not planning to co-sleep, then I would definitely recommend not doing it while you're away. A. You guys won't get any sleep worrying about her. And B. we learned the hard way that bad habits are easily formed when they are that little! Yikes! We let DD sleep with us a couple nights in a row when she was super fussy and it took a lot longer than a couple nights to get her back to her own bed!
A friend of mine was travelling alone with her DD to visit family OOT. Her mother picked up a pnp at a local consignment store so my friend didn't have to lug something else through an airport.
If you don't plan on travelling there alot while LO is a baby then it can be resold to a consignment store, or donated.
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Could you ask the relatives you're staying with to check out the local thrift stores for you? You might be able to find something there that would work and wouldn't cost a lot of money.
I've also heard of people using the infant car seat for babies to sleep in, but I don't if you're planning on buying one in the first place or bringing it on the plane with you.
I've heard this is unsafe - not sure why but you may want to look into it before doing it.
Lots of babies sleep in their car seats, whether in the car, or out of the car.
If it is unsafe, would you have to wake up your child every time he/she fell asleep in the car??
It isn't like most LO's are STTN at a few months old. You could easily get away with sleeping in the carrier for a short trip.
A Playard/Pack n Play is also known as a travel crib; some hotels rent out their use as such. We will definitely bring our Chicco Playard to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Baby Girl to sleep in.
-one side note, if you haven't bought it yet: the Chicco Playard comes with wheels and a case. The Graco Pack n Play does not have wheels.
I'm going to echo, this is unsafe. Most of the reasons have to do with inexperience-for instance, setting the car seat or carrier on a table where anything could knock it off.
Also bad for baby's back when used regularly, and you don't want a cranky LO.
This is the first grandchild and great-grandchild on DH's side, there are no other babies on his side of the family. I wish there was someone we could borrow something from out there, but there isn't.
You must be taking a car seat to drive around with, so I'd just suggest sleeping in a reclined stroller, that way you will be able to get around the airport easily anyways. But its a nice little mini bed, LO will be sleeping there when your out and about anyways? I have just layed my kids on the floor when we went on one nighters, lay down a blanket, and they can't fall off the floor.