Where to put baby? Sleep help!

slindberg617 · January 2015

With my son (he's 3) we went straight into the crib. It wasn't an issue because his room was right next to ours. This time, our daughter's room will be across the living room. We don't have a huge house, but it is across the house from where our room is. I know other moms who swear by pack and plays or rock and plays in their room and I'm leaning towards a different option. Mostly in order to keep our newborn away from our sleeping toddler (their rooms will be next to each other.) Plus, I'm thinking how much easier it will be in the beginning to not have to get up and walk across the house when she needs to eat or be changed. Can anybody share their preference and why?

On a side note, I have an older pack and play. No attachments. Just the bottom mattress in a square pack and play. Is this what to use or is it an attachment that people use?

Please help!

girlymama79 · January 2015

When I had dd1 she slept in a pack and play til she was 3-4 weeks old because our room was downstairs and hers was upstairs.

Some pack and plays have a bassinet attachment but you don't need that. Just make sure you wash your pack and play they get so gross.

honeybunches101 · January 2015

DS was in a rock n play next to our bed till 7.5 months. We tried a PnP with the bassinet attachment, but e slept much better with the incline. And since he was right next to me, I would usually wake up right away, so maybe your DS wouldn't even hear her if you get to her right away.

ksimo6 · January 2015

I had dd in a rock n play next to my bed for the first 10 weeks, then we moved her to her crib in her room.

IsadoraB · January 2015

We will have our LO in an Arms Reach co-sleeper next to our bed for the first few months.

finchfeeder80 · January 2015

We've registered for a PNP, but my brother has also offered us this crazy pimped out bassinet that he used with his last kid. Not sure what we're going to go with. We'll get the PNP either way, though. Those things are invaluable!

mommacandi · January 2015

I used a co-sleeper until my daughter outgrew it, then moved her to a pack and play. She and I shared a room for the first 18 months of her life, as I was living with my parents while DH was in med school. Even now (she's almost 3), I prefer to sleep in the same room as DD, just because I'm a nervous mother and it's what she's always been used to. Any other moms out there have irrational fears of their children being taken in the middle of the night? (I know, I'm crazy, and I own it.)

gabriellamason93 · January 2015

I will be using a moses basket/swing crib in my room for the first 6 or so month to make it easier for me to breastfeed and such, plus I'm a bit of a worrier so I would be up every ten seconds if bean was in a different room!

mamayo26 · January 2015

DS1 was in the crib from day 1 and we will do that with DS2 as well. all our rooms are right next to each other, but since our house isn't very big it doesn't make sense to do anythign else.

10 days after DS was born the power went our for days and the 3 of us stayed in 1 room at my MIL. It was the worst sleep we got in the first 7 months of his life (until we went on a trip to Florida). I'm one of those mom's who doesn't want to hear the baby moan and grunt all night.

With that said, you need to do what is best for you and your family. I understand the concern of not wanting the baby to wake up your older chile, it is a concern of mine too, but I figure other people have done it where there kids share a room, so I'm sure we will figure it out.

junch817 · January 2015

girlymama79 said:
When I had dd1 she slept in a pack and play til she was 3-4 weeks old because our room was downstairs and hers was upstairs.

Some pack and plays have a bassinet attachment but you don't need that. Just make sure you wash your pack and play they get so gross.

Stupid question @girlymama79‌ ... How do you wash your PNP? With a rag and soapy water and wipe it down?

And to answer OP, we used a PNP with our first and used it on the upper level (that could also be zipped in at an angle). Ours had a diaper changing station, but no separate bassinet feature. At 6 weeks, we moved her to her crib right in the next room.

mamahawk12 · January 2015

We used a bassinet by the bed for 6 months - until they regularly slept completely through the night. I love that I don't even have to get out of the bed, just reach over and grab 'em. I was breastfeeding though, so it was just easier. If you're having to get up to fix bottles anyways, I think it matters less.

Ana0927 · January 2015

With #2 I kept her in a pack and play in my room until 4 months when she started sleeping through the night. Then she went to her crib which on the 2nd floor of our house (we are on the 3rd floor)

delujm0 · January 2015

I'm a FTM but we're planning to go straight to the crib barring any reflux issues that require an incline. The nursery is a separate room within our master suite (was a gym for the previous owners) so it's close enough to get to quickly but far enough that grunting shouldn't wake us up at night. We figure if it works it should remove transition issues later.

Still considering a RNP for napping during the day since it's portable and can be placed wherever I need it to be. Will get a PNP for traveling.

Schnurette · January 2015

When we had DD I kept her in a laundry basket turned bassinet in my walk-in closet for a week then put her upstairs in her crib. It meant a hike every time she cried (through the kitchen and dining room, up the stairs, down the hall to her room...) but it also meant that the nights that she cried like a maniac for no reason we could at least get some partial sleep.

We have since moved and DD is right next to us. New baby will be in the office (turned nursery) which is down the hall and across the living room from our room. He/she will be going straight into the crib this time as I am hoping the nursery will be far enough away from DD's bedroom that crying won't wake her up. I will just suck it up that I need to trek to get to baby.

tiffbot1985 · January 2015

We used a (hand me down thank goodness, for the amount we used it!) bassinet beside our bed for about the first 2 months, until I figured out bedsharing was the best option for us until he was about 8 months.

Hoping to get DS into a bed from his crib before this baby is born to give us more options, whether it's bedsharing, co sleeping, or putting baby in their own room from the beginning.

Trampslikeus · January 2015

@delujm0‌ They make foam wedges to go under crib mattresses for reflux - my niece is 3 and still uses it in her toddler bed - it's a lifesaver - the difference between a full nights sleep and misery, she still has terrible reflux, poor thing.

I'm getting the mini arms reach co sleeper, which will double as a travel napper, so I can just roll over and grab him/her. I'm so used to the noise my cats make, and we use a white noise machine, so I'm not too concerned with baby noises keeping me up.

Ladymouse · January 2015

Trying a bassinet this time. DS wouldn't sleep in the pack n play (not sure if it was due to our bed creaking or the pnp wobbling). And he wouldn't sleep a whole two hours in his crib either. I'm hoping sleep works out better with this kiddo.

effthisnoise · January 2015

mommacandi said:

I used a co-sleeper until my daughter outgrew it, then moved her to a pack and play. She and I shared a room for the first 18 months of her life, as I was living with my parents while DH was in med school. Even now (she's almost 3), I prefer to sleep in the same room as DD, just because I'm a nervous mother and it's what she's always been used to. Any other moms out there have irrational fears of their children being taken in the middle of the night? (I know, I'm crazy, and I own it.)

That is probably the only thing I'm NOT afraid of. We would hear immediately if anyone tried to break into our house and if we didn't, the dog would and she'd go ballistic. She looks like a big (50 lb) teddy bear and is super friendly, but she sounds like a giant, demon-possessed maniac when a stranger or deliveryman comes near the house. I feel so sorry for our poor mailman.

blu-eyedwife · January 2015

Your choice. It probably also depends on how heavy a sleeper your toddler is. We did crib immediately with LBB and will do the same with this one. The nursery is closer to our room than his room, but our house is small enough that I'm sure any crying will reach his room.

The "bassinet" portion of the pack and play isn't essential, it's just easier on you not having to reach all the way down to the bottom. Kind of like having the crib mattress higher at first.

Tulips114 · January 2015

Mine slept in a pack n play in our room for a good long while. We moved DD1 to her crib in her room at 9 months. She was already sleeping through the night, it was mostly just a first time mom thing and her room seeming SO FAR away. LOL

With DD2 she stayed in our room for more than a year. This was only because we didn't want to buy a second crib and DD1 wasn't ready to move out of it yet. I think she was 14 months when she moved.

We started with naps in the new room so they would be used to the surroundings. But both transitioned really easily when the time came.

It is nice in those early days to have the baby right next to you. I would just scoop them up and nurse them right there in bed and then put them back. We'll do the same with this one and it will probably depend on when DD2 is ready for a big bed as to when we move this one. Our pack n play has a bassinet attachment, but I think the weight limit is only 15 lbs, so it doesn't last very long before we're just using the bottom mattress.

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