Product Spotlight Series: Cribs/Travel Cribs/Sleeping Surfaces

kagesstarshroom · September 2019

The Product Spotlight Series continues! Remember, the community is welcome to comment on threads like these throughout your time here, not just when it's their week in the spotlight. Big thanks to everyone who participates!

For this week, we've got Sleep Surfaces! Of all kinds! Feel free to discuss cribs, crib mattresses, travel cribs, bassinets, swings, etc.

One big note: Previous BMBs have provided guidelines on safe sleeping methods &/or cautioned members that co-sleeping & co-sleeping safety may be freely discussed here & not to judge others for their choices. I'm putting in both statements, even if they might perhaps slightly contradict each other. Please be sure to focus on products, though do feel free to discuss these matters in addition, especially when related to the product/s at hand.
Two little notes: This sleeper has been recently recalled. & The Bump has a page of "Top Ten Baby Crib Mattresses."

For S+TMs:

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc):
Favorite [sleep surface/s]:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Likes/Dislikes:
Is there a [sleep surface/s] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Is there a [sleep surface/s] you've tried that you DON'T recommend? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [sleep surface/s]?:

For FTMs:

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc):
[Sleep surface/s] you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

To view the upcoming PSS schedule, based in part off of S19's, see here: March 2020 PSS Spreadsheet!
Up next week: Bath Time!

varimama · September 2019

So I’m going to start off and say that I don’t think co-sleeping and safe sleeping are contradictory because there are safe sleep practices for co-sleeping that studies have shown make the risk of SIDS the same or even less than in a bassinet. I highly recommend you do your research to make the right choice for your family. The book Sweet Sleep from LLL is a great resource but here is an article on safe co-sleeping as well: https://www.llli.org/the-safe-sleep-seven/

I started out thinking I’d NEVER co-sleep but after 6 months of DS never sleeping for more than 40 min at a time I needed to do something so I started researching safe co-sleeping. I highly recommend not letting it get as far as we did bc we were finding ourselves in very unsafe conditions just due to me being severely sleep deprived.

For the first 6 months we attempted to use a Graco pnp as a bassinet. It had the bassinet attachment (note this is not the same as the cuddle cove/napped that some come with that is not safe, the bassinet attachment uses the firm pnp mattress). Lots of people I know have used this with no problem I think it’s just some babies who it doesn’t work for. DS was a high needs baby who always needed carried or he just screamed until he made himself puke.

miss.sally · September 2019

@varimama I’m 100% in agreement with you. I co-slept with both of mine (and I’ll throw in that my doctor was totally on board because she co-slept hers). People have co-slept literally since the beginning of time. Don’t make yourself feel like a terrible person for sleeping with your child. Sleep guidelines change ALL.THE.TIME. Do your research and figure out what works for you.

That being said. We have the halo swivel bassinet that we will use for the first few months. I loved how easy it was. It’s pricey, but I found an amazing deal on my local marketplace for a brand new one. Highly recommend!!

We did co-sleep for a while because DS refused to sleep, and nursing is a lot easier when you just have to roll over and stick a boob in their face. We all got a lot more sleep that way. It did, however, make the transition into the crib tough. We tried that for like a month and then switched to a toddler bed and that’s been a lot better. Overall he just has never been a great sleeper but it’s starting to get better. Unless he’s sick or we get off our routine.

We also have the 4 moms mommaroo. It’s like a freaking spaceship and DS was never a huge fan. He preferred being held for naps. But that was because I never wanted to put him down. Oops. This kid will start going in the mommaroo pretty much immediately. It’s really cool how it has so many different settings. Also very expensive but we managed to get a great deal before babies r us closed and they accidentally sold us a dirty one. Like the thing had poop stains on it and they tried to say it was new. So I threw a fit and she gave us a new one at almost half price. Woo!

I really want to get a snuggleme or dock-a-tot. But I’m having a hard time spending the money on something that is only used a few months. Been keeping my eyes out for a deal though. Maybe Black Friday?!

ETA: travel crib. A friend sold her 4-moms playyard to me, and it was great. The only thing i wasn’t crazy about, was it’s size! It’s heavy. But that’s also because it’s larger than normal PnPs. The one handed take down and put up system was SO nice though, so that made it worthwhile.

orbmaker · September 2019

We got a Babyletto crib. Can’t remember the model name — something dessert-y? The finish was non-toxic (good because she did chew on it!) and we liked it because it looked simple and modern. It’s fine. Mattress is a 2-in-1 (two-sided for infants and then toddlers) from Naturepedic, which is organic and non-toxic (prioritized this because babies spend so much time sleeping... not that she slept in her crib much early in life, lol). It’s not “comfy,” but it’s not supposed to be.

We also had a classic basket-style bassinet that my kiddo refused to sleep in. We did some co-sleeping with a Snuggle Me Organic “lounger,” which saved my life. Totally recommend this thing whether you co-sleep or not. I even bought the toddler size, being that I was so enamored, but we hardly used it cos DD started sleeping on her belly through the night in the crib.

A friend recommended the BabyBjorn travel crib wholeheartedly and I found one in new condition for half the price on FB marketplace. It’s wonderful! So easy to tote along. We sometimes used it as a kind of pack n play, but DD wasn’t really a PNP kinda baby.

I have zero plans to buy more crib stuff. Just bought DD1 a floor bed from Sprout and a 5 Little Monkeys mattress (“sleep system”) and we’ll be working on that transition over the next few months (will have both bed and crib in her room for a while).

kailanae · September 2019

With DS1, we used the Graco Pack and Play with bassinet in our bedroom until the 4m sleep regression then co-slept in our king bed. I got a foam bumper for under the fitted sheet for my side of the bed to prevent rolling off. Once I was pregnant with DS2, we got the Dock A Tot Grand and he co-slept in our bed in that for a few months until moving to a twin next to our bed. He now sleeps in his own room but co-slept with us until about 3 years old.

With DS2, we did the Graco P&P again but he gained weight quicker and outgrew the bassinet very early. We switched out the P&P for our IKEA crib (that we bought for DS1 but never used) until the 4m sleep regression, then switched to co-sleeping with the Dock A Tot Grand. He stayed in that for several months but we eventually removed the Dock A Tot and just co-sleep with the foam bumper now. He still nurses often at night but I would like to wean him before #3 is born. I plan to move him into DS1's bedroom with DS1 if they will sleep that way.

For #3 I will likely follow similarly what I did with DS2 - crib at the early newborn stage then Dock A Tot co-sleeping once sleeping becomes harder to come by.

wednesdayschild · September 2019

Okay, FTM and I’ve gone down a bit of an internet rabbit hole. I don’t love the idea of doubling up on a crib/travel crib — it seems duplicative, especially when baby probably won’t be in the crib that much during the first few months. STMs — do you think I can get away with using just a travel crib? (We travel a ton, so standard crib would be way less versatile.)

Thinking a Guava Family Lotus Crib + Bassinet. Will use the bassinet for the couple months and then move into the crib. Definitely following the Taking Cara Babies plan, so hopefully baby will end up sleeping like all my friends 😴 angel babies who have used it 🤷🏼‍♀️😂 Plus, it doubles as a playard!

It looks like it’s been rigorously tested and is safe/green. Only concern would be that the mattress is a little thin and baby is essentially on the ground. Anyone else use travel cribs on regular basis? Any other thoughts?

momoftoddlers · September 2019

@pdx2020 I cannot see using a travel crib for the long term. I doubt they have the durability for every day use. They are also smaller so at some point your baby won’t have free range of motion if they like to move around in their sleep. And I doubt they are as comfortable as sleeping on an actual mattress. I’d guess a travel crib is also easier for an older baby to climb out of. And it would probably hurt your back always bending over. Plus the baby’s room, if they have one, will look really empty. Just my two cents.

momoftoddlers · September 2019

We have something similar to the Delta bassinet which I really like for the newborn days beside my bed. I think my babies stayed in it until at least 6 weeks if not longer. At which time they went into a full size crib in their bedroom. If I were buying a new bassinet I’d say to get one with mesh sides so you can see the baby and they can get maximum airflow. Our crib is from Pottery Barn, we got it at the outlet for a pretty good price. We did not get the parts to convert it to a toddler bed because if you’re planning to have more kids, it’s cheaper to buy a toddler bed and mattress than a second crib.

wednesdayschild · September 2019

@momoftoddlers, appreciate the insight! I don’t think I’d find the free range of motion, aesthetics, or climbing out to be issues — I’ve actually seen pack n plays recommended as a way to curb climbing out of cribs.

Back pain is definitely a consideration though, although this model has zippered sides. And I’ll look into longevity!

varimama · September 2019

@pdx2020 I think you could probably get away with it for about a year. I mean the AAP recommends sleeping in the same room as your baby for at least the first 6 months but preferably a year so DS never even attempted to sleep in his crib until after a year. We used the pnp. He did outgrow the pnp at around 18 months though he is >99th percentile so many smaller babies are able to still use theirs. We actually used the big 6 panel portable play yard for DS while on vacation this summer and it worked great! He loved it despite not having a heavy padding on the bottom.

kailanae · September 2019

@pdx2020 The main concern I'd have with that is having to put baby down on the floor to transfer to sleep, especially if you are reaching in from the top. It is a lot easier to transfer a sleeping baby to a bassinet or crib with raised mattress. When DS2 grew out of the P&P bassinet setting, we switched to a regular raised mattress crib because bending all the way down to the floor setting of the P&P caused more issues with sleeping transfers for me.

kagesstarshroom · September 2019

@varimama @miss.sally I didn't mean to imply that they were definitely in contradiction, I just saw some BMBs post a link to a page that was like "safe sleeping" & warned against co-sleeping and other BMBs that were like "co-sleeping may be discussed," so I wanted to point out that any and all opinions are welcome here! (Hence my qualifications "maybe slightly perhaps contradictory"--I tried! Also, I'm a FTM, I know nothing and therefore personally judge no one.) Anyway. Since I'm already posting here...

Thanks to all for their input thus far! I always read these, but usually have little to say bc I still don't know what I want & have been adding things to my registry based on suggestions here, but my registry isn't "final" & still very small.

momoftoddlers · September 2019

@varimama Thanks for sharing the AAP recommendation of keeping the baby in your room for at least 6 if not 12 months. I think that’s different than when I had my 4 year old. Guess we won’t be transitioning to the nursery so early. And that might change my opinion on the need for a full size crib @pdx2020

keeksie84 · September 2019

We had a Snoo Bassinet for DD that we absolutely swear by. I have no idea what we were thinking when we sold it, but we are 100% buying another. They are $$$$, but we got ours for $770 after tax (which is a lot of money for us) with military discount and sold it for $650, so it didn't end up costing an arm and a leg. I just checked the website and they now offering a rental program.

I should preface this by saying she's a good sleeper, and in my head, the snoo helped her with that, but in reality I think we just lucked out.

We had DD in the Snoo until she was 6 months old. She started sleeping through the night at 3 months. She went through a bit of a regression around 5 months where she'd spit out her binky and cry till I put it back in. I was really nervous to transition her to her crib at 6 months, but after a week or so, she was sleeping through the night in there too.

Changing subjects

I second @kailanae's concern about picking up and putting down on the floor, especially in the first few weeks. Currently, DD's crib mattress is on the lowest setting and it's a struggle to get her in and out.

@orbmaker how old is your daughter? We'll need to transition her to a bed and a new bedroom soon, but I've been putting off researching toddler bed options because she sleeps so well in her crib.

kantobean · September 2019

@pdx2020 PNP works fine early one, but my DD was really too big for it by a little before age 2, and we weren’t really to switch to a real bed yet.

With DD i remember thinking “how can a baby need so many sleeping spots?” And boy did we use them. Nights she slept in a PNP with the bassinet insert, until about 6 months and then we coslept mostly until 15 months. Naps early on were in the swing, boppy lounger, or RNP (this object has been recalled and I’ve thrown it out!) or my arms. Eventually we did transition to the crib for naps and for at least some time every night, but until she was 15 months she was in our bed at least a few hours a night.

I liked everything we had and used but DD did not sleep through the night until almost age 2. I fully weaned at 23 months and that helped (even though I night-weaned by 15 months). I’m desperately hoping this baby is a better sleeper than my DD.

Anyway I don’t have big advice on which brands or particular items to use, except that for those early months it’s nice to have a variety of places baby can sleep around the house.

uno_mas · September 2019

With my first, we had a Moses basket next to our bed for the first couple months and he started sleep there and by morning after I’d had a few chunks of sleep then he’d sleep with us. We had a crib that he never used. Our cats took more (forbidden) naps in it than he ever did. He was in a toddler bed next to our bed once he turned 2, which was around the time he weaned. He was there until he was 5, then moved to a twin bed in his own room. Whew! It was hard that he only wanted to sleep with us and stressful for my marriage, but I know it works well for many families though. I got an arms reach cosleeper for my second and would swaddle her and put her in there for naps and bedtime. It was helpful for convenience of night nursing but she also got used to having her own designated sleep surface which was better for us. We were much more regimented with sleep in hopes of not having a kid who refused to sleep without me right there. I definitely did nap/some night sleep with her in our bed but transitioned her to her crib around 6 months and she did well there.. mostly. She also was still night nursing until 2yo so sometimes I’d end up pulling her in bed with me if she kept waking up/was teething/sick. We’re hoping to do the arms reach cosleeper again with baby 3, and would like to transition to the crib around 6 months. For better or worse, the crib will be in my daughter’s room which is connected to our room so I’m ok with baby being in the next room before 1 year since it’s still so close. If this baby is a tough sleeper, I might try the snoo because otherwise the baby will end up in our bed and my husband hates sharing the bed with kids. I’m not necessarily for or against cosleeping.. it’s all so personal and you do what makes the most sense for your whole family. Cosleeping or just having the baby close can make nursing so much easier. Here’s another great resource for safe cosleeping by Dr. James McKenna, who studies sleep practices and breastfeeding extensively. https://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/

mondo77 · September 2019

I used a pack n play for the first couple months with my son. Then we moved his crib into our room and he slept swaddled or in a Merlin suit. After some friends recommended, I found a snoo on Facebook marketplace. Hoping this helps with getting new baby back to sleep in middle of the night.

After one one trip with the heavy pack n play I purchased the baby Bjorn light travel crib. It’s light, and easy to set up/pack up so in its own little case. Grandparents can figure it out! We do have to check it as luggage though which adds a cost

mrsvp614 · September 2019

I'm a safe sleep freak, and work in media where I've covered several tragic baby deaths, so I was/am far too paranoid to co-sleep. ETA: I should specify, that I mean bed-sharing, not room-sharing, which is recommended. I tend to follow most of the recommendations from the Evidence Based Safe Sleep group on Facebook, which sticks to AAP guidelines. (Ex. ABCs of safe sleep, only swaddling up to 8 weeks, no use of dock-a-tots, etc.)

With that being said, after a few days home with DS, we ended up ordering this bassinet, after we realized the Pack N Play was a PITA to move and reassemble all over the house. https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Rock-Play-Portable-Bassinet/dp/B008DDPL32 It's around $60 on Amazon, and was super easy to keep by the bed, but also move around the house wherever it was needed. We also used the Rock N Play, which I don't plan to use this time around, since it's been recalled.
We kept our Pack 'N Play in the basement, where we spent a lot of time watching TV. It had the changing attachment, which was a nice feature. We now use the PNP for travel, or have used it if other babies are at our house.

We were also fortunate to get a hand me down swing, but only let DS sleep in there supervised. We have a hand me down Mommaroo for the next baby. As with everything, you never know what your baby will love/hate, so it's nice when you can use things like this before spending hundreds of dollars.

dunder_mifflin · September 2019

@keeksie84 I was going to ask about the Snoo! I am a FTM and I’ve been so interested in the snoo that I would rather purchase the simple $100 Ikea crib (I think it was voted one of the safest cribs on the market too) and splurge on the snoo. Looking for a used one because in Canada with our terrible dollar right now the Snoo is like $1500, but they resell very well. And I feel $1500 will be forgotten if we can get more sleep/have LO sleeping through the night faster. I also love the swaddle and the safety aspect.
Was the transition to crib difficult? I know they have a weaning option.

did anyone have a bad experience with a Snoo?

chichiphin · September 2019

like @MrsVP614 I'm a safe sleep freak as well. We are considering the halo right now, as we have TINY bedroom that can only accommodate a small item that swivels. I've also considered the snoo.

I'm also in the minority that I want the baby in a crib as soon as safe & reasonable.

orbmaker · September 2019

@keeksie84 my daughter is just about 18 months old and we hope to have her sleeping in the bed by 21 months or so (end of my second trimester). I know this is earlier than some folks transition their kids, but I think she can handle it/ will appreciate a more comfortable bed. It’s a floor bed and her room is completely child-proofed, so we’ll “lock her in” the room once she’s sleeping on the bed and maybe get a baby cam of sorts (have skipped that up until now). At first, we’ll just do naptime/bedtime books and snuggles in the bed, then move onto naps in the bed, then overnights once she’s used to that.

Madamemerle · September 2019

For S+TMs:

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): We lived in a tiny apartment with my first, so small and packable was a big plus for us.
Favorite [sleep surface/s]: my kiddo's was me... But I really loved our Arms Reach Cosleeper. It was small, simple, had mesh sides for safety. It could be right next to me while I slept. It was super easy to move from room to room. I loved it. I was sad to move my guy to his crib when he outgrew it.
Link/picture: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ITQOV0Q/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): I think it's around $150, but we got a used one for $50.
Likes/Dislikes: I guess it isn't that a esthetically pleasing but it is super practical.
Is there a [sleep surface/s] you don't have but are considering? Why?: We used the now recalled Rock n Play for attempts at naps and as a place to put him down for me to cook/pee etc and I am thinking about whether I need something to replace it. I have the Baby Bjorn jumpy seat thing (which is AMAZING) and I'm thinking that might be fine for the same thing...
Is there a [sleep surface/s] you've tried that you DON'T recommend? Why?: Erm, not really.
Additional thoughts on [sleep surface/s]?: We moved our son to a crib after the cos Leeper and I did like our Fisher Price crib. However, I looked specifically for a convertible crib when we got one and I wish I hadn't. We ended up moving our son straight to a big kid bed from the crib without ever converting it to a toddler bed. He just got too tall before he was old enough to use it as a toddler bed. So it was kind of a waste. Something to consider if you and/or your partner is tall.

keeksie84 · September 2019

@dunder_mifflin For our family, I think splurging on the Snoo and going cheap on the crib would be an excellent choice! Like I said above, we swore by ours and will be getting another for #2. If you have a friend/family member in the military (or retired) you could see if they could buy it on your behalf. They also go on sale regularly. I've also seen a bunch of FB marketplace.

As for transition, we had a rough(ish) few weeks. She did most of her naps in the crib since she was tiny so it wasn't too bad. When we transitioned she also seemed to going through a regression so we had to rock her to sleep for both naps and bed (we hadn't needed to do that for naps in the past). After a few weeks, we were able to (and still can) just plop her in her crib for both naps and night time and she'll fall asleep without crying.

@orbmaker Our daughter is 17 months, so we're in about the same boat! I'm thinking that we'll keep her in her crib until after baby comes and transition her sometime in the 6 months that #2 is in our bedroom with us. I'm thinking we'll do the same plan with starting with naps and such. In my very little research, I think I've convinced myself to wait longer than sooner, but it feels like a personal preference. She sleeps so well in her crib that I'm really afraid to rock the boat!

dunder_mifflin · September 2019

@keeksie84 thank you so much for the feedback! I feel more and more convinced about the Snoo the more I read about it

orbmaker · September 2019

@keeksie84 I’m just keeping an open mind about it! If she totally resists, we’ll think about other sleep options for new babe in our room until DD1 is ready, but I actually really wish I’d had DD1 sleeping in the full-sized crib in our room from the beginning, so that’s what I’d like to try this time around (on the theory that if I’d been a little more comfortable with a newborn fussing, she would have acclimated to it then, who knows). I’m actually really looking forward to the twin bed arriving just so I’ll have a more comfortable spot to pregnantly lounge in my daughters room, lol.

treetop19 · September 2019

Add me to the co-sleeping club - I really tried with both of my kids to get them to sleep alone when they first came home from the hospital, but all they did was scream. I co-slept with them at night while they were newborns because it was the only way to get some (half-decent) sleep - and it made night-nursing much easier. For day sleeping, we had a bassinet (on wheels.. just a cheap one from wall-mart) that we could roll from room to room (highly recommend, this made my daytime life much easier - could roll baby from room to room depending on where I was at) DD would day-sleep in the bassinet if she was well swaddled and drowsy when I put her down. DS would not.. he kicked out of any swaddle and made himself frantic... so, for most of his daytime sleeping, he was either laying on me or sleeping in his infant swing. The bassinet also doubled as a changing table for my kids when they were really little, as I didn't have a formal changing table and it was easier when they were newborns to use that to change them rather than the floor. I am going to try to get this third one to night-sleep in the bassinet as well as day-sleep, but I don't have high hopes of it working out.

When both my kids were around the 6 month age range, we transitioned night co-sleeping to sleeping in a crib in their own room. DD was much easier to transition than DS was... DS still woke frequently for night-feedings. For both of them, the transition was rocky at first. DD was in the crib until she was about 3, DS is 3.5 and is still in the crib.. I am going to transition him to a twin bed soon though, before this LO arrives.

In addition to a bassinet and crib, I have a pack-n-play. I use the pack-n-play just for travel - it worked great for us for that purpose.

lemonlove86 · September 2019

FTM over here but I feel similar to @chichiphin @mrsvp614. I know things can change once LO arrives, but I'd like to have LO sleeping in our room in a bassinet until 6 months, and also plan on going the Taking Cara Babies route sleeping in her own room. I'm so lost on what to get. It seems like we'd need a crib for the eventual transition to her room, a bassinet for next to the bed (I like the look of the open ones where you can easily reach over and take baby out), and then do we use the same bassinet once baby is bigger? And do we take bassinet from room to room so baby can nap downstairs during the day!? I hadn't even thought of that until I read some of these posts. Help!!

mrsvp614 · September 2019

@lemonlove86 Most bassinets have a weight limit of 15-20 pounds and can't be used once baby is sitting up on their own, so they're not used past that point. That's why I went with a less expensive option. However, cribs and Pack N Plays can be used longer, and many PNPs have a bassinet attachment so baby is up higher until they exceed the weight limit.

Personally, I'd recommend a crib for their room, although you probably won't need it right away. And a bassinet for your room, that's easy to move around the house.

treetop19 · September 2019

@lemonlove86, agree with@mrsvp614. I guess it all depends on your lifestyle on whether or not you need a bassinett to move from room to room - I know it worked for me, because I moved from living room to bedroom quite often during the day with my newborns... and when DD was sleeping, if I wanted to move rooms, I could just wheel her to the next room without waking her up. Some people may like to stay in one spot more. As for how long you will use the bassinett, probably not very long, depending on the size of your baby and the size of the bassinett. Most babies are too big for the smaller ones by 6 months as @mrsvp614 said. (this is why I opted for a cheap one, I knew I wouldn't use it long.) you will probably need a crib for when baby is older, though I know some people opt for the cheaper pack-n-play instead which they use as a crib. If you know you aren't on your last or only baby, a crib might be a good investment because you'll use it for future kids as well. (though I've bought 2 cribs in my life, since there is such a large age-gap between DD and DS, I had already gotten rid of the crib by the time DS came along.) I like having a crib vs. pack-n-play for home, the mattress is more comfortable in a crib and it allows for easier clean-up of accidents (pack-n-play mattress is not as easy to keep clean in my experience.) But, the pack-n-play is a definite bonus for travel and it saved my butt many times going to friends' or families houses and baby needing a portable place to sleep.

chichiphin · September 2019

so this is a dumb question... but if I put baby down for bed & I'm not ready for bed yet (so I guess for naps?), a baby monitor/cam is sufficient to "keep an eye" on baby? or does she physically need to be near me? We plan on having a bassinet in the bedroom up to 6 mo, then crib in nursery. We also plan on a PnP downstairs.

Am I overthinking this???

treetop19 · September 2019

@chichipin, I would think a baby monitor would be fine... I've never used them, so idk how that all would go. I always had my LOs close by me when they were newborns, just because, well.. they need you a lot and everything gets crazy (especially if you are trying to establish a breastfeeding relationship and dealing with difficulties in doing this.) It was just easier for me to have 'easy access' to them than have to run into another room, and also, I would often try to catch a few Z's whenever I could.. I just felt better if I crashed on the couch knowing baby was close by.. as often it wasn't in the 'plan' to crash on the couch, I just would because I was so tired! I guess it never even occurred to me to keep baby in a separate room when they were tiny because it seemed strange to me to do so and went against every instinct I had. Not to mention, I barely had time to shower and/or eat a decent meal, so.. having a leisurely time while baby napped in another room just never really happened when they were newborns, for me at least. I guess that all depends on if you have help after the birth or not. (I don't have family living close by, and DH could only get a few days off work.)

chichiphin · September 2019

@treetop19 so showering and eating were my main thoughts during naps once I no longer have MH at home haha

orbmaker · September 2019

@chichiphin depends on how far away you’ll be. Our house is all on one floor and I hear my baby fine without a monitor (I only use one if I’m gardening outside). You don’t need to be there every second — a baby is safe in her crib. The other thing is that it’s 100% fine if your kid cries for a few min while you finish your shower or what have you. They will be 100% ok. That said, it’s a totally normal thing to FEEL like you can’t leave them alone when sleeping (must watch you breathe! Etc!).

chichiphin · September 2019

@orbmaker we have two levels, and our only shower is on the second floor... so I have some working out to do on this one! but I won't stress too much yet haha

orbmaker · September 2019

@chichiphin I’m kinda minimalist with monitoring and the one we have is a $40 audio-only set that had good reviews on Amazon. I’ve literally left the parent unit out in the rain and it still works. It’s by V-Tech.

stassischroeder · September 2019

This whole thread is giving me anxiety LOL

We used the RNP religiously, and had a rough time transitioning DS to a flat sleep surface. He also wasn't a great sleeper in general until we sleep trained at 6m, and didn't STTN until 13 mo. Of course the RNP isn't an option anymore, and who the hell knows what baby #2 will be like.

I'm sure I'll spend way too much money on whatever it takes to get this one to sleep!

miss.sally · September 2019

@stassischroeder truly I think they’ll get used to whatever you use, regardless. Unless of course you have a colicky baby or something. If you stick to whatever you choose baby will be ok.

Did anyone have a Moses basket? I kinda want one because I think they’re cute but not sure how’s practical. Lol

stassischroeder · September 2019

@miss.sally I sincerely hope you're right! I'm planning on at least trying to keep this baby on a flat sleep surface from the start, unless we need a slight incline for reflux, etc. However I seem to have my own mental block of feeling like they'd be more comfortable in something more "cuddly," but I suppose that's the purpose of swaddling.

chichiphin · September 2019

@stassischroeder just remind yourself that babies slept on rocks and hay for millennia lol

stassischroeder · September 2019

@chichiphin

rocks, hay, drawers, boxes.... maybe I'll skip the bassinet and just empty a drawer in our dresser LOL

Madamemerle · September 2019

@stassischroeder You can just do the baby box thing! I actually very much considered it for my first, but I was worried about the cat jumping in.

Finnish Baby Boxes: https://www.finnbin.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzozsBRCNARIsAEM9kBN_LRN-OVdnLnHGMcIWk5SPkX7uTSZCmBtZdybHWiQd5yIadV3znfoaAlBhEALw_wcB

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