This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers!
Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.
For S+TMs:
Favorite [Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers]:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Is there a [Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers]:
For FTMs:
[Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers] you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:
To view past product spotlights, add suggestions for future spotlights see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NZB2b3JaDWH7WnSQ0ZZMP4cMmKjUHFjlPanVeDTuzPY/edit?usp=sharing
Please feel free to add in suggestions at the bottom if there is anything you want to discuss... if you can't edit the spreadsheet, tag me below or shoot me a message.
(Also just a reminder that if anyone wants to revive old threads to ask questions as we get further along and it becomes more likely everyone is doing further research, please feel free!)
Re: Product Spotlight: Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers (7/24)
I liked that it swiveled and the white noise setting sometimes helped DD sleep
I did not like how much floor space it took up. Our room is small and I was always tripping over it.
This time around I got a Dockatot because I know cosleeping works for us and I think it’s a safer alternative to just having an infant in our bed. If it doesn’t work out we could always revert back to the Halo.
For travel crib we are looking at the Lotus. It’s about $200 which I think will be well worth it if baby likes it since it folds up to the size of a backpack. We hope to continue to travel (and fly) a lot so having something portable that’s also good for home is necessary.
For a bassinet I wassss thinking the Halo or something similar. Will prob still go with that. But I recently discovered the SNOO and OMG. It’s very new but if anyone happens to have experience with it or an opinion I’d love to hear it. It’s ridiculously expensive (almost $1200!) but they have $300 off sales fairly often and if they do a bigger sale at the end of the year I might be more tempted. IF we got it (big if) baby would stay in it for a full 5-6 months if that influences anyone’s opinion.
For a regular crib I’ll prob go with RH Baby... nothing super exciting. Haven’t decided on a style yet but just want clean lines and storage drawers.
For my son, we employed a Rock N Play as well as the PNP - the dude hated being flat right away. I’d say it was probably 4 weeks in the RNP and then 4 weeks in the PNP before moving to his room (crib then). For us, my two were such LOUD sleepers that we all slept better once Baby was in their own room. As far as my son’s crib, in true second child fashion, we opted for a $100 Amazon crib and it worked beautifully. So great that we’re going to use his crib for this baby. It was minimalistic in style, clean lines, felt sturdy. No complaints and frankly, I wish we’d have went that route with our first.
I’d encourage all new moms to save on the crib (we obviously had a good experience with our Amazon one and IKEA has some great options too!) and splurge a little more on the mattress. The expensive mattress we bought for my DD in 2012 was used for my son and will be used for this baby too.
im intrigued by the Halo but frankly, my RNP/ PNP combo worked for my first two (and weren’t enormous in our room) so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
MMC 2.12.11 @ 8w
PVM 5.8.12
GWM 3.17.15
RPM 2.21.19
I have always had good luck with my PNP which I still have and will use again in my room. I'm not really big on buying a bunch of stuff for baby because I found I hardly used any of it. BUT one thing I'm splurging on this time is a top of the line Rock N Play. That was one piece of baby equipment that was used every single day for me.
This time around I'm also planning on getting a travel/fold up bassinet that I can easily take downstairs during the day.
Overall I generally discourage against buying anything super expensive that doesn't have a long shelf life (aka won't be used long). I say wait til baby gets here and if none of the options you have are doing it them maybe go for the splurge item.
Baby girl #1 7/11/13
Baby girl #2 4/30/15
Baby Boy Due 2/16/19!
-for a bassinet: BabyBjorn cradle. I don't like how big the Halo is, and like the simple look of the BabyBjorn. It's expensive, but besides a really good running stroller for DH, there aren't many pricey things that we're looking at.
-for a crib: a simple one from IKEA. Again, space is at a premium, so I don't need or like the look of the massive cribs. Plus, there's an IKEA about 15 minutes from our apartment.
Questions:
-What's the purpose of a pack n play? When/where do you use it?
- @okayestmom12 what are some good examples of nice mattresses? Is there any quality in particular that's important?
Favorite [Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers]: we have a Jenny Lind crib and a Britax bassinet for our stroller. We also have a pack and play we never use.
Is there a [Cribs/ Travel Cribs/ Bassinets/ CoSleepers] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Considering a Halo Swivel Bassinet so LO can sleep in our room until we figure out sleeping arrangements.
BFP 6.8.2018 EDD 02.18.2019
I forgot that that we used the rock n play a ton with DS too. He napped in it frequently because I could just drag it around the apartment when I was doing stuff. And when he was sick and had ear infections it was good to have his head elevated for some drainage.
@hannahbananas11 we used the pnp as our bassinet when DS slept in our room. Then when he grew we took the bassinet off and he slept in it when we had visitors (his room is our guest room too) and when we travel.
As for mattresses, there are ones that are made of foam that make it easier for babies to breathe through if they end up rolling over at night compared to the ones that are spring mattresses. Also, it is important for a mattress to be firm. Here is a website that goes through all of the qualities of a crib mattress. https://www.sleepadvisor.org/best-crib-mattress/
like @kayjay44 we almost never used the PNP, DD napped during the day in her rocker or swing but would never stay asleep in the PNP. (She also spit up a ton so I was paranoid about her choking if I laid her flat).
BFP 6.8.2018 EDD 02.18.2019
MMC 2.12.11 @ 8w
PVM 5.8.12
GWM 3.17.15
RPM 2.21.19
We did also also use the PNP a lot for traveling because all my family lives out of town but close enough to drive so we used it a lot.
When our DD was smaller we did rent things like a bouncer and crib, there are great companies all throughout the U.S. so if you ever have to do some minimalist packing, this is a great option. But this can add up if you travel a lot.
DD's first flight was at 10 weeks too! We went to Czech Republic and Germany and she did great on the flights, the natural white noise of the flights helped DD sleep. So you got this!
Graco has a smaller bassinet/PNP that I’m interested in this time around. It’s the graco travel lite stages. It’s basically a bassinet but you can use as a PNP as kid gets older.