Pack and Play vs Regular Bassinet

[alexiel981]

Hi all,

I have already posted this question in the "around the house" board, but I just realized that it might have been the wrong board. So, here we go again...

I really hope you can help me because I have done so much research but I couldn't find an answer to my dilemma!!!! We would like to buy either a bassinet or a pack and play with bassinet feature to put in our bedroom so that our baby can stay in our room for the first months. However, I really cannot decide between the two. I know that a bassinet is used only for a short period of time and some consider it "a waste of money", whereas a pack and play is more versatile. However, I found that the bassinet attachment on pack and plays are kind of "flimsy" and I am not sure it would provide enough support for the baby's back. What is your opinion? Is there anything I could buy to make the bassinet in the pack and play a little firmer (that would work with Graco pack and plays)?

Thank you very much in advance for your advices!!!!

[pastrygirl]

One thing to keep in mind is that the PnP bassinet has a weight limit of 15 pounds. My son reached that at less than 3 months old. I had NO idea he'd be so big, but I planned ahead just in case and got a co-sleeper with the higher weight limit. I kept the PnP downstairs... and he used it maybe three times in his entire life. I'm hoping the next baby will sleep in it!

[alexiel981]

Thank you!!!! I had not thought about a co-sleeper. Surely it's something I will be looking at. Some particular brand or model you would suggest?

[HIU8]

I second a co sleeper or a cradle for your bedroom. We had DD in a cradle in our bedroom and the PNP was downstairs in the family room (I wanted several places to be able to put her down). FWIW, I was only able to use the bassinet feature for DD for maybe 3 months. DD started out tiny, but nursed like a fiend. I ended up taking the bassinet feature out of the PNP and just put DD all the way in (hard to bend over all the way for a young baby, but I did it.

[Indianamom2]

If you travel with any frequency, especially overnight, the pack and play is a must, IMO. We didn't use it as a basinet for sleeping, but found the changing table indespensible for downstairs, plus it gave us a good place for napping during the day downstairs, if needed.

Although the bassinet feature doesn't hold a lot of weight, the actual pack and play will work for quite a while longer.

Good luck!

Christina

[Andi98989]

We have a bassinet that we will be using in our living room for nap time and such, but we will get a pack n play to use for traveling.

[alexiel981]

Thank you all for your suggestions!!! Sometimes it gets sooo overwhelming!

[seedoubleyou]

Firstly I don't know which bassinet you're referring to. Some of the bassinets I've seen are very similar to the PNP's bassinet. I'd say go for the PNP because the play pen can be doubled up as a crib there are countless moms I know of who use that as a crib before transitioning the child to a full sized bed with a guard rail. Secondly your baby might have gas reflux so terrible you may have to put him in an inclined position on a Napnanny, car seat, or Tucker Sling in the play pen because the bassinet's too elevated and there is a danger of baby rolling off the side.

To address your concern about mattress being flimsy, on the contrary it is firm and stiff. It looks flimsy because the bassinet is in suspension but rest assured it's all safe as long as you adhere to the weight limits as stated in the instruction manual. It's safe or it would have been recalled by now. As a safety precaution you might want to purchase an older model they're safe if they have been around for a while and not recalled. Newer models have yet to be tested for faults.