Graco Pack 'n Play

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

I think it really depends on your lifestyle. My babies slept in our room until sixmonths; that was in the pack n play. Everytime we go camping or travel to hotels or friends, we bring the pack n play. We also moved at some point and baby slept in the pack n play for a while because we did not have a crib for him yet. Last summer, we had yard sales and outside events and we also set up the pack n play to keep baby safe while we were doing other stuff.

Thread: "Is a pack and play worth buying?"

I have this exact one and it was really nice to have in the living room as a place to set baby down when I was in the kitchen or whatever. And while sometimes available, hotels won’t always have cribs available and when they do it’s been a loose sheet wrapping the mattress which was kinda sketchy safety wise.. so we opt to bring this wherever. It folds down pretty small so it’s easy to just store. I keep mine in my trunk now that little one is older and I don’t use it daily so it is ready to go for when we do need it

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

We did this as well! And when my husband had to travel, I’d put the baby in the pack n play with some toys so I could shower

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

We use it as our diaper changing station downstairs. / we have the diaper changing attachment

Thread: "Babysitter using my pack n play for her new puppy"

If daycare doesn't work out for some reason, I think it's perfectly appropriate to tell a friend of 20 years "Hey, only use the pack n play for the kids. I don't want dog hair or pee to get in it since that's where they lie down." There's nothing wrong with that statement, it's not accusatory or aggressive. You're just stating what you want and expect someone to do with your property and your children. If she reacts poorly it might be out of embarrassment.

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

No issues. A pack n play is a safe sleep place. Personally I think the configuration 4 with just the full removable bassinet is the easiest most streamlined way to buy the crib. The changer and the dome just take up space after a month or two.

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

I used it to keep my baby safe from her brother who was 18 months. But mostly it was a giant toy box at the end of the night.

Thread: "Babysitter using my pack n play for her new puppy"

Talk to your Pediatrician! They can guide you towards options or services in your area. They have an invested desire to help you keep your kids safe. Plus, they can confirm that neither of your kids was harmed by your lazy sitter.

Thread: "pack n play in the bathroom on vacation?"

I don’t think it’s a big deal. I wouldn’t be taking a shit and flushing while he’s sleeping, but I see no problem letting him sleep in there in the pack n play.

Thread: "Suggestions on making a pack and play feel cozy?"

Supplemental mattresses are unsafe. I’d recommend a nice sleep sack to make her feel cozy but that’s all that should be in the PNP.

Thread: "All 26 versions of Graco's Pack n Play - summarized (January 2022)"

Wow. This is a great breakdown! I've been super frustrated with the seemingly endless models and trying to sort through them. I just want an f'ing Pack 'n Play, why do they make it so complicated?! Thanks for doing the leg work!

Thread: "Traveling when your toddler is too tall to sleep in a pack-n-play?"

I stayed in a hotel with my wife and toddler recently. The crib they offered was a pack and play. We had a double queen room so the toddler slept in bed with mom. Not ideal, but it got the job done.

Thread: "All 26 versions of Graco's Pack n Play - summarized (January 2022)"

I don’t know why Graco thought it would be funny to have a million different kinds of pack & plays for us to chose from when we’re working with pregnancy brain and 3 hours of sleep. This is such a helpful list!!

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

Bassinet. Don't get a crazy expensive one, the Fisher Price ones are great and they're like $120. The pack and plays are bulky in my opinion compared to a bassinet and they're not approved for safe sleep in all countries. However I still got a pack and play as a gift and I used it more for the diaper changing station on my main floor so I didn't have to walk up to the nursery every time. It was good for nap time too during the day when I was awake to watch him.

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

It’s a safe sleep space, perfectly fine to use as the primary bed. Something to consider though is pack n plays aren’t the most comfortable. My brother uses only a pack n play, and his daughter was perfectly fine with it. His son currently hates it. Wakes up every 20-30 mins from being uncomfortable. He sleeps really well on his play mat on the floor, his parents bed, the couch (all of these are just naps with supervision). If they put him in the pack n play for naps he’ll wake up every 20 mins still. They’re hoping he will get used to it but he just turned 5 months and he still struggles! Another kid I know actually prefers his pack n play over his crib. So I think it all just depends on the baby, but it is a factor to think about

Thread: "Do you use your pack n play?"

I put ours in the bathroom! Once mobile they’ll try to get into everythinggg and it’s invaluable to have one there to be able to take showers and pee in peace. It’s also fantastic as a travel crib.

Thread: "Pack and Play"

I know it is a travel cot, but I know people that use it for a "safe space" play area. They plop their child in there to play and they can then go and get stuff done.

Thread: "Babysitter using my pack n play for her new puppy"

If my 20+ year friend's spouse let their puppy pee on my baby's stuff and endanger my son, my friend would be getting an EARFUL. Let your husband address it with his friend, after 20 years if this ruins it, then it wasn't a strong enough friendship to worry about.

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

Same, travel. My MIL did not purchase a crib, so we’d take the pack n play when visiting her. Used it in hotels, as well. We also had to provide one to our daycare for our kid to use for naps.

Thread: "Is a Pack N Play necessary?"

I had a pack n play with a bassinet attachment where baby slept for the first 2 months until he got too big (it also has a changing table attachment so late night diaper changes were easy), then he transitioned to a stand-alone bassinet until he was 6 months old, and he’s been in his mini crib in his own room for the past two months. Having a pack n play was super useful because I did travel with him and it was nice to have a space for him to sleep and hangout. It’s really going to depend on your lifestyle and needs if you decide to get a pack n play. For us it worked out really well and was useful.

Thread: "Got the “Graco Pack 'n Play Newborn2Toddler Playard” instead of a crib and I have it all set up in my baby room and gotta say I definitely will be using this for years to come I’m excited for the little one to get here!"

To hopefully drown out the negatives. But my kid used only a PNP until we transitioned to a floor mattress at 2.5. We never used it as a playpen or whatever, just a bed. At a year, got her a mattress.

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

Great for travel (cottage, in-laws house etc). People will also use them as a bassinet, bedside. My babysitter also uses it for my child for nap because it’s easily packed away for the next day. I use mine a lot, but to each their own!

Thread: "graco pack n play nearby seat bassinet safe for unsupervised sleep?"

The pack n play itself is safe for sleep. The attachments on top are not safe for sleep.

Thread: "Thoughts on using pack n play bassinet for primary sleep spot"

My son slept in a pack in play until 13 months. It was next to my bed. He took naps in the nursery crib. It worked great!

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

My baby has been sleeping in his pack n play since coming home from the hospital, my mom is giving us a crib but lives hours away so I haven’t gotten it yet 😭 he moved out of the bassinet attachment within 1 1/2 months and is now in the raised full bassinet area and he loves it, he sleeps so good. Tbh even when he’s probably “ready” to move into his own room I’ll keep him in the pack n play and just lower it down to the base level as he gets older, it’s just so convenient 😅

Thread: "Need STM advice- Pack and play for night time sleep?"

Yup, perfectly safe. It's a hard, flat surface. Treat it like a bassinet (no bedding, no pillows, etc.) and you're all good. Also do not add a 3rd party mattress. (The instructions go over all of this.)

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

I feel for a lot of people it just depends on your lifestyle. I personally live several hours from my family as well as my husband’s family so when we go to visit, we bring the pack n play for our baby to sleep in. Also, I regularly go to the gym while my husband is working and there’s no one to care for my baby so I bring the pack n play to our her in so she’s in a contained space and able to snack on things and play with toys. Was a very worth while investment for us but I understand it doesn’t suit everyone’s lifestyle.

Thread: "pack n play safe sleep?"

That’s what we used until 6 months then transitioned to the crib in her room.

Thread: "Got the “Graco Pack 'n Play Newborn2Toddler Playard” instead of a crib and I have it all set up in my baby room and gotta say I definitely will be using this for years to come I’m excited for the little one to get here!"

My kids have both loved their pack n plays. We got a good year + of use out of them for our girls. I always kinda thought... why did I waste my money on a crib? Lol. Plus when we traveled it was really nice for them to have a familiar environment to sleep in!

Thread: "Travel bed/crib for baby that can be packed for plane travel?"

We did a road trip across California & I ordered a pack & play for $40. I picked it up from Walmart when we first arrived. Then we asked the last Airbnb we stayed at if we could just leave it for them to keep there. It was way easier (& cheaper) to do that than, than schlep and pay for taking our own.

Thread: "Where does a toddler who is still in a crib but possibly too big for a pack-n-play sleep when you travel?"

It’s usually a pack and play… I will say it depends on the kid but we used a pack and play past the weight limit largely because he refused to climb out or otherwise even press on the side

Thread: "Help and advice needed: can Graco pack n play be used as a crib for about first 5 month of babies life? Is it good enough or shall I go with smth like Halo bassinet?"

My SIL and I were talking about this yesterday and she told me that she used her Pack and Play in her room for the first 4 months. She didn't even use the bassinet insert either she just put her babies in the bottom and that's it. She even did it with her preemie twins with no issues. I don't think a bassinet is necessary.

Thread: "Could I get a pack and play instead of a bassinet?"

I got a pack and play with the bassinet and the changing pad and it was awesome. We had it in our room and it even had storage so it was really a one stop shop. I was sad when we stopped using it in favor of a snoo. I wish she would’ve slept better in the pack and play so we could’ve kept it, but that’s a my baby issue!

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

One thing to consider is your baby’s size. We have one of these for downstairs, but our baby ended up being in the 100th percentile for height and was too long for it by eight weeks. Of course you can always just use the pack n play, but ymmv for the bassinet attachment.

Thread: "Thoughts on using pack n play bassinet for primary sleep spot"

Used a pack n play as our crib until we transitioned to a toddler bed at 16 months. Totally safe. Didn’t use the bassinet part and just started baby in the “upper deck” of the pack n play.

Thread: "Using a travel crib as a permanent crib. Is that bad?"

That’s absolute BS. Any space that is safe to sleep in can be used at any time. We used a run-of-the-mill Graco pack n play in our bedroom every night until we were ready to graduate to the big crib. Did this for both kiddos. And this is coming from a dad and a pediatrician. You are keeping your baby safe and doing what works best for you and your family. Can you provide some specific things they were saying? I can guarantee you they were very much misguided but with more specific context, I can give more specific answers.

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

For us, (granted I had a lot of issues with breastfeeding so we were triple feeding, which was it's own kind of hell and our baby was right on the border between being a "high needs" baby and a "colicky" baby), **having a bassinet that swiveled towards and away from the bed was a life saver**. It was just a little thing that made my nights and early mornings not as awful. I found mine used on marketplace for $80 and I highly recommend one. It also helped with gently teaching him to self-soothe to sleep occasionally, because when he was just starting to wake a little, but didn't need to eat, I could swivel the bassinet back and forth a little and sometimes that would be enough for him to fall back asleep without me having to pick him up and rock him. We did use the bassinet addition on the playpen as a secondary sleep space in the living room and also as a sleep space at my in-laws when we visited. In fact, he still naps in his playpen at my in-laws the two days a week he spends at their house while I'm working at 2 years old (28 months) and he's a big two year old. So the playpen with bassinet addition is definitely worth it, but I wouldn't want that to be my main option for overnight.

Thread: "pack n play safe sleep?"

This is absolutely not true. The C of the safe sleep ABCs is for Crib, bassinet *or play yard.* If a sleep space is called a play yard in the product’s manual (a legal document) it is regulated for safe, unsupervised sleep, as long as the caregiver is following all the instructions in the manual (only using a sheet of one is explicitly allowed, making sure the tabs that go from the mattress to the underside of the play yard are snapped tightly, etc.).

Thread: "pack n play safe sleep?"

I have a Graco pack and play (two of them actually). Per the manuals, the bassinet attachments are only for supervised sleep but the actual play yard itself is safe for overnight sleep.

Thread: "Babysitter using my pack n play for her new puppy"

Seriously! Why beat around the bush? I don’t see any issue with having a respectful conversation about realistic expectations.

Thread: "My MIL and the pack and play (rant & questions)"

That comment about being cross eyed is one of the more ignorant things I have read lately. It doesn't even make sense on a logical level - but never mind that - where are all these cross eyed babies that she thinks exist?

Thread: "Is a pack and play worth buying?"

Second this. It was nice for like. A month before babe was too big for it to be used safely.

Thread: "Pack n play choice?"

Throwing in an alternative. We love our guava lotus. It’s compact, light, has straps like a backpack, and fits very easily in the overhead compartment. It goes with us for every weekend trip, flight, and nap time we have to spend away from home. Even when hotels offer pack n plays, we usually prefer to bring it since our LO is familiar and loves it. My parents have a Graco pack n play at their house and we tried it one time and didn’t love it. Our kid didn’t sleep comfortably on the flimsy mattress.

Thread: "Babysitter using my pack n play for her new puppy"

I won't even let the cats in baby's sleep space. I've been babysitting for a while and have a pack'n'play in my living room. The cats were never allowed in. I fussed at them if they so much as looked at it like they might jump in, so they gave up.

Thread: "Babysitter using my pack n play for her new puppy"

I would never be okay with that. I don’t know how she could possibly think it would be okay to not only disrespect your property but then go and put your child at risk. At 3.5 mo, your babies could roll at any time! Heck, even if one of your babies decides to start kicking or wiggling, they could fall off the edge. My baby at 2 mo wiggles all over his bassinet and can even move himself a couple inches on the floor by kicking his legs like crazy. He’d fall right off a couch. I would explain this to her and ask for a replacement pack n play or burn the bridge.

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

Here’s my moment! Because of the way our house is laid out and my daughter’s phenomenal climbing skills, we ended up using a bassinet for her first 5 months of life and then a pack n play after that until she was 2 and climbed out of it for the first time. We had no issues, other than it took a massive beating from the constant use and we will have to buy another one for baby #2. It was super nice to be able to bring her bed with us everywhere since we take a good number of trips to visit family. One possible downside - My daughter got so used to sleeping on the firm mattress that she will prefer to sleep on her (carpeted) floor with her pillows and blankies instead of in her toddler bed 😑

Thread: "Torn on which pack 'n play to buy for newborn"

1st or 3rd one. The nice thing about the first one is how big the bassinet is. Your baby can use it a loooot longer. In fact we kept ours in his until 5 months when he was becoming a huge rolly polly. We had the cheaper version (was a nice gift from someone)

Thread: "Using Pack N Play as Bassinet - Breathability?"

I use a Graco pack and play every night for my three month old to sleep in next to my bed and I can’t see how it could be safer. It’s a firm pad with a waterproof cover on it, and totally mesh sides. The FDA regards pack and plays as safe for overnight sleep. Health Canada does not, but only because pack and plays aren’t subject to the safety regulations around sleep that cribs are here. Firm, flat, and no loose/soft bedding are the main things you want in a safe sleep set up for baby. A pack and play hits all of those :)

Thread: "Safe sleep: Seeking recommendations for playard /pack n play"

we use the regular graco pack n play (without any of the attachments or add-ons, \~$50-60 at target). Fits the regular pack n play sheets and waterproof covers. 28monther has been sleeping in it exclusively since outgrowing bassinet. edit we love the cloud island cotton jersry pack n play sheets from target, $10 for 2.

Thread: "Pack n play, bassinet, crib? Which one(s)?"

Pack n play with bassinet attachment and crib. No need for a separate bassinet. We just set up the pack in play in our room until the baby can sleep in their own room in their crib around 5 months. Then you have pack n play for travel and times when you need baby to stay put.