Graco Pack 'n Play

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

We used a pack n play with a bassinet attachment for the first few months. I’m not willing to spend money on a separate piece of furniture that will only be used for a short period of time.

Thread: "FTM: Do we need a bassinet?"

If I were going to do it again, I would have the baby in my room in a pack and play (with the "top level" insert) instead of a bassinet. We did a bassinet for about 3 months, did the pack and play from about 3-6 months, then moved the baby into a crib in their room at 6 months. We could have just used the pack and play from the beginning and not needed the bassinet at all, plus the pack and play is useful by itself after that. That said, we had room for the pack and play in our room (it's larger than the bassinet was), and it doesn't sound like you do. If your room is that close to the baby's room, I'd be tempted to just put the baby in their own room from day 1. Or if you aren't comfortable with that, I'd get a small bassinet for your room and move them to their room once they outgrow it.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

Yesss, all I got was the pack n play with bassinet and it is so useful. Use the bassinet up until they start rolling, then it is a crib (and or playpen!). And it is also a portable bed you can take with you on vacation / to visit family.

Thread: "Bassinet or straight to crib?"

We did a pack in play with bassinet attachment. We put that in our room so little one was close to breastfeed and would be familiar with it when traveling. Since we are expecting a second in a couple months, we went from the bassinet/pack and play to a big kid bed.

Thread: "Mini crib vs bassinet?"

*-stares into the void, thinking about the crib, the bassinet, the Moses basket, and the pack and play, and how my daughter only likes my arms or my bed-*

Thread: "Opinions on Snoo Bassinet?"

You’re going to hear the whole gamut of responses here, and the reality is it’s 90% dictated by your baby’s temperament 🥲 We had a free 6 month snoo rental covered by my workplace. Our girl was a dream sleeper, giving 4-5 hour stretches at just a couple months old. By 3 or 4 months she was regularly sleeping through the night. We transitioned her from the snoo to a pack and play in our room and she did just as well, continued to sleep through the night. It wasn’t until a regression around 8 months old that we transitioned her to her crib in her own room and sleep trained to get her to fall asleep independently.

Thread: "Why do newborns sleep in bassinets vs cribs?"

No, you can use a crib right from the start. Some people think babies sleep better in smaller spaces because it reminds them of being in the womb. It’s also more convenient to put a bassinet in your room if you don’t have the space for a crib. Honestly I found the bassinet to be a waste of money. I wish I’d just used a pack and play since we use it for travel anyway.

Thread: "FTM: Do we need a bassinet?"

This is what we did too! Pack and play was great and we still use it regularly for trips at almost 2.

Thread: "Tell me about your bassinet! "

I bought a travel crib / pack 'n play that had a great bassinet conversion. We used this in our bedroom. We also bought a stroller system with bassinet that was sleep safe certified. We used this for "daytime anywhere in the house" naps. Neither of these items was cheap. We were able to spend more on both critical long-term kid items, because we decided against spending $100+ (or $400!) on a dedicated contraption that baby outgrows in like 3 months Just food for thought

Thread: "Crib or "Next-to-me" bassinet ?"

I have a fullsize pack n play with a next to me feature that is the best of both worlds. It's not aestheticly pleasing at all, but it does the next to me piece really well and we used it for travel until he was 18 months. Might be a good option for you? I really love the side by side. I'm not sure I would have made it through the newborn stage if I had to get out of bed every single time the baby was awake. It was also great to just sleep with my hand on him without being in an unsafe sleep situation.

Thread: "Mini crib vs bassinet?"

A third option is a pack and play (choose your brand), which would get you the best of both worlds. Many come with bassinet inserts that raise the sleeping surface, making it easier on your back for a few months. But then babies can sleep in them usually until about age two, sometimes even later depending on how big they get. We had a bassinet early on and then switched kiddo to a pack and play until he started doing nights in his room around 9 months. In retrospect, we could’ve just done the pack and play from the start and had one less large item to store and deal with.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

Not sure about others and haven't given birth quite yet, but we have a pack and play with a bassinet attachment for the baby's room but also for a bedside bassinet for the first few months and hoping that covers both bases.

Thread: "Is a bassinet necessary?"

Seconding this. We got the graco pack n play with the bassinet and changing pad attachment. Fits in our room and we’ll get years of use.

Thread: "Mini crib vs bassinet?"

Don’t be. The venn diagram of sleep surfaces that are safe and sleep surfaces that an adult would call comfortable basically doesn’t have any overlap until after kiddo’s first birthday. The fact that it’s so firm is what makes it safe for babies. Don’t be tempted to add mattresses to a pack and play, as it just creates suffocation and entrapment risks.

Thread: "Bassinet or no bassinet, do we really need one?"

We used a pack and play in our room with both of our kids (most have a bassinet part). We got so much use out of it with them. Eventually they moved to the crib in their room, but we had them in with us for like 5-6 months. We’ll do the same with our next baby. We got lucky and got one with a changing table that flips out of the way instead of coming off/on. I can pick up baby, use one hand to flip down the changing table, change baby, flip back and put them back to sleep.

Thread: "Crib or Bassinet? Sleeping in same room necessary?"

Lots of pack n plays come with an attached bassinet and then when they outgrow that, they can sleep on the mat that is higher than a regular pack n play. Plus the whole thing is easy to bring along if you need it. Totally worth the money - it's the only thing my 3 month old has slept it.

Thread: "Crib or Bassinet? Sleeping in same room necessary?"

A pack n play is the #1 thing I bought for my babies. My first slept in it until 22 months when she transitioned to a toddler bed. We just moved my 15mo to a real crib today from the pack n play, but if we hadn't been gifted a crib we would have done the same for him. I moved both kids out of my room at a few weeks old as they were VERY noisy sleepers and we both slept better apart. They actually slept in the hallway right outside my room so it worked out well.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

For us what made the pack n play worth it was that we can use it when we travel.

Thread: "Did you use a bassinet or just put the baby in a crib right away?"

We used the bassinet for about 3 months when baby started to roll and then transitioned him to the pack n play. There were 2 advantages for us. First, the whole crib wouldn’t have fit well in our room and I wanted him in our room with us. Secondly, and this is probably a fairly niche thing, but our little guy likes to sleep with pressure on his face. As soon as he could roll over, he was sleeping face down (looking very much like he couldn’t breathe). But when he was a newborn, because he was all swaddled and couldn’t roll over, he would wiggle his way all the way to the side of the bassinet and smash his face against the mesh. He couldn’t have done that in a crib and probably wouldn’t have slept as well. We had the halo bassinest. It was fine, wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. I got it fairly cheap from a friend who got it used at a rummage sale. Our room wasn’t wide enough for it to be used as intended. But still just okay. I would, however, highly recommend getting a pack n play. That’s what he slept in for the months between when he could roll over and couldn’t be in a bassinet anymore and when I was ready to transition him to his own room. We still have it up as a safe spot to corral him if we need to and then of course the obvious use of travel.

Thread: "Crib or Bassinet? Sleeping in same room necessary?"

You’re gonna want the baby in your room. Get a pack n play. Imo bassinets are overpriced and you only use them for like 3/4 months.

Thread: "Did you use a bassinet or just put the baby in a crib right away?"

Ours has a changing table too and a little clip on that holds diapers. It's very good! I originally wanted just a simple bassinet but glad my partner got the pack and play.

Thread: "Looking for a bassinet, something that opens from the side! Or if you guys have any other recommendations I’m open to hear"

These are all really good points too, I enjoy reading everyone’s experiences so much!

Thread: "FTM: Do we need a bassinet?"

I was given the Halo bassinet from someone getting rid of theirs…it was free so I couldn’t say no. But I hated that thing. It was too high for our bed so I couldn’t even get her out without getting out of bed, which I think defeats the purpose of a bassinet IMO. We then got a pack n play with the top bassinet and that worked fine, but I honestly wish I would’ve went bougie and gotten the Newton bassinet because the height would’ve been perfect and she slept in our room for almost 4.5 months so it would’ve been used a lot. You definitely don’t need a bassinet. I just liked her sleeping next to me.

Thread: "FTM: Do we need a bassinet?"

This is exactly what we are doing. Soon as they start to roll at 3 months the bassinet is useless. I wish I had the foresight to know that pre baby. But now we use a pack n play and I would argue she sleeps better in it! I like having her close cause I don't have to get out of bed to soothe her. And when healing post partum that was a big deal because I thought my vagina was broken. My sister used the dream on me side sleeper. It's smaller than a pack n play but has more life to it than a bassinet. Again, having baby so you don't have to move out of bed for every time you just need to shush them or stick a soother in is a big win in my books.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

Most babies should be moved out of the bassinet by the time they’re 5 months old or sooner though, when they’re too big or start rolling over. We ended up moving our daughter to her room (right next to ours) at that point which was around 5 months, but another option to avoid a full size crib in the bedroom could be a pack n play or mini crib.

Thread: "Bedside Bassinet big enough to last 6 months?"

We moved the baby to his own room in the crib. I wanted to room share for the recommended amount of time, but we were both waking each other up and we all slept better once he was in his own room. If we had kept room sharing, we would have either put his crib in there or used a pack n play.

Thread: "Crib or Bassinet? Sleeping in same room necessary?"

Bassinet and then pack n play in our room until 9-10 months. Research shows it significantly reduces the risk of SIDS to have baby in the same room as you. Plus if you are breastfeeding, it's also way easier than having to physically get out of bed every 1-3 hours when they're little. I was never comfortable having the baby in a different room until they were old enough. It was comforting to me to be able to hear them breathe and move around a bit.

Thread: "Crib or Bassinet? Sleeping in same room necessary?"

The PnP is the answer. We have several so baby #2 (7wo) can sleep nearby, and they make great baby jails as the kid gets bigger, too. My first slept nights in his crib starting around 3/4mo, but the PnP was the real mvp until he was big enough to climb out of it.

Thread: "Crib or Bassinet? Sleeping in same room necessary?"

We had a 1 bedroom apartment and I just felt more comfort having her in our room. When we got a 2 bedroom and transitioned her out, I missed her lol. She was in a pack n play next to my bed (it had the newborn topper) for about 3-4 months, then she went to her crib across the room. I honestly loved being able to see her whenever I wanted to walk over to check on her at night lol.

Thread: "Tell me about your bassinet! "

This is baby #3. Skip the bassinet. They’re in that for such a short time, it’s a waste. Instead, opt for a mini pack n play. It will last much longer and is so nice for traveling. I got one with 3 stages to make the newborn and infant stages easier.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

This is what we are doing! Several experienced mom friends have recommended this route over the bassinet.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

I LOVED the pack n play with the bassinet attached. It was such a life saver and very affordable. You don't have to bend over too far and it's great for a pack n play to take out and about.

Thread: "Opinions on the Snoo"

I didn't get one, but my friends did. So far my baby is sleeping better in her pack and play than their baby ever did in the Snoo. I think baby sleep is a lot more luck of the draw than expensive gadgets, plus they were in hell trying to wean the kid off of it when the time came.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

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Thread: "Bassinets? Are they worth it?"

We used the bassinet feature on the pack n play and this worked great! We moved baby to his own room in his crib at 6 weeks. Then we moved the pack n play to the living room to have an easy place to lay him down or change him downstairs.

Thread: "What kind of bassinet is everyone getting? [on] "

The one that attached to my Graco Pack N Play was great. The Uppababy one was ok, but it was narrow and my son would wake up whenever he touched the sides so it was not great for night sleep

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

I got a pack a play multi system thing, i can use it as a bedside bassinet then give it to grandparents to use when i dont need it

Thread: "Bassinet that your baby actually liked?"

We had the halo and my baby hated it! We decided to try the pack and play by our bedside and she has slept through the night since!

Thread: "Mini crib vs bassinet?"

We did a bassinet into the crib. We had the Halo Bassinet and loved it, but little dude grew out of it really quickly. We ended up using the pack n play bassinet for quite a while until about 5 months when we switch to the crib. This time around, I'm just doing pack n play since we get far more use out of that longer before switching to crib. Bonus points is that standard cribs and pack n plays are a dime a dozen on FB marketplace. I routinely see pack n plays for $10-$30 vs a mini crib or bassinet that can still be $100+ secondhand.

Thread: "Looking for a bassinet, something that opens from the side! Or if you guys have any other recommendations I’m open to hear"

I have that pack and play. I didn’t like how small the change table was. Found that my little one outgrew it very quickly.

Thread: "FTM: Do we need a bassinet?"

That was the worst part about the pack n play. My son exceeded the 15lb weight limit super early and it was a huge pain to get him in and out from the floor. But he was really tall and would only sleep arms spread out from 2-5mo, so he would have outgrown a bassinet too

Thread: "Bassinets? Are they worth it?"

With my first I used the playpen next to my bed. It had a setting that was up higher and also a spot for changing.

Thread: "What bassinet are you guys all thinking"

My son fit in the bassinet part until he was 5.5 months. I don’t think it’s small or much material/ plastic. The only plastic for the bassinet part the is the handle and the clips that clip it in (and the music light box) It’s mesh on the sides and a mattress type pad on the bottom. Is it aesthetic, definitely not! I went the fancy aesthetic route with my first 2 and I found that most of the expensive stuff that looks pretty isn’t actually as great or practical social media is just making it out to be that way to get you to buy stuff I feel. We didn’t end up using the actual pack n play part as a bed (I used it outside in the summer with a Sheet over the top to keep mosquitos out) and switched to the crib once my son out grew the bassinet. The bassinet is also small enough that I could put it fully assembled into my car, which was great for going to my mom house so I didn’t have to find a safe place for him to nap.

Thread: "If your newborn slept decently well between MOTN feeds, which bassinet did you use?"

First two weeks was the stroller pram (rated for safe sleep) and a side sleeper. At 2 weeks we got a snoo (loved it) then moved to a pack and play around 4.5 months. She was an amazing newborn sleeper and only got up 1x a night until about 5 months.

Thread: "Looking for a bassinet, something that opens from the side! Or if you guys have any other recommendations I’m open to hear"

We used the Arms Reach with both kids, worked great! Got it for free from my Buy Nothing group. Then moved on to Pack n Play. You only use the bassinet for like 3 months, so it feels like a big choice but it’s gone pretty quickly

Thread: "Bassinet suggestions [ON]"

What about just getting a pack n play with the bassinet level option? You'll likely end up needing a pack n play from time to time as baby gets older anyways. We had a separate bassinet in our room but also kept our pack n play in our living room for when we were in that area of the house but if space isn't an issue, I'd just do that. Also, as baby gets bigger and outgrows the bassinet, you can move the level down so it's safer.

Thread: "Are those fancy bassinets worth it?"

My baby didn’t sleep well in his bassinet until the end when he was starting to pull himself up. We got a pack n play and he did better. I think he enjoyed the space more. He’s a great sleeper now and puts himself to bed at age 2. We tuck him in and leave. When we come back a half hour later he’s asleep. Is she screaming within a few minutes of being laid down? My son had this issue so one of the bassinets I had adjusted so his head was above his body. His acid reflux was bad that he wouldn’t lay flat and contact slept a lot the first 4-5 weeks of life. He’d scream after a while too.

Thread: "Did a bedside bassinet actually help?"

The pack n play is already set up next to the bed. Theres a big enough gap for me to squeeze through but otherwise it’s right there. Is it safe to nurse in a swaddle? I thought I read it’s not safe because of oxygen dips or something, but that was a few years ago when I had my daughter

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

We have a pack n play with a bassinet and changing table set up in our room she’s in the bassinet now until she outgrows it. I love the setup. Bonus, the bassinet is detachable so if I have to take a shower and my spouse isn’t available to watch the baby I put the bassinet in the bathroom and she chills there where I can see her.

Thread: "Did you guys get a bassinet?"

We have a small-ish house and I’m overwhelmed with the amount of baby stuff. We got a bassinet but definitely didn’t need it, LO was only in it for a few months until he outgrew it. He’s still in our room so we use a pack and play now until we will eventually move him into his crib.