Portacrib all the time?

[emilyelizabeth28]

Hi,
We have a portacrib in our baby's room. We plan to use the bassinet for a while, but after that, is the portacrib sufficient to use on a daily basis, or do we need to buy a full-size crib? Thanks!
Emily

[lynettefrancois]

I think some folks use them for a few months, but then switch to a regular crib because the mattress in the PNPs suck, and baby sleeps better on a good mattress. Our baby never slept well in the the bassinet part of the portacrib after the first month, so I'll be using the full depth portion for some play time after she can sit up herself (we have dogs). HTH!

[Momof3Labs]

IMO, the portacrib isn't big or sturdy enough for a toddler/mobile baby (full time, at least), so I tend to think that you will be crib shopping somewhere along the way.

[american_mama]

After my daughter outgrew her bassinett, I used a Portacrib for my from ages 5 months to maybe 7 months until the right crib arrived in stock. Maybe I should clarify - I use the words portacrib and pack n play interchangably. Anyway, at that age, the only disadvantage was my discomfort in bending way down to lift her in and out. I did think, gosh, why does anyone buy a complete crib, but now that my daughter is 2 years old, I understand why.

Kids sleep better in cribs; the pack n play wouldn't work for an active toddler due to short length and thin padding, and the nylon fabric on a portacrib can be noisy. If your portacrib is a bit rickety, a toddler will probably shake it until it wobbles like a ship sailing on high seas. And there is that leaning down issue for mom and dad. We just used to pack n play for 10 days while traveling, and my daughter sleeps much better in her crib.

I think you and your child will be much happier with a crib in the long run, but you can probably also comfortably use the portacrib for a few months in the early stages.

- Karen