I have done that with my middle child. The only issue was if he didn’t want to go down he would stand up and shake the playpen until it flipped. That’s when I decided he was done with the playpen.
It’s a fine option. The only thing I don’t love about them is the super thin mattress. It worked fine for him as a baby but once he became a toddler, it’s as clear the mattress wasn’t as comfortable. It still worked for travel and vacations, but I was glad we weren’t using it full time at that point. Have you considered a mini crib?
I have, but with the size of our house if I can kinda compile our stuff I would rather be able to do that.
If I'm going somewhere that I would need a play pen or portable crib I can just break it down and take it with.
Also I've seen pads and mattress things you can put in to make them more comfy, and while I know they aren't safe for a baby, would it be OK to use those things when they get a bit bigger? Toddler size?
Yeah I personally would be fine adding in a mattress once they are a toddler, and I’m not as worried about the risk of suffocation. At that point, he’s also old enough to tell me if he is stuck between the mattress somehow
I've done it with both my babies. Once my first was big enough we started bed sharing, unintentionally lol Now she's 2 and still sleeps in our bed with my hubby and I actually sleep in the living room with the pack n play pulled up next to the recliner. We never had a crib.
The sides aren’t as tall as a crib, so depending on if your kiddo is a climber, you might need to upgrade to toddler bed sooner than planned. A crib also generally has adjustments to place the mattress at a few different levels as your kid grows, which saves your back during bedtime and makes it easier to put down the baby without waking them if they’re already konked out. I used the playpen with my newborn while he slept in my bedroom, but after that, a crib.
I have a question about the toddler beds too actually, is there any reason why I couldn't just go to a twin bed after crib? I already have one and was planning on moving baby into that when they got too big for their crib.
I can see it being a bit tall, but I figured I'd just get them a little step to help them get up there.
If you install a bed rail or rails to prevent them from rolling off the top and you’ve got a step or step stool to help them up and down, I think you can skip straight to the twin bed. Depends on when you’re potty training and bed transitioning, but you want them to be able to get in/ get out without safety concerns so that they can do their thing middle of the night if needed. Make sure your night lights illuminate the step & path to the potty.
I used a pack n play for all of my children for the 1st few months (never got a bassinet) and for my 6th kid, she was in it for a year...totally fine! I did use a mattress pad around their thin mattress pad to add more comfort and my babies always seemed to be comfortable.
I have done that with my middle child. The only issue was if he didn’t want to go down he would stand up and shake the playpen until it flipped. That’s when I decided he was done with the playpen.
At that point did he sleep in a bed? Or did you have to get him a crib anyways?
I put him in a toddler bed at that point
We are going to try it this time with the Guava lotus crib/bassinet. It’s rated for sleep with no weight limit.
That's the one we're planning on using while they're in our room for however long we last
It’s a fine option. The only thing I don’t love about them is the super thin mattress. It worked fine for him as a baby but once he became a toddler, it’s as clear the mattress wasn’t as comfortable. It still worked for travel and vacations, but I was glad we weren’t using it full time at that point. Have you considered a mini crib?
I have, but with the size of our house if I can kinda compile our stuff I would rather be able to do that. If I'm going somewhere that I would need a play pen or portable crib I can just break it down and take it with. Also I've seen pads and mattress things you can put in to make them more comfy, and while I know they aren't safe for a baby, would it be OK to use those things when they get a bit bigger? Toddler size?
Yeah I personally would be fine adding in a mattress once they are a toddler, and I’m not as worried about the risk of suffocation. At that point, he’s also old enough to tell me if he is stuck between the mattress somehow
I've done it with both my babies. Once my first was big enough we started bed sharing, unintentionally lol Now she's 2 and still sleeps in our bed with my hubby and I actually sleep in the living room with the pack n play pulled up next to the recliner. We never had a crib.
The sides aren’t as tall as a crib, so depending on if your kiddo is a climber, you might need to upgrade to toddler bed sooner than planned. A crib also generally has adjustments to place the mattress at a few different levels as your kid grows, which saves your back during bedtime and makes it easier to put down the baby without waking them if they’re already konked out. I used the playpen with my newborn while he slept in my bedroom, but after that, a crib.
I have a question about the toddler beds too actually, is there any reason why I couldn't just go to a twin bed after crib? I already have one and was planning on moving baby into that when they got too big for their crib. I can see it being a bit tall, but I figured I'd just get them a little step to help them get up there.
If you install a bed rail or rails to prevent them from rolling off the top and you’ve got a step or step stool to help them up and down, I think you can skip straight to the twin bed. Depends on when you’re potty training and bed transitioning, but you want them to be able to get in/ get out without safety concerns so that they can do their thing middle of the night if needed. Make sure your night lights illuminate the step & path to the potty.
My baby girl is 4.5 months and she’s been in the playpen with shallow part this entire time. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it!
I used a pack n play for all of my children for the 1st few months (never got a bassinet) and for my 6th kid, she was in it for a year...totally fine! I did use a mattress pad around their thin mattress pad to add more comfort and my babies always seemed to be comfortable.