Pack-n-play, co-sleeper bassinet or a crib

[PGTB]

We don't have a separate room to make a nursery for our baby (live in a one-bedroom apt in NYC, but maybe moving to a 2 bedroom sometimes in the future), he'll be sleeping with us for the first few months in our bedroom.

We do have space to put some baby furniture in our bedroom, it's large enough to fit the crib and an additional dresser for the baby. Not much else though.. We are hesitating to get the crib, we heard that it might be easier to just get a co-sleeper bassinet that attaches to the side of our bed. My friends recommended it, as it made their life easier nursing in the middle of the night.

I've also read about pack-n-play that comes with the bassinet and the changing area, which IMO seems to be more versatile and worthwhile (we won't have space for a separate changing area). We were thinking of getting the dresser with the changing cushion on top, but I'd rather just get a regular dresser (like white MALM from IKEA) instead of the overpriced baby specific dressers (don't see the difference between the regular adult dresser of lower height and the baby dresser). We were thinking of just driving to Ikea and picking up the MALM dresser and the white crib, but then I discovered pack-n-play. Are they really worth it? Or do you recommend the co-sleeper bassinet instead?

[Smillow]

I would absolutely go with the pack & play w/ bassinet option if space is limited. We used the travel lite (smaller) version downstairs & it was great. You can find almost unused pnp's on craigslist, too. We use an old maple server for our changing table (it's nice because it is taller than a regular changing table) - we just got a changing pad for the top.
When your baby starts to roll, he/she can sleep in the bottom part of the pack & play. The weight limit on the pnp changing table is 25 lbs.

[karstmama]

the arm's reach co-sleeper is basically a small pack & play that has a side that goes down partially and a belt and plate to hook it safely to your bed. i loved mine though i didn't nurse, but i think it's really geared for nursing. however, you can also detach it from the bed and put the side up and have a small pack & play.

pack & play - wonderful. we used the bassinet insert until he learned to sit by himself, then used it without the insert for a long time for naps. heck, we still use it sometimes as a travel bed.

if you are 5'6" or more, definitely consider a regular dresser for changing table - doesn't need to be quite as high as a kitchen counter, but close.

i think if if were you, i'd go for the arm's reach or pack & play now, and not worry about the crib until later. i mean, for many people the question about 'crib or not' is really about the baby's own room, but that's not the case here. so for max compactness, maybe the pack & play only, but for max versatility arm's reach attached to your bed and pack & play in another area set up as playpen or bassinet.

[AnnieW625]

We used the pack n play w/the bassinet option and with the changing area on top and it worked fine. I am 5'6", and DH is 6'0" and neither of us had any issues with changing table. We did have another changing table in the baby's room which worked just fine for once DD was out of the PNP. We only used the PNP at night until DD was 3 mos. old, and then during the day until she was around 4 weeks old so we used the regular crib in the day to transition her.

[pharmjenn]

I agree with skipping on a crib at the moment. I used a PNP in my living room for naps in the beginning, and the bassinet feature works great. I found the changing station too low for me (5'9") and really hurt my back. I do have a low "adult" dresser that we use in his room with the pad on top. No problems at all, and it is long enough for supplies, pad and 6in at the end for his feet now that he is longer than the pad.
Plus, a lot of kids end up never sleeping in their crib, either by parents choice of babies demands. If you wait on the crib till you decide if you really need it, you can use the money early on for all those diapers you will go through.

[MCsMom]

**deleted**

[wallawala]

We are also short on space, and did the Graco pack-n-play with "newborn napper" feature in our bedroom initially. Ours has the napper, which is like a papasan, plus the floor can be elevated for a 'bassinet' and there was a diper changing area. I loved the newborn napper as it snuggled her and the base streched so she ended up sleeping at a 45 degree angle. She was perma-congested until 6months, so actually slept in that instead of the flat bassinet feature. Saved us much misery! LOVED it more than the bassinet part which we use now at 7m here and there. We still have the pnp set up in our bedroom that we sometimes use if company is staying in our other room (den/office/baby room/guest room, stroller parking etc).

We did buy the crib of our dreams too... and have just transititioned in to that as part of teaching her to sleep through the night (a process much easier on baby than parents!).

In retrospect... the pnp with bassinet AND newborn napper, was exactly what we needed and I would buy again (if I didn't already have it). Will be using the PnP in the future as a playyard/travel crib too.

FYI... had a friend who really really liked having a moses basket (could put in bed at night to nurse and not feel worried about rolling over, could take to friends houses, could use in whatever room). Restoration hardware has a cute moses basket stand for about $80 that would turn a moses basket into a bassinet. Very cute, I drooled over it in retrospect. But honestly the PNP solution really is still the best for us (city dwellers in tiny condo).

[PearlsMom]

I'm also debating the crib/bassinet/PnP thing still, so I feel you! I think we're leaning towards just setting the crib up in our bedroom, then moving it to the nursery if/when we get that set up and I can bear the thought of sleeping in a different room from my LO. I think we'll get the Bjorn travel crib for overnight trips -- not as pretty as the PnP I think, but much lighter. And I've witnessed the incredibly quick set up/break down, which sold me.

FYI, I measured our Malm dressers and this changing pad (a few inches shorter than standard) should fit on top just right, though you'll have to store supplies in the dresser because it will take up the whole dresser top. I've ordered one but haven't tried it out in person yet. http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=15163127&

Good luck!

[MacMacMoo]

Something to consider if the layout works out and if you bed can accomidate is to get a crib that is designed to turn into a toddler bed and sidecar the crib to the bed.

Here's a link to give you an idea: http://www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/index.htm

[arivecchi]

I'd get the pack n play with bassinet and changing table. We have used our PNP a ton:

1) first 4-5 months for newborns to sleep in
2) for tummy time, to learn how to sit and stand
3) for travel
4) safe baby parking place :rotflmao:

[PGTB]

I'm also debating the crib/bassinet/PnP thing still, so I feel you! I think we're leaning towards just setting the crib up in our bedroom, then moving it to the nursery if/when we get that set up and I can bear the thought of sleeping in a different room from my LO. I think we'll get the Bjorn travel crib for overnight trips -- not as pretty as the PnP I think, but much lighter. And I've witnessed the incredibly quick set up/break down, which sold me.

FYI, I measured our Malm dressers and this changing pad (a few inches shorter than standard) should fit on top just right, though you'll have to store supplies in the dresser because it will take up the whole dresser top. I've ordered one but haven't tried it out in person yet. http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=15163127&



Good luck!

I like the idea of the regular dresser with the changing pad on top, much less pricey than baby specialized dressers. and actually, to be honest, Ikea crib can be had for 99, which is less than your avg. Pack and Play.

I was thinking, why not just get the nice plain looking white crib from Ikea with the MALM white dresser and the changing pad and be done with it...

I looked at the PNP systems this weekend and found them just as bulky as the cribs, so I am not saving any space having PnP vs the crib... and Ikea crib seems much more streamlined and slim in its design. My main concern with the PnP is the fact that it won't fit by the side of my bed, I won't have that much space to co-sleep... I would really love to have my baby next to my bedside in the first 1-3 months. With the PnP I would still have to get up to go to the opposite side of the room to keep the watch on the baby.

I actually was thinking of using the stroller at first (I will have the bassinet stroller) to put by the side of my bed... Or buy a moses basket rocker frame to hold the stroller bassinet in it. If I end up buying Vista or Bugaboo, their bassinets are pretty nice and safe to be used as the baby's one and only bed for the first 2-3 months.. I would think.

I would consider getting the PnP if we had a two level apartment, townhouse or a home, but with one level living we can simply roll the stroller with the bassinet where we are, be it at the side of the bed for night time or the desk or couch for the day time. I do like the idea of the Moses basket rocker, since it's much more discreet than having the stroller next to your bed, requires less space and you can rock your baby with one hand laying in bed :)

[PGTB]

We used our Arms Reach almost exclusively for the first 4 months. We live in a townhouse and we also had a PNP with a bassinet in the living room but truthfully, I think we would have been fine with just a changing table because she never really slept in that bassinet. I also liked the Arms Reach for traveling because of its more compact footprint.

We had a crib in the beginning but it didn't get used much until DD was 4 months old.

I like the Arms reach as well, due to its small footprint, it should fit by the side of my bed (pack n play thing definitely won't). My concern with it though is I am not sure if it can be safely attached to our platform bed... and if I don't attach it then it would make no difference whether to get than one or just a bassinet holder for the stroller bassinet to put by the side of the bed. I would prefer to attach it though for co-sleeping, but I've read in the reviews of it that if you don't attach it correctly, the baby can roll into the space between your bed and the co-sleeper. I would probably feel safer with the bassinet with enclosed walls. I wish I could try it with our bed and see first and then be able to return it if it doesn't work out.

[PGTB]

FYI... had a friend who really really liked having a moses basket (could put in bed at night to nurse and not feel worried about rolling over, could take to friends houses, could use in whatever room). Restoration hardware has a cute moses basket stand for about $80 that would turn a moses basket into a bassinet. Very cute, I drooled over it in retrospect. But honestly the PNP solution really is still the best for us (city dwellers in tiny condo).

It's awesome that you mentioned it, because I did see this type of setup in the store this weekend when I was browsing for PnP and I absolutely loved it! It has a small footprint and a rocker and can fit easily by the side of my bed. I am also considering to use the stroller bassinet on the moses rocker frame.

[lowrioh]

If I had a situation like yours I would get a full Pack-N-Play with a bassinet and a regular dresser with a changing pad.
We were given a hand me down Travel Lite PnP with the bassinet and I used it by my bedside at first. They have a much smaller footprint than a regular PnP but my DD outgrew it REALLY quickly. You actually could probably wait until you move into a 2 bedroom unit to get a crib. Just move the baby from the bassinet part of the PnP to the bottom when they hit the weight limit. We had a month long visit to inlaws when DD was 5 months old and she slept in the PnP the entire time. We also needed to move into temporary housing for 2 months when she was 11 months old and she ended up sleeping in the PnP in our room. She did fine.
For changing her, we have a changing pad on top of a dresser and use one of the top drawers to store the diapers etc. We had a Diaper Caddy for downstairs and we used it to change her on the ottoman a lot of the time. When we were in the temporary housing we just used the changing pad from the diaper caddy and changed her on the bed. We had one from JJ Cole and I loved it...until DD decided to see if she could climb on it and it was destroyed ;)
I think a lot of time we lose sight of what we NEED and what is optional/nice to have.
Good Luck!

[karstmama]

not to influence anything, but if your platform bed has big ledges and only a mattress, i'm not sure the arm's reach would work. however, if you have a mattress and box spring, it would.

it attaches with a long strap to a flat plastic 'plate' that really is the size of a plate, and as long as that plate can be pretty vertical, the strap can be tightened to hold the crib snug. then the only issue is height. i could see a really low futon-y bed or really high bed with steps having problems, but my bed is on the averagely-low side and it was fine.

[Karinyc]

Not sure if you've seen these, but here are some other options if you're tight on space:

Mini Crib
http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=121229&

And this is a nice option that comes with the bassinet & crib
http://www.argington.com/Bam_crib.html

I've seen them both at Buy Buy Baby. A little more $ than the Ikea crib, but the mini-cribs have a smaller footprint & can be used until ~2.

I love this (really compact & can be folded, but more $):
http://www.giggle.com/p/25363/Alma-Mini-Crib.aspx

[PGTB]

Not sure if you've seen these, but here are some other options if you're tight on space:

Mini Crib
http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=121229&

And this is a nice option that comes with the bassinet & crib
http://www.argington.com/Bam_crib.html

I've seen them both at Buy Buy Baby. A little more $ than the Ikea crib, but the mini-cribs have a smaller footprint & can be used until ~2.

I love this (really compact & can be folded, but more $):
http://www.giggle.com/p/25363/Alma-Mini-Crib.aspx

Thank you for the links! I love the Argington crib combo, but still it would be more of a splurge I guess. Buying a mini-crib would totally be a splurge for us as this has quite a limited use and costs so much more than a co-sleeper or a standard consumer reports approved Ikea crib or PnP. I like the plain white Ikea crib (aka Gulliver I believe), although I don't think it's not the one approved and reviewed by CR. I do love the design of the Argington, but would have to research if this is the best option for us and the best value for the price. I like that it's not just a limited use crib, but can be extended, although I would have to check how much it would cost to convert this into a toddler bed.

[Karinyc]

The Alma mini-crib is certainly more $ (but innovative design and great quality).The other mini-cribs are about the same price as the PNP and co-sleeper. You'd get more use out of it than the co-sleeper. The PNP can be also be used as a playpen, but in a small space, not sure how practical that would be or really needed?

The Argington toddler conversion kit is about $129. They have all these at the Buy Buy Baby in Manhattan. Worth taking a look if you can. BTW, I think the Ikea crib is perfectly safe and many people use it (I see it all the time on design blogs).

[kellyd]

You can also use the arms reach w/o attaching it to the bed. The side that is lower to go along the bed can be adjusted to full height. I have both an arms reach and a full PNP w/ bassinet. The PNP would NEVER fit next to my bed. The sides come up way to high(even tho at bassinet level it's no deeper than the arms reach. It just wouldn't be easy at all to scoot around it to get out of bed if necessary. The arms reach will also lower to PNP level w/o the bassinet so that once the baby is too mobile for the bassinet level it can still be used.

[meggie t]

Just thought I would throw in that a mini-crib can be used usually up to 2 years of age. The 1st one that Karinyc linked to is similar to the one I bought - Da Vinci Emily mini-crib. We live in San Francisco in a 1 br and don't have room for a regular sized crib so we went with this. Not due until end of May, so I can't comment on if I made the right decision, but I think I did! You should check them out.

[PGTB]

The Alma mini-crib is certainly more $ (but innovative design and great quality).The other mini-cribs are about the same price as the PNP and co-sleeper. You'd get more use out of it than the co-sleeper. The PNP can be also be used as a playpen, but in a small space, not sure how practical that would be or really needed?

The Argington toddler conversion kit is about $129. They have all these at the Buy Buy Baby in Manhattan. Worth taking a look if you can. BTW, I think the Ikea crib is perfectly safe and many people use it (I see it all the time on design blogs).

Will definitely go to BBB this weekend to check it out! If the mini crib can last for 2 years, then maybe afterward the baby can transition to the toddler bed without having to go to the full size crib. It's pretty crazy how many choices of baby product there are out there and how many options, makes things difficult for rookie moms.

[PGTB]

If I had a situation like yours I would get a full Pack-N-Play with a bassinet and a regular dresser with a changing pad.
We were given a hand me down Travel Lite PnP with the bassinet and I used it by my bedside at first. They have a much smaller footprint than a regular PnP but my DD outgrew it REALLY quickly. You actually could probably wait until you move into a 2 bedroom unit to get a crib. Just move the baby from the bassinet part of the PnP to the bottom when they hit the weight limit. We had a month long visit to inlaws when DD was 5 months old and she slept in the PnP the entire time. We also needed to move into temporary housing for 2 months when she was 11 months old and she ended up sleeping in the PnP in our room. She did fine.
For changing her, we have a changing pad on top of a dresser and use one of the top drawers to store the diapers etc. We had a Diaper Caddy for downstairs and we used it to change her on the ottoman a lot of the time. When we were in the temporary housing we just used the changing pad from the diaper caddy and changed her on the bed. We had one from JJ Cole and I loved it...until DD decided to see if she could climb on it and it was destroyed ;)
I think a lot of time we lose sight of what we NEED and what is optional/nice to have.
Good Luck!

More compact PnP would probably work by the side of my bed. a few inches can make a difference. I have to go and look at them again. My friend said the same about diaper changing - that they used the couch and bed more often than the diaper changing station they had. They also live in a townhouse with 3 levels, so I can see how it wouldn't be plausible to have to carry the baby upstairs every time she needed the diaper change.

[PGTB]

One important information I forgot to mention which may influence our choice as well and probably your advice...

We have a cat that does like to sleep with us on top of the bed. She sleeps only at our feet and rarely comes to our face level (except when she decides to get friendly on some mornings). Basically, she isn't in-your-face type of cat and would never come cuddle with you unless you are awake and make eye contact with her, but she is curious. So, I am wondering if co-sleeper attached to the bed would provide her easy access to the baby when she gets curious to explore the extension of the bed.

Cribs or playards have high walls, so I don't think out cat can jump there. She is somewhat vertically challenged, she doesn't jump to high places unless there is a chair or something next to it. She won't jump on window sills or kitchen counters and only goes on tabletops via climbing on chairs first.

I would want to put the crib or a playard (that would have to be mini-crib and mini-playard to fit) next to my side of the bed to keep an eye on the baby through the slates of the crib or the mesh of the playard.

[karstmama]

you'll just have to see. my cat went nowhere near that weird loud thing in the co-sleeper.

[karstmama]

hey, google 'baby bunk sleeper' - might be a solution! much smaller than an arm's reach or a p'n'p!

[PGTB]

hey, google 'baby bunk sleeper' - might be a solution! much smaller than an arm's reach or a p'n'p!

This looks pretty cool, thanks! But I think Arm's reach might be a bit less complicated since it can also be a standalone mini-crib type of thing if we don't want to attach it to the bed.

At this point, I am actually completely obsessed researching non-toxic sleeping options for the baby as I was shocked to find out that many baby goods are made with toxic materials (flame retardants present in mattresses, VOC heavy glues and compressed wood used in production of baby furniture such as cribs, etc.) and of all countries, US actually doesn't have the most stringent standards and is behind Europe on that. One of my hippie-ish friends kind of opened my eyes on some of these things and then I started reading about it online... I thought of myself being an educated consumer, but I keep learning and some things can be quite disturbing... so... my baby furniture searches are taking a bit different direction now.

As of now I am inclined to get a simple moses basket with wood rocker stand and organic mattress and probably a metal full size crib later on...

Thank you all for your responses!