I couldn’t resist the title! You see, I have a dear elderly friend who used to correct my children every time they said they were “done” with something. He’d tell them,
Turkeys are done. People are finished.
So, since today is my official due date, it only seemed appropriate to talk turkey. 😉
OK, maybe not turkey, but how about we talk sleeping arrangements when a new little one arrives? I have yet to meet a family who doesn’t find themselves reworking some aspect of nighttime as they prepare for a new baby’s arrival. We are no exception.
I have gone back and forth over what to do. I’ve asked other moms of many, I’ve peeked in other people’s bedrooms to get ideas, I’ve scoured the internet, but in the end, the only thing I can do is try a few ideas and see how they work. Here’s our current sleeping arrangements…
Mommy & Daddy in rather smallish Master Bedroom.
12 year old son in a small basement room of his own.
9 year old and 6 year old girls, along with 4 year old brother in largest bedroom.
20 month old in toddler bed in a room of his own with the crib still set up.
A new baby always gets the honor of sleeping in the bassinet (for at least part of the night…until mommy brings him/her to bed):
The bassinet is moved from living room to mommy’s bedroom as the day progresses, but eventually, baby outgrows the bassinet and moves to the crib. At times we’ve sidecarred the crib to our bed, but in this house, that is impossible for lack of room.
This is where my dilemma comes in…
The crib is set up in Micah’s room. There’s really no other place for it but in that room. My original thought was to move Micah to the girls’ room and move Keian into the room with the crib as he might be less likely to wake baby or be awakened by baby, but then I had a hairbrained idea…
What if I didn’t use the crib? What if I used a Pack N Play instead? What if I put my little boys both in a room together? What if I stuck with this idea until I could figure something else out? 😉
So, I moved K’s toddler bed back into the room with Micah:
They are thrilled with the arrangement…at least for now. And yes, I did leave the crib up, because frankly, it’s in use:
I’m on the lookout for Pack N Play sheets (didn’t even know they made such a thing until some other moms enlightened me!), and for now, the plan is that baby will continue to sleep in our room in a Pack N Play after outgrowing the bassinet.
And since I can see both my mom and my mother-in-law cringing at the reading of this, let me address their concerns (sorry folks to bring all of you in on this little family affair, but I’m guessing there might be a couple more of you wondering the same things our family members are wondering…might as well address it publicly!)
*****
Dear Mom,
Yes, our bedroom will be crowded. And yes, there is a good chance I will eventually ditch this arrangement, but it’s worth a try until I figure something else out. If you’d like, you are welcome to come brainstorm a better solution…I’d gladly listen to your thoughts on the matter.
Love, me
*****
Dear Mother-In-Law,
Yes, the un-cushioned Pack N Play seems like cruel and unusual punishment, but from researching this matter I have found that un-cushioned is actually best for baby. Cushy bedding is dangerous. Apparently, lots of people have slept their children in Pack N Plays with no adverse side effects. If you’d like, you are welcome to come brainstorm a better solution…I’d gladly listen to your thoughts on the matter.
Love, me
*****
Oh, and to all my lovely readers…
If you’d like, you are welcome to brainstorm a better solution…I will gladly listen to all your thoughts on the matter as well!
I am particularly interested in hearing from any of you who have used a Pack N Play instead of a crib, as well as those of you who have found creative solutions to a sleeping arrangement dilemma similar to mine.
Lexie Joseph says
Here’s how we do it:
We have 3 bedrooms….
Mom and Dad in a very small (8×9′) room with baby in our bed part of the night.
2 older girls (12 and 9) in next smallest room (10×10′) in twin beds.
4 youngest kids in a bunk bed, toddler, and crib in master bedroom (10×13′). The 7 year old sleeps on the top bunk, 4 year old on the bottom bunk with a rail, 2 year old in the toddler bed, and baby in the bunk. All toys are (suppossedly) kept out of their room and in the basement. They seldom wake up when the baby cries… and baby seldom wakes up when the toddler cries. I am used to getting up quickly when one cries though 🙂
Never done the pack-n-play for regular sleeping, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Clara says
I had no idea what a “Pack N Play” was, but when I googled it, I realised you were talking about what we call a “portable cot”! LOL! I used one of those for my babies – and often. There was no problem with it, I don’t think they are hard at all… But one thing my mother did was to buy a piece of mattress foam and cut it down to size and put sheets on it just like an ordinary cot – that worked well, too. I think they’re really handy and I enjoyed using it 🙂
meclarks says
We slept our oldest in a pack n play for a few months after she had outgrown the bassinet before we purchased a crib. She slept great and still does! The pack n play has been used with our other children, as well as a little girl I babysat, for naptimes here at home, over at Gram’s, out at camp, and on vacation trips, all with no adverse effects! Other MOMYS I know have indeed decided to forgo cribs altogether and just use Pack N Plays and then beds to maximize space in their homes.
Jules says
Dear Amy:)
I can completely relate! I slept my finalist of five Jehu in a pack and play bassinet at first, then moved him down to the bottom level, then a crib eventually, for the same reasons as you:) We found out early on that he wouldn’t sleep unless he was “swaddled” without actually being swaddled. Meaning he slept in a car seat buckled in for at least 6 months, as he would spend hours screaming if he wasn’t. He loved sleeping with me, but kept unsafely rolling and thrashing around all over the bed. So, when we buckled him in to his car seat, he’d fall asleep in minutes. Peacefully. I have no idea why that worked so well other than that he needed “boundaries” early on. Perhaps a physical manifestation of his life to come? (lol)
I prayed that the seat would not affect his posture ( read stories about that) but I strongly felt that his sleep should be as peaceful as I could make it, and the seat and pack and play worked great:) I pray success for you as you figure out daily what works best for your family 🙂
Amy D says
I used our Pack n Play with our youngest for 2 and 1/2 years, due to lack of room. He actually slept very well in it!
Laurel says
I have used a pack n play exclusively for babies #3,4 & 5. It works great for us and I love that it doesn’t take up as much room in our master bedroom and also doesn’t look so out of place like a large crib would. My babies have stayed in it until they are about 2 or are able to climb out and then they are moved to a toddler bed. They never had trouble sleeping. In fact they have sleep much better than my first two did. It’s also nice that if we travel we take their bed and they are comfortable wherever we go. Hope this helps. Blessings to you as you are nearing the birth of your baby.
Shawnee says
That is a great solution. I am in a similar situation and my girlfriend suggested a Pack n Play to me. They make cute sheets for it and you can make it comfortable. Congratulations on your new arrival.
Hillary says
We have used the PackNPlay in our room once baby outgrows the bassinet. Ours has an insert that allows the bottom to be higher–really nice to not have to bend all the way down with a wee one. I am needing to lower ours now for our 8 month old who is crawling 😀 One winter when it seemed especially cold with our hardwood floors and baby so close to the ground, I placed a folded blanket under the sheet as a sort of mattress. It was still very firm and I hope warmer. I felt better at least 😀
Praying for you as you are ‘finished’ with this pregnancy. My grandmother used to do the same thing only it was cakes that are ‘done’.
Anna D says
This must be really uneasy for such a big family. But I would suggest just bring the baby in your bed and let him or her be there until he or she wants to move out or until you find a better solution. Parents’ bed next to mummy is the most natural place plus you will have better rest if you are planning to breastfeed. There is a fantastic book on the topic called ‘Three in Bed’ by Deborah Jackson http://www.amazon.com/Three-Bed-Benefits-Sleeping-Your/dp/0747565759/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284369930&sr=1-6
Best wishes
Anna
Amy says
I do tend to co-sleep quite a bit, but I need a back up plan (and a safe place for baby at times because at times there are 6 of us in here! lol) Does La Leche League carry the book you mentioned?
Anna D says
I have not seen it on their website, sorry
Candice says
Our little Sam still sleeps in the pack’n’play at night, because our crib is still in use. And–this sounds really terrible–it’s in our closet! It’s close to momma and I promise: it’s a nice big closet. 🙂 He doesn’t seem to mind!
Beth says
Hi, I’ve used a Pack n Play (called camp cot here) for our last baby – adopted at 4 1/2 months. You can by proper mattresses for these here (South Africa) complete with breathing holes etc… Abby sleeps in our room (13 months old now)and we don’t know when we’ll move her out as we live in a rather small house for 5 children. The other 2 bedrooms have 2 boys in each in bunk beds. The nice thing about having Baby sleep in a portable bed is that you can take it with you if you travel or visit family and they are secure in their familiar bed.
Amy R says
Our youngest (6 mos) is currently in a Pack N Play in our room. Her sister (23 mos) is in a toddler bed in the other bedroom in our two bedroom house. There is also an empty crib but we haven’t been brave enough to put them together yet, especially since one is sleeping all night and one still wakes several times.
Celee says
Last time we used a pack-n-play style bassinet that baby outgrew within a couple of months. This time I’ve purchased an arm’s reach cosleeper which is basically a bassinet with one side that drops down. Guess who’s been sleeping in it? My almost 2 yr old loves it! I’m actually thinking the baby may sleep in his swing for a few weeks while I try to transition big sister back to her crib so I can put baby boy in the pack-in-play by us. Just last night my 11 yr old asked me if he could sleep in the baby’s room in the twin bed there. Yes, we play musical beds around here, too! And my girls sleep on the floor of our room in sleeping bags several nights a week. I guess it’s nice for them to have bedrooms for their books and clothes.
Celee
Amy says
LOL! We have a lot of campouts all over the house too! I can only imagine the 2 yr old in the arm’s reach…I could definitely see Micah doing that!
Rachel says
Oh pack-n-plays are great for when there isn’t much space! My eldest slept in his from the time he was born until he was about 2. We actually have a mini crib for our baby right now. It is about the same size as a pack-n-play, but it is a “real” crib. You can often find them on craigslist used fairly cheap. We got ours for about $20, and then just went and bought a new mattress for it! (They sell sheets for them too.) If you want to look up one they are often called portable cribs as well.
Can’t wait to hear your great news anyday now!
Rachel
Quinn says
We’ve been using this arrangement for the last five years (4 children) and I think it’s fantastic. Since the new big brother/sister hasn’t even been two when the baby arrives, we leave them in the crib in the adjoining room until the baby is 6-9 months old – depending on when our sleep noise, tossing and turning, starts to bother them. Then the big brother/sister gets moved upstairs to the gender appropriate kids room and the baby moves to the crib.
They also make mattress pads for the pack n play to put under the crib sheet and ours is pretty plush to help give a little padding. I really like it especially since the mattress has developed a huge seam down the center during storage between the last two babies.
Praying for all to go well for the big day when it gets here and that you might not have to bear the suspense too much longer!
Jaime Lynn Braden says
My daughter is 4 months old and has never slept a single night in her crib. She likes much firmer surfaces. She won’t sleep in our bed with us either because it has more of a cushy mattress. She loves to sleep in the pack n’ play or the bed in the 2nd bedroom (with us of course) because it has a firm mattress. Just like you said, I’ve read this is safer anyway. Do whatever works best for you! Mothers and mothers-in-law will always have something to chime in about. HA!
Amanda says
We are currently on baby #4, and after seeing that the Duggars use pack and plays, I converted too! I actually have a pack n’play lite, so it’s very tiny…..it had a bassinet and then a drop down for when baby get bigger. Baby Leah is 7 months old now and has never slept anywhere else. Instead of using sheets I just use a baby blanket and wrap it around the pad….and sometimes I use another folded up blanket to pad it a little bit more, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference to her. And like the comment before, she love her bed and whenever we travel, there is no “getting used to” a new bed.
Kristin says
We did this same thing. In fact, our youngest son even slept on the pack-n-play “matress” on the floor until a month or two ago when we finally bought him a real mattress! It worked just fine!
Jessica says
My youngest is 5 months and we use a co-sleeper. Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper, to be exact. It’s just like a pack-n-play but it has a short side and tethers to hold it tight to the side of the bed. They come in a wide array of sizes, styles, and colors. We got the biggest, neutral colored one. I really recommend it. With our last baby we “sidecarred” the crib to the bed but it took a lot of creative engineering that I wasn’t 100% comfortable with. The co-sleeper is meant to be attached to the bed. And when the baby is too old/big to be sleeping in it you can convert it to a pack-n-play, so it can be carried into toddler use. It is a bit expensive, but I keep my little ones in my room for the first year and using it for more than one baby makes the expense a little more justifiable. Plus, there’s always eBay! (P.S. If you have a tall bed don’t buy the leg extension kit – we just used four coffee mugs to make ours tall enough and it works great.)
Amy says
I used a Pack & Play with sons 3 & 5 for over a year due to space issues and for over 6 months with our 4th son. Our boys are out of the bassinette in weeks (they come at 9 1/2 lbs). It works great. I always sleep them in the hall outside my br door, neither DH or I can sleep w/ a baby in the room. Could never fit a crib in the hall! But even when they moved to a brother’s bedroom they were in the pack & play. Tried co-sleeping with the first few, finally got over my guilt of not co-sleeping & did what worked for us. Do what works for you. Wish I knew you were going this route a few weeks ago, sent 4 pack & play sheets to the thrift store.
Amy says
Oh man! I would have loved to take those off your hands! Well, I hope the sheets aren’t too hard to find. Wondering why I’ve never seen them before. Maybe because I wasn’t in the market for such a thing! 😉
Amy says
As a former foster mom, the local department of social services considered a pack & play to be an perfectly appropriate bed for children up to age 2. I always had our newest arrival sleep in the pack & play in our bedroom until he/she became familiar & comfortable with us and our home. The babies always slept just fine. Pack & Play sheets are usually available at Toys R Us. (PS Our last foster baby is now our beautiful, adopted 3 yo daughter; she’s perfectly well-adjusted after sleeping in a pack & play for 3 months!)
Amy says
That’s good to know, Amy! Thank you!
Toni says
We also have the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper. We used it in our room as a bassinet/co-sleeper until our Abel was 3 months, then we raised the 4th side and put him in his own room. The wonderful thing about these is that they come in a size smaller than a Pack N Play, which was great for our small space. It is pricier than a Pack N Play, but I liked that we used one piece for a bassinet/co sleeper, portable crib, and night time crib. This is the specific product that converts to all these things: http://www.armsreach.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=cPath=cPath=3_18_7
Amy says
So many people have mentioned this, I’m going to have to look into it! With this being our 7th, people are asking what I need and I really couldn’t think of anything…this would be a great thing for everyone to pitch in on! Thanks for the link!
Charlene says
Our family votes for the pack-n-play. My kids use them until they are ready to move to the big bed (usually around the age of three). My husband likes to joke that kids are like fish and they won’t grow bigger than the bed that they live in. We love our pack-n-play that has a raised mattress (for the first four months) and ours also has a changing platform that rests on the top rails.
You can make bed sheets…easily and in lots of fun cotton fabrics. Having three sheets is a sheer luxury after many years of making do with just one. I also sewed a mattress cover for my bed. I read that one theory on the cause of SIDS is the fumes released by old mattresses. This is just a theory but I thought, why not cover the mattress. I bought a twin size anti-allergy cover and cut them up to make two covers for our mattress (the covers were made like a big pillowcase and fit the mattress very snugly. I sleep better and maybe baby does too!
All this to say, enjoy your new baby and enjoy your pack-n-play. We own three of them. Pack-n-plays also make a great dirty clothes hampers. You will never overflow again! (I got that idea from the MOMYS.)
Kacie says
Aww! Happy 40-week day! I refuse to call ’em “due dates” anymore because it just sound so ominous. It’s not your baby’s birthday today, so to me you aren’t “due” yet 🙂
Our pack n play has a bassinet setting sorta. It’s just a higher level than the regular pack n play. I used it for the first few weeks and then into our bed my baby came. Cuz that’s they only place where he got sleep (and therefore, so did the mama).
I’m guessing we’ll do the same thing this time.
I think the pack n play is a good option until you can come up with something else, and if you don’t, the pack n play still works!
Melissa says
Use the pack n play! With no guilt! I have 8 children, ages 14 down to 6 months. There is just no room (in anyone’s room) for the big crib, so we have used our pack n play for the last three babies.
You have to do what works, as you know!
Laura says
My son & daughter I/L because of financial stuff :/ (long story) had to live with her parents they had my g-daughters bed & a room for her but they also had 1 month old twins. Those babes slept in a co-sleeper,& when they got to big 1 went in the pack & play. They sleep like that for 2 years. Happy to report they are strong, healthy, beautiful babes! I too was a worried G-ma but I also use to think that babes could only wear those white shoes to be able to walk correctly.:) Hope your little turkey is here soon, I am praying for you!!
Lynnette says
Harrison spent his whole life (minus the last few months) in a pack n play. He seems fine – no wounds – no emotional scars. Our room didn’t fit a crib and I liked him in there with me, so that’s what worked. I just wrapped fluffy comfy blankets around the pad. The older he got, the more fluff I added. 🙂 You do whatcha gotta do! ha!
peggi says
I was gonna say that we used a Pack and Play when our second one was a little baby. We also had a small room. Do what works. 🙂
Rebecca says
We used a pack-n-play exclusively with our now 5 year old. Like you we didn’t have room at the time for a crib (we’ve since rearranged to make room : ). Once he was a bit older (out of SIDS risk range), we cut an “egg crate” down for extra padding as he did have a bit of trouble sleeping on the extra firm mattress as he got older.
Some other possible ideas: Can you change bedrooms with your two girls so you’d have room for a baby “bed” in with you? Could you put all four (all except your oldest son) in the “largish” room so the crib could be alone in the other room? We’ve done all sorts of arrangements, even having 5 boys in one room in two sets of bunkbeds (it was almost wall to wall beds but it worked : ). I have considered moving our 6 boys into the “master bedroom” and my husband and I into the next biggest room-might yet happen if God blesses us with more kids.
Janis says
Never owned a crib, mommy of soon to be 7! I co sleep until they are nearly 2-3 yo and then in the pack and play they go until I feel secure enough to put them in a toddler bed. My kids have slept well and loved the pack and play. 🙂 Hope that helps. I would ditch the bassinet for space and ease since newborns nurse constantly and grab a 50 dollar snuggle nest. Saves a lot of fuss for cosleeping and the worry of rolling on baby, without taking up extra bedroom space. I HATE how tiny our new room is. We are in a similar situation with sleeping arrangements as you right now and we are trying to rearrange before my induction in 36 days! woohooo to getting these babies out:) I tell ya what, ANYTHING will be more comfy than sleeping with them inside us! teeheee
Amy says
I like to have the bassinet out in the living room so baby is part of the family all day long. I’ll have to look into the Snuggle Nest though…never heard of it.
Beth says
I used a pack and play for both my third and fourth babies until they were about 10 months old. They loved it and slept wonderfully. I found it to be cozier than a big crib, the sides are soft and the mesh prevents arms and legs getting stuck.
I have the most lovely pack and play sheet made of a velor fabric! It is so soft and gives a little added cushion, and has washed very well. I highly recommend finding one!
Missy says
Since we moved into this house 7 yrs. ago the only thing we could do was put the baby in a pack n play after the bassinet stage or move them upstairs(we are down).I found I liked it better than a crib. They are cozier and I can put them in it to play during the day and they like it because it is a familiar place. The only downfall is it can be hard on your back at first because the baby is too small to stand up. They are safer in the pack n play as far as climbing out. It takes my babies a lot longer to climb out because of the high sides. Remember babies are a lot lighter than we are. The thin mattress doesn’t seem to bother them. I would like it if we could put a side down on mine on all side since we have a drafty house.
Kate says
I can’t tell you a better sleep arrangement because frankly, I think it depends on the child. Our plan was to have our son in our room in his bassinet until around 3 months, and then move him to his crib in his own room. He has his own room all set up and the crib’s in there…but he’s never slept in it! He sleeps in another crib in our room, which was originally side-carred to the bed, but now that he is older is a short distance away. We will probably move him around 18 months, once we get him sleeping through the night (no, at 14 months, he is not even close…on a good night he is up 3 times) into his sister’s room, into a twin bed on the floor. That’s what she has now. He simply doesn’t like to sleep alone. This is NOT what we had planned AT ALL.
I think that your sleeping arrangements will work out as they need to once your baby is older. 🙂
Brianah says
We used a pack-n-play for our son (now 12 months) from the time he came home from the hospital (at 2 weeks) until he was around 5 months old. At 5-6 months he began having trouble sleeping in our room and we transitioned him to his own room (with much deliberation and unease on my part). He stayed in the pack-n-play for about a month until we transitioned him to his crib. We had an attachment to our pack-n-play that held the mattress at about 1/2 the depth of the PNP which was wonderful on my back.
One suggestion, when evaluating PNP’s….don’t neccessarily assume that less expensive is ok. We had two, on gifted from friends and used for their 3 boys (a Graco) which was wonderful! The other was purchased brand new and returned after one use. The mattress was very uncomfortable for our son and it didn’t stay very flat, could pose a risk for a very small baby.
We plan on using the PNP again for this baby (due in 7 weeks) as the crib is still in use by our 12 month old – and for fear of trying to transition our son to sleeping with someone else in the room which he greatly dislikes.
Hope you find a solution that works well for you!
Melony says
Amy,
We are currently expecting #5 in a 3 bedroom house. I feel you gears turing about sleeping arrangememts from here! We have done the bed shuffle more times than I could count. At one point we had a tall king size with a double on a hollywood frame as a side car. Our room was ALL bed. Altough in fantasy land I dream of having a baby kanoe. They cost a fortune and I am one of the thriftiest girls alive. We decide on Pack and Play with a twist. Arm’s reach co-cleeper makes a bed called mini convertible. It has a much hire weight limit for the bassinet height and the full height setting as well and is quite compact. Rumor has it that a king size pillow caes is a great sheet for them. It has wheels on one side so I can move it through the house and it even fits through a door 🙂 I see them on Craig’s List all the time. Do ya’ll have that? Warm thoughts for a safe delivery.
Jenny says
With #2, we started off with an Arm’s Reach Cosleeper–one of the mini ones, because that was all we had space for. Ivey didn’t like it and would usually cry until we put her into bed with us. She’s always been a cuddler! We took the cosleeper down, bought a king-size bed, and she is still sleeping with us at 13 months. We like cosleeping, but we are hoping to transition her to a toddler bed or a mattress on the floor in our room by the time #3 arrives in April. Ultimately, we are getting bunk beds with a full mattress on the bottom and twin on top to put in our older daughter, Suzi’s, room. We’ll start out with just Suzi on the bottom bunk, then we’ll move Ivey onto the bottom with Suzi when she’s ready. When Suzi is mature enough, we’ll let her use the top bunk, so we could eventually have three kids on the bunk beds. It sounds crazy, but our house isn’t very big and we can’t afford to add on anytime soon!
jerilyn says
Someone might have mentioned this, but a regular crib sheet fits just fine on our pack n play. We haven’t used the pack n play for long times (my littlest one naps in it but sleeps in the crib) though we have friends who have used the pack n play for their 2nd and now 3rd and it worked fine for them.
candi says
i’v used a pack n play with my last 2 and this last one (which is a GIRL) will also have that as a bed for probably the first year. they have always worked great for me!! mother and mother-n-law…my kiddos haven’t had any long term bad side effects due to the lack of cushion in the pack in play. 🙂 amy, i’m praying you go soon and are able to have the type of birth you desire!
love ya-candi
Lisa~ says
Wow, you’re getting a lot of great comments! It’s already been said, but I had to toss my own thoughts in. 😉 When baby number 6 came along we lived in a house the size of a matchbox. There was no choice but to use the pack ‘n play and it worked just fine. One thing I really loved about it was that when we traveled we could just take the bed he was used to and he slept great (my kids are never good sleepers). There’s no a thing in the world wrong with it and sheets for it are easy to find. Lisa~
Jess says
You are sooo funny!! We went throught the same with our family members (MOM!) when we had our 5th child. Imagine when we have (GASP!) number 6! There is always room in the home when there is room in the heart. Praying for a safe and soon delivery!!
Blessings,
JEss
Cindy says
We have 7 kids and our 7th baby (a boy– months) sleeps in a playpen in our walk in closet (with the door open of course:))..it buffers all the noise in our home and because he still cries a little when laid down or a nap…it doesn’t disturb anyone…eventually he will go with the 2 other boys.
Holly says
Heck, that’s what I do! I use the bassinet til it is outgrown then move on to the pack-n-play until I’m ready to move baby to the crib.
crystal says
We have a 2 young boys and a baby due in October. We live in a 1 bedroom basement apartment. The 14 month old sleeps/naps in a playpen at the foot of our bed. My 4 year sleeps on a toddler mattress on the floor at the end of my bed. The mattress is leaned up agains the wall during the day. We plan on having the bassinet next to our bed. This is the plan and Lord willing it’s going to have to work! 🙂
darcie says
hi amy!
just wanted to encourage you about your “pack n play” idea!
we have 7 littles…and the only one that slept in a crib was our first! 🙂
we’ve lived in a myriad of living situations over the past 19 years…and at times, the baby in the pack-n-play was the only little sleeping in a “bed” at all! many times the rest of our children were “camped out” on the floor around our mattress!
i won’t go into all of our living “adventures”, but suffice it to say, we’re so glad we went through them because it definitely had a positive affect on our kids.
it hasn’t mattered what situation we’ve been called to, our kids are comfortable to just snuggle up together with a blanket and a pillow and crash…any old floor will do! 😉
and as far as our babies have been concerned, they were able to sleep anywhere! we never dealt with an exhausted baby that just couldn’t fall asleep in a strange place…we were always able to just pack their bed along if we knew that we’d be fellowshiping late after church or visiting somewhere away from home overnight…the baby would just snuggle down in their “familiar” little space and sleep.
our pack-n-play has always been such a blessing to us! my mom raised an eyebrow at one point too! but the pack-n-play was a step up from the laundry basket one of our newborns came home to! 😉 she has watched them grow up to be very easy-going, adaptable kiddos…and that’s changed her perspective a lot.
my honey and i always think…”what if God calls them to the mission field? what if he calls them to minister to the homeless? will they be adaptable and ready to say “send me!”…or will the comforts of home weigh heavily on their decision to answer His call?”
we didn’t set out to condition them in this way…it just happened…by God’s sovereign design…but we’re very grateful that He orchestrated it that way!
i’ve been reading your blog for a little while now…your heart is for your children…that their hearts would be for the Lord! what blessed little people you have to have a mommy like you!
our little people have never cared a lick where they slept…as long as it was with us! as long as we’re a family and Jesus loves us…we can lay our head anywhere and sleep in sweet peace!
praying for a blessed delivery of your newest little one!
darcie for the whole orth family 🙂
Amy says
Thank you, thank you for this beautiful comment!
Natalie @ Naddy's Blog says
I love ours. We also have a small bedroom and it has really helped since I like to start baby out in their own space then cosleep after the baby’s first waking. It also has the bassinet option for putting the mattress higher, which I loved for the first few months.
My current sleep dilemma is what to do when my 15 month old is displaced *from* the pack n play next spring by the new baby! She’ll be two, so I’m thinking toddler bed for her, but her brother is still in his… so upgrade him to a bigger bed or buy another toddler bed? Hmm… 🙂
Amy says
I usually transition to a toddler bed when baby is 16 mons or so. Little Micah is the only one who has repeatedly left his bed to wander into someone else’s. 😉
Courtney says
I use pack ‘n’ plays for my kids. My last two were a year apart, so I had two of them! They are great, so much smaller than the crib and my kids loved that the sides were so soft, for some reason they like to cuddle in the corner.
As far as sheets, you can make your own in about 3 minutes. All I do is make a pillowcase, no elastic and the mattress slips right in.
Mom To Seven Sweeties says
So sorry, I haven’t had time to read the comments (first official day back to homeschooling with five grades this year plus a toddler and a baby!) but I wanted to chime in. Our kids have slept in pack n plays for the first two years of their lives ever since child #3. They do a bassinett for the first few weeks but then “graduate” to a pack n play in our (vented) master closet. 🙂 Target sells an Eddie Bauer pack n play mattress pad for around $15 that is quite cushy. I also put another folded up blanket on top of that once it seems they are old enough to sleep on it safely.
After the pack n play stage (usually whenever the next baby is ready to move into it – ha ha) they graduate into the “baby room” that has our one crib in it. Then when they are old enough to share a room more easily they move into either the boys’ room or girls’ room. If we didn’t have the fourth bedroom they would graduate straight from our closet to the regular bed room. 🙂
But yes, our kids have all slept in pack n plays and been perfectly fine. It actually really convenient for them to associate sleeping time with the pack n play, that way whenever we travel they have a familiar bed that gives them the sleepy time signal!
Stephanie Arnold says
I just wanted to tell you what an encouragment this was to me today. As a mother of 6 in a 3 bedroom duplex, I often realize that we sacrifice many material things for the joy of raising a large family. It is worth every effort and while we may not be “keeping up with the Jones'” we are very thankful and blessed. Thank you for valuing God’s most precious gifts over the world’s empty rewards : )
Amy says
Stephanie,
So glad to hear you say this. I was even a little hesitant to post about this dilemma since it wasn’t a “traditional” arrangement. Reading all these wonderful comments and ideas has made me realize raising children really has very little to do with the “trappings” of what the world says we “must” have. Blessings to you!
K. Martin says
This doesn’t solve your pack’n play/crib issue, but for my last two, I put them to sleep swaddled in a bouncy seat right next to our bed (instead of bassinet) for the first 2-3 months. They were both my best infants at sleeping long stretches at night.
Amy says
I had to do this with Micah! He slept so much better when swaddled and held in close by the bouncy.
holly says
we have done the pack n play thing several times… it works great and takes up less room. the kids loved their bed and it was actually hard for them to give up the pack n play and move to a bigger bed. i think it was really cozy! oh and a portable bed is so great for lots of reasons. like if the baby/ child in the pack n play is having a hard time sleeping in a particular room for what ever reason-just fold up the bed and try it somewhere else till you find the right fit! no worries!
Amanda says
Once upon the time the seven of us lived in a two bedroom house for 7 years.(until a year ago, now we are in a 3 bedroom) My five children (1 girl, and 4 boys) shared a room. She had a twin bed and the boys shared a bunk bed. Now she has her own room and the boys share. I still wake to find my boys in her bed at times.
And in regards to the pack and play I say go with what works. My first child (my daughter) at times would only stay asleep in the swing. And my fourth child slept wrapped as tight as possible with a blanket in his car seat the first few months. ( Again, the only way he would sleep) We mothers have to do what works. 🙂
mamajil says
There have been times that due to space or having the crib still utilized by another baby that our new born baby at the time slept in a pack and play…it worked fine and they slept well! Hope all goes well with your delivery I will say a prayer for a fast easy delivery!! I’ve enjoyed your blog 🙂
Suanna says
We’ve used pack n’ plays with all four of our children. We did have a crib for a little while, but I preferred the more easily movable bed. They work just fine. With the last two I’ve actually used the smaller pack ‘n play and it works just as well as the big one and takes up half the space in our bedroom. By the time they start to not fit in it any more, it’s time for a toddler bed (so far).
In general, we move to a toddler when they either start to climb up the side of the pack ‘n play or when they start to potty train.
dionne says
I used the pack and play with a thick blanket folded up for padding. This blanket was very heavy so it did not move around at all. You could also order a piece of dense form to fit for some extra padding.
Rachel says
My son’s been sleeping in his pack’n play for a year now (since he was about 8 months old) with no problem. He doesn’t sleep as well in it as he did in his crib, but it definitely gets the job done. My only complaint about this arrangement is that the pack’n play is harder to keep clean than the crib is…but that’s what husbands are for 😉
Rachel says
Just wanted to add that since we use the pack’n play for sleeping, we don’t use it as a play pen at all. We do use it for “time outs” though. We just don’t want to send him mixed signals–just like with a crib.
Bobbie says
Hello, I read often, but, never comment, I just wanted to say that we used our pack n play for a bed from my daughter until she was one. Cribs and their bar spacing scare me. She was my 5th child, and I have gotten over the comfort thing. LOL You are right, flat is best. No squishy, it could cause problems. And I have been very protective of her since she is my rainbow baby. She graduated to her crib when she turned one and has only been sleeping in it now, for 3 months and did great with the transition. She still sleeps in her play pen for naps, and knows when she goes into her crib it is out for the night. But, a pack n play is an awesome idea. plus, when you need the extra room for a minute it is sooo easy to just fold right up. Our pack n play had a bassinett with it. I love it. I still love it. It is my favorite piece of baby furniture. Anyway, just my 2 cents and you can get pack n play sheets from Walmart, Kmart, Meijer or any other department store. Have a great day!
danielle says
My husband, two children, and I moved to Florida into a furnished corporate apartment when my youngest was two months old. A pack-n-play was our only option due to packing/space limits. She is now nine months old and though we are now back in our home state after six months away, she is still sleeping in it.
Sarah Painter says
i couldn’t get to the comments to read them first, so this might be a repeat.
we have our twins in pack and plays from the start b/c it was the only solution for space. they sleep in the room with their 5 year old brother, who was four when they were born 15 mo ago.
i use a sound machine and a box fan every time they sleep to drown out the noise between siblings.
it has worked very well. i also bought a twin size egg crate and cut it down to pnp size so they would have cushion under their sheets. i was concerned about this lack of cushion long term b/c they will be in them until at least 2.
if you are using a bassinet attachment (as the top layer for 3-4 months) then they make quilted sheets with cushion that are nice. I find when i try to use those quilted sheets on the regular pack and play it makes the ‘mattress’ squish in and leaves gaps on the sides. i don’t know if that makes sense.
good luck. we like using the pnps and have no issue so far. it’s really nice that pacis don’t fall out. 🙂
Tonya says
Our 5th took all her naps in a pack n play in our closet (until she figured out how to climb out of it). It worked for us! We got many strange looks and comments when we mentioned she napped in our closet, but oh well!
Cindy says
We have a very cozy (tiny) 3 bedroom home that 6 of us live in 🙂 My littlest, who’s now 4, slept in a Pack-N-Play for 2 1/2 years or so. She was in my bedroom and we never had an issue. After 9 months or so, I put a folded quilt in it for her to lay on, just to make it a bit more comfortable looking. But I truly don’t think she cared one way or the other.
Praying your little one joins you soon~
melissa says
After I stopped co-sleeping with our son at 3 months we used the Pack ‘N Play. In fact, we used it until we moved him into a toddler bed at 1 1/2 yrs old (yes- we are crazy). It worked totally fine! The only drawback I found was we were unable to use it that well when we wanted him stationary- because he associated it with sleep instead of play.
Amy says
I almost always put my little people in a toddler bed by 1.5 yrs old, so nope, not crazy in my book! I rarely use a play pen for play…too many hands around here who LOVE to play with baby and are WAY too big to be in the play pen w/ him/her! Thanks for the input!
JoSe says
Wanted to reply that we use a cosleeper that is very similar to a pack n play. I was able to find (locally) a pnp mattress several years ago and use that in the bottom on top of the ‘mattress’ that folds up. I also take a regular sheet and sew it into a pillow case to slide onto the mattress. I find it easier to fold and slip on and off when changing sheets. Also it can’t ‘pop’ off and is more snug. One last thing – once they are older and during cooler months I use a snuggle wool – purchased with first child and still looks new after #4. I don’t own a crib – takes up too much room and it seemed unsafe to me (though my MIL used a cardboard box with blanket for husband so a pnp hardly seems like torture right???). Little ones sleep in the pnp until a few months before next one is due. Congrats on your newest addition!
Mama K says
we use the arm’s reach co-sleeper for our kids, at least for the 1st year and traveling. there are quilted fitted sheets you can get for more padding if you haven’t found them yet…i hear for babies it’s better to have a harder surface anyway to avoid SIDS. 🙂
Amy says
I had a wonderful friend read this post and buy me one of those! They are wonderful!!!
Jenny says
I know this is an old post, but I still thought I’d reply. Oh, and I didn’t read all the many other comments so I’m sorry if I repeat. Anyways, we use a “mini crib” which we were blessed with as a hand me down. They are the size of a pack n play, but are made like “real” furniture (with wood). So they look identical to a crib, just small. And since they are the size of a pack n play, they take pack n play sheets. It came with a thin mattress (but way thicker than a pack n play) but then my friend ordered another thicker mattress as well, which she also passed down to us. We use both mattresses together. We like it b/c it can fit at the end of our bed easily, and, it looks nice. But we LOVE it b/c we have very small bedrooms in this house, all of which are occupied. We live in Ca ON a fault and we do NOT put beds under windows here, which lessens floor plan options. Frankly, there was no way we could fit a twin bed AND a full crib in the boys room when our second boy came along. But we CAN fit a twin bed and the mini crib. Now the boys are in stacked bunks so if we have another boy one day, we can again set up the mini crib in there (once babe is out of our room) and 3 boys will fit in that small room no problem. With a full size crib, it wouldn’t even be an option. Anyways, if you ever have another, it might be worth checking out. Ours was graciously handed down so I have no idea how much they run in price. But I sold our full size crib so maybe you could do that too and use the money to replace it with the mini crib.
Jenny says
oh, and our 2 babes who have used it slept in it fine until 2 years old, which is when we move them to a twin. So its not just for tiny babes.
Amy says
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m not sure I can part with the crib, but I am using a pack and play right now. I love the idea of a mini-crib!
Jillian says
OK I know I’m getting really ANNOYING by commenting so frequently, but I just had to. Last time. Promise. : ) I started using a pack n play for baby #7. I wish I had done it much sooner. What finally drove me to do it was not space, but the fact that I was tired of them getting their little or not so little legs caught between the slats on a crib. I tried all types of bumper sets but they all managed to get stuck at one point or another. Not to mention the bumps on their head when they’d be upset and throw themselves back. Maybe I just have really wild kids, but a play pen has worked so well for us. You can also buy foam to place over the mat and just hold it in place with the fitted sheet.
Amy says
I’ve been using the pack and play for quite some time now with Garin and it’s been a great thing! 🙂 Love the foam idea!
Crystal Allison says
I used a pack n play with all of my kids (3 olders, and twins right now) and have never actually used a crib. My olders always used it up until they went into a regular bed or toddler bed. We made sure to get the kinds with bassinet attachments (money saver not having to buy that separately!). We’ve got three pack in plays right now, one for each twin, and a third that has been so beat up and used that we now use it for laundry purposes- keeps the clean clothes OFF the couch! 😉
I’ve never had any bad experiences and didn’t know there were people opposed to them!
Charlene says
I ditched my crib after child number four. We love the pack ‘n play and number eight is still happily using hers. I love the pack ‘n plays that have a raised level for new baby. My favorite setup has a raised bed for the new baby and a “rack” that lays across the top which is great for diaper changes. I don’t know if they make those anymore. My mom sewed sheets for me…so nice to have more than one. I also made a cover for the mattress out of that allergy stuff…to protect the new baby from the foam. One advantage to the pack n’play is that it can travel so baby can take his bed anywhere!
Amy says
What kind of fabric did your mom use for the sheets?
Charlene says
I used a really good quality 100% cotton. Luxury to have two or three sheets! Don’t know why I waited until eight baby to do that. There is some internet buzz about SIDS and old mattresses and sheepskins. (That’s why I made a cover out of an allergy blocking fabric…a twin mattress cover that I bought and cut up.) You can sew a fitted sheet easily with elastic corners but it also works to make a huge pillowcase type deal that slides over the crib mattress.
Amy says
Thank you!
Pam says
I have had to use the pack n play numerous times even with 2 cribs, as my first 4 babies were so close together. I felt bad about the fact it seemed so firm, but I got a nice soft sheep skin that is sold for babies to sleep on, and then a fitted pack n play sheet to go over top, and that solved the comfy without adding any major cushions, or bulky bedding that could be dangerous. I highly recommend the sheep skin. 🙂
Amy says
I have looked into the sheep skin. Any recommendations?
Pam says
I purchased mine specifically noted for use with babies. The shorn skins are recommended for babies to eliminate the risk of smothering. It is such a soft but dense mattress topper. Many available on amazon or the like. They are machine washable as well, but they recommend you purchase a wool wash cleaner, and not use regular detergent for long life and softness. I have only washed mine maybe a few times, though 5 babies have used it, because the sheet does a great job protecting it.
Genevieve says
My oldest daughter (now 8) became *very* attached to her pack and play, and it definitely would have made traveling anywhere overnight impossible, had her bed been of the non-portable variety.
When she got too heavy for the pack and play, she still napped on the pad on the floor.
She very graciously gave hers to her brother, (we got another one for his twin) who, (not as graciously, it took some convincing and some snazzy train sheets) gave it to his little sister. Although, my littlest didn’t use it as much, once she figured out she could sleep in her big sister’s bed (around 20 months).
My arrangements now are: 12 year old in his own small room, with a bunk bed (little siblings camp out sometimes). My 8 year old and two year old in one room with a bunk bed (they both sleep on the bottom) and my four year old twin boys on a bunk bed in their own room. Mom and Dad in the smallest, but most quiet, room.
Serena says
I have used a Pack n Play as a bassinet for three children. The sheets are super expensive, (I think it was $9 for one) so I got one as a gift, and then cut up an old sheet with a hole to make a couple more. You don’t even need elastic, they basically sew some corners by folding it over. I would strongly suggest getting some rubberized flannel to lay underneath as a waterproof barrier. We once had to replace a Pack n Play floor due to water spilling on it and then it mildewed. Hope that is helpful.
Reggie says
This is so funny! After 5 girls, we had to say good-bye to our faithful Wal-Mart crib (which broke as I was assembling it for baby #1) with our first son. The two of them DID NOT get along! We used a pack-n-play with him and plan to use that for our next as well. As for our others, think bunk beds…lots and lots of bunk beds.