Do we really need a crib?

[tthompson7]

This question may seem silly in forum dedicated to co-sleeping but I would greatly appreciate different perspectives on this matter. My 3-year-old daughter co-slept with my husband and me for her first 3 months until we started realizing that no-one was getting a good night's rest as we were all waking each other up. For some time she slept in her own crib much more comfortably, though through these years our sleeping arrangement has changed according to all of our needs. Presently, she falls asleep in her room at night and then joins us anywhere between 3-6am. We recognize that sleeping arrangements and co-sleeping are not black and white decisions based on our ever-evolving experiences with her.

Now we have another baby on the way and no crib, as our daughter's crib was recently recalled. We are happy to co-sleep with our new baby but recognize that we may find the need for the baby to have its own bed at times. It has recently dawned on me that maybe a crib is not required to meet this need.

So, here's my actual question...have any parents ever used a pac-n-play/ portable sleeper as a regular sleep space for a child during periods when the family is not co-sleeping? I've been thinking about buying a little mattress pad made specifically to fit this type of equipment to make it more comfortable. What concerns might you be able to think of about the safety of this, both physically and emotionally, as compared to using a crib regularly? Have you used other techniques to meet this need that did not involve a crib or a portable crib? Thank you all for your positive problem-solving thoughts on this matter.

[braidmama]

Hey there! My older sister has used a pack n' play for 3 of her children to sleep in (she will admit to them ending up in her bed by morning most of the time, haha). We use a mini crib/bassinet that was passed down from my grandmother's brother who is now 86. We plan on using our pack n' play when he grows out of it. I'm mostly concerned with the height of the mattress though...at nearly ground level, bending to put him in and take him out is going to put a lot of strain on my back (I have scoliosis). I can't think of any reason that it wouldn't be safe as long as it was assembled correctly. I wouldn't overload it with blankets and I definitely wouldn't put any toys or stuffed animals in it at all. They're safety hazards (obviously) as well as I think its important to have a sleep place thats separate from distractions so they learn to associate that place with sleep only. I would probably just get a mattress pad of some kind to fit and make it a bit comfier as you said and maybe a pack n play sheet (u can use a regular crib sheet as well as long as its tucked under all the way around and a water proof pad. I'm also kind of leaning towards dp and I just getting a bigger mattress to cosleep. We do cosleep sometimes but we have a full size mattress that is barely big enough for the 2 of us, nevermind enough space to safely cosleep. We never seem to have the money though. Ohh well. Hope this helps!

[Katie T]

I think a portacrib would work fine, but you could also wait and if co sleeping doesn't work you could purchase a crib then. Congrats on your new one on the way!

[Snapdragon]

Have you thought about sidecarring your crib? We find this works for us because baby is right there next to me, but he can still have enough space and we can still fit comfortably in our bed.
Here is a link about this
http://www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/

[MyBoysBlue]

We went and are still going through many transitions over the past few years with DS2. We did have a crib because we had kept it from DS1. But If we were to have another I wouldn't bother with a crib and I would use a Pack and play. Cheaper for one thing and it's easy to put away for the stages when we all were sleeping well together. We also bought a king size bed so co sleeping with DS 2 was much more comfortable then with DS1, we only had him in our room and bed for 3 months before we were all just not sleeping well, and I wasn't aware of the benifits of cosleep and didn't know about other options like sidecaring, which probably would have worked for us. A crib is definatly not always a necessity, but I find having a safe place for naps is something I need to have at least until DS was able to get down off our bed by himself.

[Lilygoose]

I don't think you need a crib. In fact my DD REFUSED to sleep in one. We went through various stages. We started with a bassinet, which she would not sleep in. She slept on my chest for a couple of months until it got beyond uncomfortable for me. We then got an arm's reach co-sleeper that also turned into a pack n play. We used it as a co-sleeper until she started getting up on her hands and knees and it became unsafe and then used as a pack n play. She loved the co-sleeper and being able to fall asleep holding hands was lovely. Contact, but not this huge weight on my chest. We have a pillow top mattress so I was uncomfortable with true co-sleeping for a long time. Once she outgrew the co-sleeper we struggled b/c she did not sleep as well in the pack n play (however she does not do well sleeping alone period). It worked better than trying to put her in her crib though. That was never acceptable to her. Eventually she got big enough and sturdy enough that i felt comfortable taking her into the bed, and this was when our sleeping struglles got SO MUCH EASIER. We are currently working with her to sleep in her toddler bed (converted from the crib, so hopefully we'll get some use out of it), which is in our bedroom with us. The crib was a waste of money.

[BeanyMama]

Welcome to MDC!!

We used a little rocking bassinet for the times we weren't co-sleeping. I would imagine a Pack n' Play would be just fine as you described it. I don't think you need a crib, nay. We're going four for four without one without a regret

[swisscanmom]

Some pack and plays specifically say that they are ok for sleeping in, I think it is Graco brand?
I think it's just fine. Many cultures are surprised at our "baby cages" they just use a thin mattress on the floor.

[Artichokie]

No, you don't need a crib. That being said, we cosleep full time and we LOVE our crib. When DD was an infant, we used it as a changing table and as place for her to have some diaper free time (we put wool mattress pad down under the fitted sheet and then flat diapers over the sheet to catch any pee). When she was a little older and mobile, it was a nice place to have her sit while I got dressed in the morning. Now we have it side-carred to the bed and it is her place to sleep. She stays there all night and often wakes around 5am to crawl over and cuddle with us. This arrangement is ideal b/c she doesn't need to wake anyone or call out for help to be retrieved. It is also nice because she is contained and I don't worry about her falling out of bed. She really identifies it as her space and loves being there.

[tthompson7]

Thank you

We would like to thank all of you who have responded with such thoughtful and encouraging words. We plan to try out the pac-n-play idea, especially being fortified with the supportive thoughts that you have sent us.

[Marissamom]

we used the bassinet part of a packnplay for naps and the first part of the night until DD was old enough to pull up using the sides and then used the bottom part of it until DD was about 11 months and we moved her to a crib mattress on the floor (we could have waited longer for this transition, but DH didn't like the fact that she was confined). at 16 months she's still sleeping on a crib mattress on the floor, though it's moved into her own room recently