Pack n play vs bassinet?

[ashybug]

So I need some sort of thing to keep the baby in because we will be room sharing while I'm nursing.

So we were leaning towards a pack n play, like this one.https://www.target.com/p/graco-newborn-napper-elite-pack-n-play-playard-vance/-/A-13937898?intc=8675309_hl13937898_null&lnk=other_slp_hl_tl_x1y5

But are they actually safe or meant for overnight sleeping?

Or should I just get a bassinet?

I figured the pack n play doubles as a changing table and can be used for longer...but... opinions?

 

[DebbieF]

Stalking... I have the exact same questions as you.

 

[SurpriseMom2B]

I went with the Pack n Play, I know tonnes of people who have used them for sleeping the first few months. I didn't research it but I assumed they were safe? Now I'm worried lol

 

[Beadle]

My mother used a pack n' play all the time with my sister, and FOB didn't even have a crib at his house for his first child, she just had a pack n' play in her room and she slept in that up until she was almost 2 and climbing out of it, then she moved up to a normal bed. As long as you treat it like a crib and not have any blankets or animals and other items that can suffocate them in there until they're older it's perfectly fine.

 

[lovelymiss]

Pack n Plays are totally safe! I work in an agency doing Preventive Services, basically follow up to CPS. We buy pack n plays for our baby clients all the time because it's most cost efficient. Plus, it has more use than a bassinet! You can continue to use the Pack n Play as a "travel crib," even when your baby no longer sleeps in it nightly. Or just for play time.

 

[sojourn]

Totally safe. I work at a pre-school with a daycare attached and our babies are in pack and plays for naps.

We went the bassinet route, simply because it was way smaller than the pack and play we had already been gifted and it's a little more easily portable. Mine has a moses basket style top, so the baby can nap all over the house or wherever I am.

To each his own. Both options are safe, your pack and play plan is great since it will be useful, longer.

 

[Srrme]

I have a Pack n' Play and chose it over a bassinet since it has a bassinet area and can be used longer! I would say they're safe. I haven't heard or read otherwise, and the area that is used as a "bassinet" looks no different than an actual bassinet. :shrugs:

 

[xxenigmaxx]

We have both. However, we only used the bassinet for 2, or 3 months max before baby got too big. We then put him in out pack and play (the top part), where he stayed for a few more months. When he out grew that, he slept in the bottom part in our room until he was a year and ready for his own room and crib. Plus, if you ever travel, they are awesome to take with you. We have taken ours on many vacations, and our son sleeps great because he is used to it. He is 2 and a half, and even though we don't use it at home anymore, we will still be taking to a house we are renting so he has a secure place to sleep. You get a lot more use out of it than a bassinet, and it has many functions, and you can use it for a lot longer.

 

[ashybug]

Thanks! I will definitely be getting the pack n play then

 

[Jencocoa]

They are safe! You are fine with either option. A pack in play is something you can use for other purposes into toddlerhood, whereas a bassinet they out grow quicker Something to keep in mind.

 

[PandaMao]

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't use a pack n play. I know one couple who only ever had a pack n play for their baby not even a crib. He did just fine with it. I'll be getting a bassinet, but that's for space reasons. There's no way i could fit a pack n play next to my bed.

 

[Whitesoxfan41]

We went with the pack and play as well.

 

[bekkie]

We decided to use the pack and play - it has a 'bassinet' set up at the top so baby isn't too far down and it is the same height as our bed so it will work perfectly. we found the 'mattress' is the exact same firmness as the bassinet we were looking at but the nice thing is it's mesh so airflow will be better and baby won't grow out of it as quickly

 

[Kirstymum005]

We're going for a pack n play as it will last longer than a bassinet. Plus for the later stages he can sit in it and play without me worrying he'll be crawling everywhere. And it's a great place to store his toys I reckon :wink:

 

[x__amour]

Pack n Play, definitely. We had both and the bassinet was a huge waste of money. We used the Pack n Play until LO was 2!

 

[Proserpina]

I think a good pack 'n' play is one of the best pieces of baby gear you can invest in. We have ours with the bassinet set up in our room right next to our bed, and we are using the play yard underneath to "store" some other baby things until we are ready for them. We expect bubs will do his/her nighttime sleeping in the bassinet component until around 3 months.

I haven't even ordered my crib yet (doing that this week), but I sleep easy knowing that if bubs comes this week, s/he has somewhere to sleep that isn't in our bed (not hating on co-sleeping, it's just not our thing).

Now personally, when DD was born 7 years ago, I got a pack 'n' play with a changer on it. I did not find the changer all that useful. I just remember it being really tiny and DD outgrowing it rather fast; I think it had a weight capacity of 10 lbs. The crib I'm purchasing this time is a crib/changer combo with a much sturdier changer on it, so I just got a basic pack 'n' play without the changer/napper on it this time around.

But maybe they make the changers sturdier now with a better weight capacity, or maybe others have had better experiences with them. Try it and see if you like it.

 

[Squiggy]

We bought a miniature pack & play (called a travel lite) but baby doesn't like lying flat; I'm worried he may be having trouble breathing so we bought him an elevated "bassinet" rock n' play sleeper that is designed for babies with breathing problems.

Pack & Play Travel Lite

Rock & Play Sleeper

Our house is extremely tight on space, so even the travel lite takes up a lot of space in our room. The rocker/sleeper takes up a lot less space; but if you have the room for it - awesome!
I actually ended up using the travel lite as a changing station. I'm hopeful that he doesn't have actual breathing problems, his next pediatric visit isn't until end of next week.

 

[Nela]

We have a similar one downstairs for daytime sleeping. I've found it to be very handy. The only thing is ours didn't have a very good mattress so we purchased another for cheap to make it more firm and straight. Ours is a cheaper Graco model though so I would imagine at that price you might get a very nice mattress.

 

[d_b]

We have the travel lite pack n play as well, got lots of use. A full size one wouldn't fit in our bedroom... We used it for 6/7 months in our bedroom then for travel after. It did seem a bit small by the time he was 10 months or so but would probably be fine for longer, we just stopped using it because we got a full size one as a hand me down from a friend.

The bassinet is easier to move around the house but we didn't have one last time, might borrow one this time.

 

[Justagirlxx]

Definitely pack n play with the bassinet sleeper but make sure you get one that vibrates!! (can be a lifesaver with newborns) thats the only feature I like better about bassinets, usually they vibrate and rock and do all sorts of cool things. But they make pack n plays with those features now too. They are safe up to a certain weight just like bassinets and they are also a lot more useful later on! (My daughter doesnt play in hers but its really easy to pack up and take along if you need to sleep somewhere else for the night with the baby)