Do I really need a pack & play?

[bigpassport]

DS slept in his PNP for the first 3 months because we didn't have a crib yet and slept in his PNP for the couple of road trips we've been on. We've never used it for anything else so far. DS isn't crawling yet so we haven't used it for containment, but if you have a superyard you might be set. Sounds like for your needs you might not need a PNP. And they do indeed take up space even when folded up.

alrighty - sorry i'm new at all this! i just figured out the answer to my own question - the bassinet feature is called a "newborn napper" so when i searched on bassinet it wasn't finding it.

The bassinet feature is not the same as the newborn napper feature. The bassinet is a thin net/mattress that raises the whole bottom of the PNP. The newborn napper is a little snugly cradle-thing that sits on top of the PNP.

This picture shows just the bassinet:

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Pack-Pla...ref=pd_cp_ba_2

This picture shows the newborn napper:

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Playard-.../dp/B001PIJEJE

[Melaine]

We used our p&p's a lot at home (although not for a terribly long length of time) but that was probably mostly because we had twins. I am very happy we had them for travel, though.

[MomToOne]

We bought two and never used either. DD was / is not that kind of baby. But that is something we couldn't know until she was here

[hellokitty]

For us, it was totally worth it. I used the changing table and basinett feature a LOT during the first six months. After that, I used the play yard feature to put my kids in there for when I wanted to keep them contained while I went to the bathroom, got the mail, etc.. We have a dog too, so I would NEVER leave the dog and baby alone, even though after 6 yrs, our dog has never tried to do anything to my babies before, you just never know. Also, we use it when friends come to visit and their baby needs to nap or they stay overnight, it's a crib.

[smcdonald2]

Would it be fair to say this is something we might not need right away? So I could not register for one, and then if I discovered a burning need for a PNP I could go get one? Or would I be kicking myself when I needed it and didn't have it?

[vludmilla]

Nope. I hated the one we were given and rarely used it.

[zag95]

We've used ours quite a bit on trips to the beach or traveling places. Our house is a single story, so it isn't as useful as those that have 2 levels. Also has been used when company comes!

[sunshine873]

Would it be fair to say this is something we might not need right away? So I could not register for one, and then if I discovered a burning need for a PNP I could go get one? Or would I be kicking myself when I needed it and didn't have it?

It totally depends on you and your DC. I think this could be said for a lot of baby equipment (swing, bouncy seat, etc.) For us, the PNP was/is great. We used it in the beginning when we brought DD home as a bassinet in our bedroom. We had a basic Graco model (Safari, I think.) Once we moved her to her room, we packed it up. But it still comes out when friends come over with their little ones and when we travel. It's worth the $$ we spent just for travel alone. But that's us...

[mikeys_mom]

Would it be fair to say this is something we might not need right away? So I could not register for one, and then if I discovered a burning need for a PNP I could go get one? Or would I be kicking myself when I needed it and didn't have it?

In short, yes you can wait to buy one.

With DS, we did not purchase one until the first time we needed it for travel. We had a bassinet in our bedroom and lived in a small house. I never found it to be a big deal to bring him upstairs for naps and never missed having one.

Of course with our twins we used two all the time right from the beginning in addition to a bassinet. But, I think that was because there were two of them and we are in a bigger house now.

[Smillow]

I started out using the Travel Lite PnP w/bassinet downstairs when he was real small & slept all the time & when we traveled. I've got a big guy & he out grew that, so I got the full sized one to keep downstairs, now that he is mobile. So, except for traveling, we went a few months w/o needing one at home, till he started crawling.
Craigslist is a good source for getting a good price - esp if you don't know how much you will use it. Plus you can probably sell it for close to what you paid for it.