Sleep solutions on the road

[Saartje]

We'll be visiting family for a week or so, and Isaac is the youngest baby in the family to live in that area by more than 10 years, so there's no one we can borrow a baby bed from. We can cosleep at night (though it will be crowded), but I'm at a bit of a loss for what to do for naps. We have a bouncy seat, but he won't sleep in it.

A Pack-n-Play with a bassinette was my first thought, but I understand the weight limit on the bassinette is 15 lbs. He's roughly 13-14 lbs. right now, so that solution would only work for this one visit -- if that long.

Anyone have any other suggestions? I've been wondering whether a swing is what we need; I like the look of the Ocean Wonders swing, but will it fold up enough to fit in the car? I'm not as fond of the design of the travel version of that swing, but if there's another travel swing you'd suggest, I'm listening! Otherwise, do you have any other suggestions for nap solutions?

[sadie427]

When the baby outgrows the bassinet of the pack and play, which is actually just the regular mattress suspended up higher by a net thingie, you just move the mattress down and they sleep in there. It's always worked fine for us, in fact we started doing it before he strictly outgrew the bassinet because the bassinet moves a little and it would wake him up. Both sets of grandparents bought one, the most basic model is about $60 at Target or BRUS, which of course is even better than you bringing one with you if that's an option. I think they can use it for some time, as long as they can use a crib, at least a friend called me asking to borrow it for a 2 year old. Then you won't need to cosleep either, unless you want to.

If you don't generally use a swing, I wouldn't get it just for naps--some babies sleep in it and some don't. I personally found the Ocean Wonders Swing to be a waste of money, although a lot of people like it. It is not very portable, it does kind of fold but it would take up a lot of room in the trunk. But there have been a lot of posts about that swing, so I won't take up space about that right now!

[kaitlinsmommy]

When we traveled, I have had dd sleep in the PNP (floor of), on a blanket on the floor or on a bed with pillows on both sides (before she was mobile).

[amp]

Ditto what everyone else said. You just move the mattress down to the bottom, to the play pen portion and they sleep there. That's what we are doing. In fact, we did it last week, and my DS is 13 mths and 25.5lbs. It works great to take to grandparents or a hotel room. Some hotel rooms do have these available as a portable crib if you request it.

[Momof3Labs]

If he isn't sleeping in a swing now, I wouldn't buy one and try to haul it on a vacation. If he sleeps in the crib at home, I'd go with a PNP (not the bassinette). Colin is 25lbs and 36" tall and slept in a PNP last week on vacation for the first time - he's almost too long for it, but it did the trick! If you travel to see family frequently, you'll get plenty of use out of the PNP.

You can also rent cribs in most areas, if that appeals to you more.

Bottom line, I'd go with something that is most similar to where he sleeps at nighttime and naptime when at home.

[Raidra]

We're traveling next week, and Colwyn will sleep in the PNP. My mother in law already has one, so we don't have to bring ours, but we will be bringing our PNP sheets. I plan on sleeping with them for two nights before we leave, so that way they'll smell like home.

He slept in it before when we were on vacation w/o putting the sheets in bed with us, but he was much younger, so I don't know if he really noticed a difference.

He also slept in our arms for naps most of the time, but this trip he'll nap in his PNP.