Help, help, help! Portable crib for "away from home" sleeping??

[saffrongirl]

Nora is almost 16 months old.  At home, she sleeps in her crib which is basically in the same room as our bed though she can't see our bed from  hers (finished attic suite).  In the past when we've traveled she's slept in the pack'n'play, although not very well.  The last two times we've gone away, she has basically refused to sleep in the pack'n'play - just stood there and screamed "MOM!" Finally she would stop long enough to sleep for 10 minutes at a time but would wake up very upset.  I couldn't let that go on so I tried just bringing her to bed with me.  Historically, this doesn't work.  She  never relaxes even if I nurse her and ends up just sitting up and wanting to "chat."  This is what ended up happening.  So in the end, her and I probably ended up with an hour of sleep for the night total.  It was horrible and we couldn't really enjoy our vacation.  

So now we have another trip in March.  We are staying at a resort so I called to see if they had cribs but they only have pack'n'plays.  I know this isn't going to work.  Not sure if it's too small or uncomfortable or what the deal is, but she isn't going to sleep in it.  The only "solution" I can come up with is some sort of portable crib that looks and acts like a real crib, ie. has a mattress, etc.  Not even sure if this exists.

Anyway, I'm really feeling kind of frantic about this.  It's really hardly worth getting away if it's such an awful time with sleep.  Anyone have any ideas?  

Thanks.

[tzs]

ugh! i have the same problem. ever since she hit the year mark it's been really hard getting her to sleep in the pack and play when we're away (and also won;t sleep when sharing a bed.)

i do know that portable cribs exist or at least used to (i've stayed at a friend's house who has one) but i'm not sure how "portable" they are.

would an inflatable twin mattress on the floor work? maybe with some practice at home?

[saffrongirl]

Hi tzs, I think I remember you from our September Due Date group!  :)

This is one precocious child we're dealing with - a twin mattress on the floor would equal license to jump, play, talk and simply walk away.  Even at home when I bring her to bed with me when she wakes at 5AM, she will nurse for awhile (while doing gymnastics) and then crawls off the bed.  

[tzs]

hey there!

yeah, i hear ya. i'm about to try a mattress in her room and not looking forward to it. have you looked at like the phil and teds portable crib things? maybe they're more comfortable? i've always considered just really padding the bottom of the pack and play with cushions or something....it does seem really uncomfortable. but i just really think it's the sleeping in a different place factor that causes all the trouble. 

i'll keep an eye out here...hopefully somebody else has the dream solution

[thenews]

I feel your pain. Up until Thanksgiving, my now 2-year-old refused to sleep in his Pack & Play whenever we traveled or went to Grandma's for the day. I really do think it's because, heck, who wants to sleep on cardboard?! So I searched for a PNP mattress, and got this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BIFNXC/ref=oss_product. It's been our lifesaver since! I really couldn't believe it because, like yours, my DC fussed every time we put him in there to sleep, but he wouldn't sleep in the bed with us, either.

If you decide to go this route, make sure you set up your PNP with the mattress in your living room a few days before the trip, which is what I did. That way, he got used to the idea of the set-up. He loved it, believe it or not, and I think it really helped ease him into it. He played in it and asked to go night-night there -- I'd put him in, and he'd close his eyes and snore! When we got to my sister's house, he was super excited to see the familiar set-up and even walked to it himself for naps and bedtime. A major miracle for a kid who's never liked to nap, period! And don't forget her lovey and blanket, if she uses them at home.

Of course, this idea is only good if you're driving to the resort and can bring the mattress with you. We're flying to NH in Feb. and I'm petrified that we can't take ours with us! I'm planning on gathering lots of blankets when we get to our rental condo and making it super cushiony for him. (They have a PNP there.) We'll see if it works!

Would she sleep in something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/BABYBJ%C3%96RN-Travel-Crib-Light-Blue/dp/B000XDYLEK/ref=sr_1_3?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1295636276&sr=1-3

Expensive, though!

Or a cheaper alternative, but don't know if she would escape:

http://www.amazon.com/KidCo-PeaPod-Portable-Self-2dInflating-Travel/dp/B001HY40P4/ref=pd_sbs_ba_2

As you can see, I've given this a lot of thought. Good luck!

[rockdoctor]

Also from Sept 2009 Due Date Group! My DD is exactly the same and we do a lot of traveling. She will  not sleep in the PNP. She will not sleep in bed with us. We tried her sleeping in a Baby Bjorn Travel crib since we were moving around so much. She will sleep in this. We made sure we gave her a week to get used to falling asleep in it at home before leaving on trips. We got so worried about her getting unused to it that she has actually been using it full time since Sept 2010 and we still haven't switched her back to her real crib. I really should do this soon, but she sleeps so well in it now that I don't want too! It is expensive, but it ended up being worth it for us.

[saffrongirl]

Maybe I'll try the pack n play mattress.  I've put pillows down but that doesn't seem to do anything for her.  I think she'd feel like the Bjorn was too close to the floor and the "pod" she would definitely climb out of.  I'm not really sure what it is about the pnp.  Obviously it's cardboard and that's gotta be so uncomfortable - but  also think she moves around a fair amount at home in her crib and can't do that in the pnp (bumps into sides and such).  

I was also thinking of this: 

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Me-Portable-Folding-Espresso/dp/B0030ECCJU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1295620733&sr=8-2

Looks kind of cheap, but more similar shaped to her home crib.

Anyone had any experience??

[globe-trotter]

I have tried all the above and a couple more. But before I can answer which is best for you I have a couple questions.....Answers are included depending on what your doing! :)

Is the place your going a major city? (if so there are tons of "rent baby stuff" sites that can help you out)

Are you flying to get there. Baby bjorn is great for fly but expensive. Phil & ted cot can be good option also but if she doesn't like that tented in feeling than I would avoid it because it come in on the top...again expensive. Those peapod things... I hate them because once they can sit up or crawl or walk they don't have much movement in them (you can't even sit in them).

If your driving I love that fold up crib. Its also great for cabins and leaving at frequent visited family memebers houses.

Msg me if you have follow up .... I dont get on as much as I like

[globe-trotter]

oh and I havn't tried this one but it looks about baby bjorn like. http://www.amazon.com/Guava-Family-2101000-GoCrib/dp/B003VKYL3I/ref=sr_1_41?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1295654753&sr=1-41