Play yards

[jojo2324]

I was just wondering what people thought of these things. Are they very necessary? We were at BRU the other day and kind of glanced at them, but I feel like it might be overkill, between the crib, cradle, swing seat, etc. I understand that they are good for travel, which we will be doing after the baby arrives. If we were to get one, which would you recommend? I like the idea of everything being included (changing area, bassinet, diaper organizer), but it seems that the majority of them don't have all of those options. It seems that Graco has the market kind of tied up, but Baby Trend has a couple of styles also. Any opinions? Thanks!

[Elaine]

They do seem to be one of "the" things to have, don't they? ;)

I know people who swear the Pack-n-Play is the best invention since sliced bread. My experience is limited because my daughter is only 3 months old, but... I would recommend trying to get one second-hand unless you get one as a gift. My daughter never liked sleeping in the bassinet feature and we have been using it as a catch-all for all our other baby stuff in the family room. Hopefully she will get some use out of it eventually as play yard, but I have a feeling she isn't going to like being cooped up.

[egoldber]

Well, I really liked my PacknPlay for many reasons. I ended up having an unscheduled C section and therefore my stair climbing was very limited the first few weeks. We used the PacknPlay to set up a "baby station" on the main floor of my home so that I didn't need to go upstairs to the nursery to do "baby things". I found that to be so convenient, that I have continued to use it for this purpose.

I love the changing table feature on the PacknPlay. My baby napped in the bassinet part during the day (slept in her crib at night) until she was about 6 weeks. After that she didn't really nap very well in there and I stopped using it for that purpose. I now use it to hold all my diapers, wipes etc for the changing table part. Mine also came with a big netting thing that I used while she was napping in order to keep our cats from jumping into the bassinet with her!

We also use it when driving to visit folks as a portable crib and changing station. I think that the play yard feature will be more useful when she is older, but not necessarily for her to "play" in. I see it as being more useful for having a safe, secure place to put baby for a couple minutes while I answer the door, run to the bathroom, etc. and can't watch her. I am dreading a little the day when she becomes self-mobile!

So is it a "must" have, obviously not. But they can be very convenient. If I had to do it again, I would probably not buy one with the bassinet feature, but I do love that changing table.

Beth
(Mom to Sarah, born 8/14/2001)

[Geebee]

I found the Pack N Play to be a "must have". I have one with a changing table, but I never used it. The feature that I liked was the wheels on one end so I can pick up the other and drag it around the house.

I have used it for two things. One, I used it as playpen, but you have to start early (2 months or so). I began using it as a playpen because I had an aggressive dog. Most people that I know tried using it when the baby started crawling, but most babies wouldn't go for that at such a late age. If you start early, your baby will be used to it and you can get something done! I put my daughter in it every morning for 30 minutes to an hour until she was about 1 year old or so. I could do laundry and dishes, etc., she was safe, and she was used to it. Since she was used to it, it was easy to throw her into the playpen when I really needed it (like bringing in the groceries). I even dragged it outside a few time and put her in it while I washed the car.

The other thing is a travel bed. My daughter is 2 years old, and I still use it for this purpose. We have taken it to friends' house when we were just visiting for an evening, and we have taken it to both sets of grandparents' house (one in town, one out of town). If you don't think that you will be traveling or grandparents are willing to buy a crib, then you might not need it for this purpose. Even if she spends just the day with her grandparents, I take it for her nap.

Another situation to consider is the two-story house. If you have a two story, even if your bedroom is upstairs, you might want to have a place to change, etc., the baby without going upstairs. In this case, you might want some of the other features (like the parent organizer and changing table). I still don't think that the bassinet feature is necessary. It is nice so you don't have to bend over to pick up your newborn (especially after a c-section), but most babies seem to outgrow that feature quickly.

I hope that helps!