Product Spotlight Series: Cribs/Travel Cribs/Sleeping Surfaces

Louise_Belcher · March 2020

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions about, S+TMs to share their prior experience with, and everyone to share what they're eyeing in the world of maternity, baby and postpartum products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week we're discussing CRIBS, TRAVEL CRIBS & OTHER SLEEPING SURFACES. Feel free to write openly or to follow the prompts.

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?:

Louise_Belcher · March 2020

We live in a house and will have a dedicated nursery. Baby will sleep in a bassinet similar to this for probably 8 weeks in our room before transitioning to his/her crib in the nursery as we did with our other kids. It seemed to lead to good sleeping habits so my fingers are crossed we will get lucky a third time.

Loved that our bassinet could fold down and stow under the bed when not in use as our bedroom has minimal walking space. I also loved that it could easily be moved around the house and traveled with when needed. The link is to our crib although our finish is different. I have loved this crib. I knew I did not want one that converted to a twin bed as I planned to have kids close together and didn't want to have to store crib parts for multiple cribs when they converted to twin beds. We purchased the toddler rail, but only used it for 3 months total and only with our second child. I also knew I would want to design "big boy" rooms when they transitioned out of the crib and likely whatever I picked for a baby would not match that aesthetic. So far that has worked wonderfully and I love the twin beds that the boys each got when they turned 20mo. I do not have any plans to purchase any additional sleep surfaces at this point since the recommendation is for a flat firm surface and anything additional seems repetitive.

mflowers929 · March 2020

So, with DS I totally planned on having him sleep in the bassinet part of our pack and play, and then transitioning to the crib, which is the loose plan for this baby too. But everything changed when we got home because DS would scream for hours if I put him down anywhere but in bed with me or in his swing. So, basically, I'm prepared to be flexible.
We currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment, and the second bedroom is DSs room (he naps there, but sleeps with us still) so baby will still end up in our bedroom with us.

readytobemama · March 2020

We've just purchased a used Ikea crib that converts into a toddler bed (wasn't looking for a convertible one but it was the cheapest so grabbed it). We live in a house as well and this is our first, so the baby will have its own room. I'm still looking for a bassinet for the first few weeks, my grandma has offered us a hand made one that's never been used but it's low to the floor so I'm still thinking about it. It doesn't collapse or anything either so I suppose we'd just give it back after we're done as we don't have room to store it, though it will be a pain to step around in the meantime.

I'm quite sure there'll be a recession after this virus clears up so I'm trying to only buy the necessities, and buy them used, so I really want to take up Grandma's offer of the bassinet but it's definitely not what I'd pick in normal times.

swizzlemalarkey · March 2020

I’ve been meaning to start these but I keep forgetting. Thank you @Louise_Belcher 🤍

Louise_Belcher · March 2020

@greyl No problem! Sorry to jump in. I am bored.

@readytobemama That is smart about trying to source second hand because of the likely recession. Even if you take the bassinet from your grandma you could keep your eyes out for a sale or second hand portable one that would be more space saving and return it to her if you find something that fits better. Also I have heard great things about IKEA cribs!

beaandthebabes · March 2020

We live in a house and for us baby will sleep in our room for 6 months to a year. 2 still sleeps with us a lot of the time but I’m hoping that getting him a big boy bed will help motivate him to sleep in his room more or we’re going to have to invest in a bigger bed.
Eventually the boys will share a room.

We still have 2’s crib but I am opting for a different bassinet this time. I found a Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer for a great price on eBay. I loved our old bassinet because it was really pretty and it had this lovely wind chimes sleep sound but I wanted something that would make night feeds easier especially while recovering from a c section so I went with the co sleeper kind this time.
I’ll probably set up the old one in the living room for naps.

I also have a Moses basket that I like for visiting relatives and for hanging out on our deck to get some air.

Our Crib (Although I got it on sale 3 years ago so both my crib and mattress were a little less than it goes for now):
https://www.wayfair.com/baby-kids/pdp/little-seeds-monarch-hill-ivy-crib-w002966712.html?piid=1275397790

Our Old Bassinet:
https://www.target.com/p/simmons-kids-slumbertime-elite-gliding-bassinet-peacock/-/A-48328410

Our New Bassinet (only I got mine on eBay for $130 with shipping):
https://www.amazon.com/Beside-Dreamer-Bassinet-Bedside-Sleeper/dp/B07FYN5FS9

raesky1111 · March 2020

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): My bf and I are looking to move into a 2-3 bedroom house within the next three months closer to our jobs and the hospital where I'll be having the little chitlin. I love traveling but I've agreed to put that on hold or have someone trusted watch the baby until summer before it turns four, when I was gonna start up camping every summer because it's enriching and fun. Older baby gets, more traveling will happen =D

[Sleep surface/s] you're interested in: I definitely want a convertible crib, even if it's more expensive with each child because I feel like I will save money in the long run. As for the mattress, I'm going to get the Graco crib/toddler mattress.

Link/picture: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dream-On-Me-Ashton-Full-Panel-Convertible-5-in-1-Crib-Charcoal/868244774?selected=true This one for a boy, since the headboard is elegant and I feel will translate well into adulthood
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dream-On-Me-Kaylin-5-in-1-Convertible-Crib-Black/549057533 And this one for a girl because it's cute af and I adore the curve in the headboard.

Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $$ - about $250 for either crib

swizzlemalarkey · March 2020

@Louise_Belcher no problem at all! I have no objections to who starts these. I’ve been slacking so anyone is welcome! I think I’m the owner of the spreadsheet though so i can update it next time I’m on my computer. Can’t figure out how to change it to public editing lol

rosesintherain · March 2020

We have a dedicated nursery and plan to move our 2.5 year old out of his crib before baby boy comes.

we have an arms reach cosleeper that is like 7 years old. I’m looking at a new bassinet I’m thinking this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SSX5YC2?colid=B7S67GRPZKDU&coliid=I284NAVC49JM6H&ref=br_vv_mobile

But I love seeing other people’s ideas!

Louise_Belcher · March 2020

@beaandthebabes I love your crib and that new bassinet looks awesome!

readytobemama · March 2020

@beaandthebabes love your crib too!

beaandthebabes · March 2020

Thanks! I love it too! My only complaint is that it is quite tall and I am super short lol it can be hard for me to lay DS down in it without waking him up.

swizzlemalarkey · March 2020

I definitely want a convertible crib if possible. The one @raesky1111 posted looks so cool! I love things that are good investments and will last. Since I don’t have a lot of monies atm lol Baby will be sleeping in the room with us at first. So I’ll probably try to get a bassinet that way I won’t have to worry about the crib right away if something happens financially. Then they will transfer to the crib. I haven’t even begun to look since I’m not sure where we will be living yet. Loving everyone’s suggestions and choices though!

balletnerd · March 2020

S+TMs:

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): House. Baby will have their own nursery with DD’s old crib. (Convertable) But they prob won’t sleep there until at least 4ish months old. With breastfeeding I definitely found it easiest to have DD sleep in the pack and play in our room. I think she was there till around 6 months.
Favorite [sleep surface/s]: pack and play and crib
Is there a [sleep surface/s] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Want a smaller travel crib- like a mini pack and play because we travel a lot.

swizzlemalarkey · March 2020

Can we also talk about portable sleeping surfaces?
Did you have a pack n play?
Dockatot or Snuggle Me?
Any suggestions on those?

Louise_Belcher · March 2020

@greyl We do not own a pack n play but have access to my parents when needed and it definitely got used between our two houses. The extras on top that some come with did not get used really. The dock-a-tot is not a safe sleeping surface so I won’t own one. Lots of friends have the lotus travel crib and love it.

angbaby83 · March 2020

@greyl We have a pack n play that we used when our daughter slept in our room. We have traveled with it but it’s a little big. We bought a travel crib from graco and we really loved that for travel. She’s outgrowing it though so that sucks.

https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Travel-Lite-Stages-Manor/dp/B00HAZUJLI

We didn’t really use any other portable sleeping things.

cabearit · March 2020

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): House. The plan is to have new baby in our room until they are STTN because after that they will be sharing a room with big brother (who is only 11 months right now). I'm afraid if we put them in the same room in the beginning, he will start waking up again and I can't handle two babies at night!
Favorite [sleep surface/s]: When Liam was little, we used a Graco Playpen with the bassinet top, but it was too large to comfortably put right next to the bed, so I'm thinking of a Halo or another bedside sleeper. As far as a crib goes, we found a used Pottery Barn crib off of Facebook Marketplace and we love it. When new baby is ready for the crib, Liam will move to an IKEA floor bed.
Is there a [sleep surface/s] you don't have but are considering? Why?: I'm playing around with the idea of a Doc-A-Tot, but I am worried about safety.

cabearit · March 2020

@greyl I have a Graco Pack-n-Play and my last babe slept in the top (bassinet portion) for the first 6 months. It was easy to move around and felt really stable. We haven't used it since because we haven't traveled with him, but if we did, we would certainly bring it. It's very similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Y9AKZI/ref=twister_B07D1W3V7Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

swizzlemalarkey · March 2020

@Louise_Belcher good to know! I see everyone raving about the dockatot etc so now I‘m thinking why spend so much money on one if baby can’t even sleep in it???

@cabearit I like that option a lot. I definitely want to get a bassinet that can be used for a while so the fact that it can be used as a regular pack n play after is awesome.

raesky1111 · March 2020

I actually have the pack and play that @cabearit posted on my registry! It seems to be very highly rated and I think for travel it would be perfect since I don't plan on just leaving my baby at anybody's house or really going anywhere until I'm more secure in my parenting lol.
I've seen this thing on my Facebook feed lately that looks like a hammock kind of that rests above the crib??
(Of course now that I look for it I can't find it, but I'll edit or respond again if I find it!)
I'm not really considering it as much as I'm side-eyeing it suspiciously. I just don't see how that could be safe.

balletnerd · March 2020

@greyl. We used a pack and play that had a bassinet on top until she outgrew it and loved it. Since she was so small she used it for a long time. We’re going to use the same one for this baby.

Louise_Belcher · March 2020

The upper level of a pack n play can be very useful for tummy time or play time when you have other kids or animals running around. I forgot that we set up my parents pnp in our living room for a couple months after having our second because my older son was a bit to oblivious when running around the living room for it to be safe to have the baby on the floor and walk away for a moment.

@raesky1111 I know the hammock you are talking about. From what I understand it is not approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and definitely does not meet APA standards for a safe sleep surface. It appears to have a significant chin to chest risk. Also it would have a very short usefulness as a baby learns to roll pretty quickly and that would then be a fall risk.

elsie42 · March 2020

Another +1 for the pack n play with the bassinet part on top. That’s what we used for DD until we moved her to her own room/crib. We also traveled with it and it’s held up great. My parents and in-laws have one at their homes too and she’s slept in it fine there as a toddler too. We got a sheet set from Target or amazon to use with it (just make sure the sheets are the right size so they fit tightly and aren’t a suffocation risk)

slr1229 · April 2020

This will be my third child.

We use a bassinet for a few months next to bed. You don’t need any special- these kids grow FAST and working Moms- you’ll want to move them to the crib prior to going back to work so you get rest unless you’re a worry wart. Practice naps in the crib.

For my second we got the Dock a Tot and loved it.

Have been using the same Graco Pack n Play since baby 1 for trips to lake, etc. Don’t get a tiny pack n play, they grow fast and will be using it until they’re in a big bed.

swizzlemalarkey · April 2020

H doesn’t think we need a bassinet. He thinks we should just put the crib in our room with us. Did anyone do that? How well did it work?

robinj716 · April 2020

I have a pack and play with the bassinet on top for downstairs and then a small bassinet for my room for the first few weeks and when I am showering and such. I put my son in his crib when he was 3 weeks old and it worked well. Will most likely do similar sleeping arrangements with this baby.

raesky1111 · April 2020

I finally found the baby hammock!! The site doesn't look like it can provide proof of any kind of certification and I'm seriously concerned at the amount of people not questioning the safety of it. "Cool" sleep surface doesn't mean safe sleep surface 🙄

swizzlemalarkey · April 2020

@raesky1111 that definitely looks like it could potentially be really unsafe especially since babies can roll relatively early. Also the fact that it’s 70% off is a yikes from me!

swizzlemalarkey · April 2020

I cannot stop thinking of questions because I’m crazy lol there aren’t any safe bumpers right? I’m pretty sure they’re all safety hazards?

megsmcp · April 2020

@greyl they have "breathable" bumpers but in my opinion they still aren't safe. When baby is small enough to suffocate in the bumpers, they aren't moving enough to stick their hands out of the crib and get stuck anyway

momofmiracles31889 · April 2020

@greyl you’re not crazy! I did so much researching with DS and still do and have my DH research when I’m getting too stressed lol. We just want our babies safe! I am very much a stickler to the AAP recommendations for safe sleep. We had baby sleeping on back in his own space (crib, pack and play, bassinet etc), on a firm mattress with no gaps between sides, fitted sheet and nothing else in crib. We swaddled DS in Velcro swaddles (made sure they were secure and not close to his face) until he started to roll then he just slept in fitted footie pajamas. It took until he was closer to 18 months until we felt comfortable letting him sleep with a lovey and DH and I are still a little paranoid about it and go in and move it away from him if it gets too close to his face. He loves it though and will find it and bring it back in for snuggles lol

momofmiracles31889 · April 2020

I should add though- DS would not sleep on his own more than a few hours for the first couple months so we held/rocked him to sleep but did our absolute best to stay awake while holding him in a recliner. DH and I took shifts and watched ALOT of Netflix lol

swizzlemalarkey · April 2020

@megsmcp good point!!

@momofmiracles31889 Thank you! that’s probably how I’ll be too! I see some photos of how babies are sleeping on my social media and I just cringe. Thanks again for the insight!!

robinj716 · April 2020

@raesky1111 yikes that thing just makes me envision the side coming unhooked and the baby being all wrapped up in it!

I did the same as others- crib, nothing in it, swaddled in HALO swaddle sack. I didn’t let him have a stuffed animal to sleep with until almost 1 1/2 years old. I’m just too paranoid after hearing all of the accidental death stories with pillows and blankets.

swizzlemalarkey · April 2020

A girl I went to school with posted a photo of her 1 month old sleeping in a dockatot in a bassinet. I really hope she’s not leaving him alone like that. Now that I see it it definitely does not look that safe especially with how close his face was to the side.

raesky1111 · April 2020

After seeing a beautiful quilt my dad bought for Scarlett, I'm wondering - is it safe to lay it down over the sheet and let baby sleep on top of it? Not covered with the blanket but just sleeping on top because it's so adorable I could cry. I should have taken photos of it today to show you guys!

megsmcp · April 2020

@raesky1111 I would recommend tucking it under the mattress so it doesn't pull up, but otherwise I wouldn't see an issue with babe sleeping on it

momofmiracles31889 · April 2020

@greyl I hate how those companies claim that they can be used for sleeping- and of course babies look adorable and cozy in them- but they go completely against the AAP requirements for safe sleep 🤦🏻‍♀️ I considered registering for one for awake time for baby to lounge but decided against it bc they’re way to pricey for just that use haha

@raesky1111 that is very sweet your dad bought Scarlett a quilt! Sounds like it will be great to lay her on for some super cute photos, tummy time, and maybe as a bedspread when she is a toddler but it isn’t recommended to have extra blankets in the crib even for baby to lay on bc it could bunch up under her and get too bulky, she could grab it and pull over face etc just a fitted sheet without bulk is safest

I have a cute quilt in DS’s nursery that I love so for now I draped it over our recliner in there for decoration!

Louise_Belcher · April 2020

@raesky1111 I agree with @momofmiracles31889 and would find other uses until it is safe for baby to have access to a quilt. Tummy time, special photos, or to be snuggly in the rocker were our main uses of special blankets we received. Best to lean toward caution and it would also help to keep the quilt protected from spit up and blown diapers.

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Product Spotlight Series: Cribs/Travel Cribs/Sleeping Surfaces

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