Will I want a cosleeper or all in one pack n play?

justforfun87

Mon, Mar 02 2015, 2:19 am

Get a snug a bunny rocker from Fisher Price. You can pull it right up to your bed and it is amazing. I have two children and have barely ever, if ever, used my pack n play. Also the changing table that comes with it has a very low weight limit which makes it useless. You will want a seperate changing table which can hold a baby as she/he grows.

Miri7

Mon, Mar 02 2015, 4:20 pm

I have had all my kids in bassinets in my room until I moved them to their own crib in their own room.

If you are going to buy a pack n play for travel, or to have at your parents when you visit, you could use it as a bassinet for those first weeks.

I thinks "changing tables" are a huge waste of money. I would get a good sturdy dresser that will last for years and put the changing pad on top of it. Otherwise you end up with this useless piece of furniture once you no longer need a changing table. A lot of the baby dressers have tiny drawers that don't work with bit kid size clothes.

miami85

Mon, Mar 02 2015, 4:59 pm

I think it depends on how big your room is where you want to keep baby and how much storage you have. A pack n' play is more useful in the long run, or if you travel by car or go away for Shabbos, or will benefit from a play pen and need a place to put baby down. A co-sleeper has very limited time frame for use, but can be super useful if your room is small and need something smaller between your beds. I personally like bassinets that can rock and sooth a fussy baby. Can you ask around to see if someone has a co-sleeper/bassinet you can borrow? They have less issues when it comes to borrowing vs. cribs b/c they have fewer removable pieces. I've borrowed one for each of my kids so far, many people are happy to lend them out so that they dont have to store it.

smss

Mon, Mar 02 2015, 5:02 pm

are you planning to buy a crib at some point? then do this: http://moregreenforlessgreen.c.....eper/

all the benefits of a co-sleeper, and you didn't have to buy any extra equipment.

(pack n play mattresses are pretty uncomfortable and once baby gets old enough to notice, they might object. co-sleeper mattresses aren't that much better, to be honest.)

seeker

Mon, Mar 02 2015, 8:56 pm

I used an Arm's Reach mini co-sleeper and loved it but it all depends on your setup/situation. Here was my reasoning:
1. Tiny room. The mini was really great compared to full size Pack n play
2. Someone was giving one away in excellent clean condition. (I.e. money was not an issue)
3. I already had a full size pack-n-play folded up in storage to use when needed (did not have bassinet) so it's not like I had to choose one or the other.

Things I learned from having one child in Pack-n-Play with bassinet and one in mini co-sleeper:
1. Cosleeper is not nearly as easily portable as pack-n-play. If you want to use the same item for home and travel, Arm's Reach will be a bit of a hassle, it is heavier and not as easy to fold.
2. There is, in fact, a HUGE advantage to the co-sleeper setup over the pack-n-play bassinet. It seems similar enough until you live both and see the difference. I did not have a c-section or anything making my movement harder, but the angle of raising/lowering a newborn to/from the bassinet was really awkward and strenuous when lying down in bed. You either need to sit upright and shuffle over or twist your back something awful. After that I really appreciated the ease of sliding the baby in and out of the cosleeper.
3. The mini comfortably fit my baby until at least 6 months or probably even more, don't remember. Not a small baby, either. At some point she was technically longer than the crib but she never slept stretched out anyway.
4. Neither one seemed at all uncomfortable with the thin mattresses of Pack n Play/Cosleeper. You can probably put a thicker mattress in if needed. Both were in Pack-n-plays well past the age they could have expressed discomfort, and they had plenty of experience with my bed so they did know what to compare to.