confused about pack n plays

[scrooks]

I havent throughly read all the replies but we have one of the small pnps (the travel light maybe?) and we used it as a bassinet for dd in our room but she hated it. And we used it for travel purposes for her as well but it didn't last very long (she was done with it by 5 months). I never even pulled it out of storage for the boys....

We also had a pnp with changer for her which we used a lot but after ds1 was born I just bought a small changing table for our dining room and it works great. We have 2 pnps for travel and they are great for that purpose but when my babies are small they like to sleep or rest in the swing or bouncy seat downstairs....we aren't pnp users. Our dog has never bothered our kids in the swing or bouncy but she is small. Eta for ds2 we used a rock'n'play as his bassinet and that is something that would be very easy to move around the house and would keep your baby up from any dogs potentially...

[zukeypur]

I had this Chicco. http://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Lullaby...+pack+and+play

I absolutely loved it. We mostly used it for the changing table, in the main living area. The changing table can be flipped up on top of the PNP for diaper changing, and then flipped back down when you're finished IIRC.

[twowhat?]

I was kinda hoping that having a changer on the PNP would save my back by allowing me to not change the baby on the floor (and avoid bending down to the floor when traveling, like you do on the travel cribs). Would it be awkwardly low to change a baby in the bassinet of the basic Graco? It seems like it might be too low...?

The only other surface we have downstairs is the table we eat on, which just seems kinda gross to me to use that for changing, and the floor (which hurts my back). We really don't have the space for a separate changing table, and I wouldn't want to turn my back on the dogs with a swing (nor do we have space for one)...my thought with the PNP was that it would be safer for baby than being out in the open (like in a swing or bouncer) with the dogs if I have to walk away for a few minutes. Unfortunately our family is all over the country, so we'll need to bring something for baby to sleep in when we travel, since it's never to the same place. Lol, this is hard!!

Do you have a bathroom counter or dresser or something where you can just put a changing pad? We also often changed our babies on our bed We just put a big waterproof pad underneath. Even a couch or ottoman - you can throw down a waterproof pad anywhere.

And FWIW our dogs were never ever interested in "helping" with diapers, LOL!

For travel I think a lot of folks like the PeaPod since it's lightweight and easy to travel with (But there might be a recall on this somewhere so check), and also the Bjorn travel crib, I think. The P&Ps are nice and sturdy but yeah, they're kind of heavy.

[Simon]

I know I'm a little late, but for changing, we put an extra dresser with a changing pad on top downstairs. I had to bend so far over the PnP that it wasn't at all comfortable for me, and I'm not even super tall. The bonus was the dresser could store the baby stuff out of sight. For those "need to put down" moments we used a swing for the first 6-8 months and later a jumperoo because our kids were more comfortable not just laying flat right from the start.

[JBaxter]

PNP's have been around a long time I had a "happy camper" model for my oldest who is 22. my last 2 DSs I had the PNP with a changing table but i rarely used it. I kept a basket ( diapers wipes triple paste) beside the sofa and used the sofa for 90% of the diaper changes down stairs Ours became a toy bin very fast all 4 hated them Like Simon we used the floor swing or jumperoo type thing when they needed down. I seriously could have skipped it other than traveling with all 4 boys. I'd go for a cheep model or yard sale for one.

[vonfirmath]

My sister used to change my nephews on her bed with a towel underneath.

[HannaAddict]

We used a blanket on the couch and didn't use the changer that came in the pnp changer at all. Just sat next to baby and had a towel or blanket.

[YouAreTheFocus]

IME I wouldn't count on the changer that comes with the PNP. DH & I are both average height, and we shot our backs using that changer for the first few months. It's really not the appropriate height at all (you need something taller). We still have that PNP from our first, but plan to put a dresser or something in the LR for changing this time around.

[candaceb]

We used the top of the dryer for a first floor changing station. I got a changing pad and put a piece of non slip padding under it.

[twowhat?]

We used the top of the dryer for a first floor changing station. I got a changing pad and put a piece of non slip padding under it.

This is a great idea! That's a surface I hadn't thought of!