Am I a "Bad Mom" if I use a Pack N Play instead of a crib?

[TheWoman]

Originally Posted by AngB21 Some of you will cringe when I tell ya this one. My nephew is 2 1/2 and since day 1 he has always slept in a bouncer and still does.

One of my babies slept in the bouncer. She was little enough to be swaddled so she didn't fall out and she slept much better in it. I can't imagine a 2 1/2 year old fitting in one, though. This is what you are talking about, right?

[AngB21]

Originally Posted by TheWoman One of my babies slept in the bouncer. She was little enough to be swaddled so she didn't fall out and she slept much better in it. I can't imagine a 2 1/2 year old fitting in one, though. This is what you are talking about, right?

Yep! I've witnessed him actually stand up and pull the bouncer off of him like a pair of pants.

[tinkerfly81]

My son is 16 months old and has always slept in a pack 'n play. He does fine it. There are quilted sheets that can make it softer. My son has never had a problem with it.
The only draw back is won't sleep in a crib. The bars scare him. (we traveled last year and the hotel we stayed in only had cribs).

You are not a bad mom.

[Landuponastar]

My sil only used a pack & play. Even though she had a crib and it was set up in the nursery and everything. She decided not to use the crib. Her DS never slept in it. She was afraid that he would get stuck or hurt.

You have to be the one to make the decision that best fits you and your family. Don't let your sister make you second guess your decisions.

[momabrown3]

It is what works for you & your husband .You will be great parent regardless of what you choose to use.With my son we had a PNP that went to grandma's house.A porta crib in the living room.A full size crib in his room.Lived in apart that an upstair bed rooms.

[jenrose]

I say to each their own. Everyone has different needs and what works for one will not necessarily work for another.

DH's grandma bought a used crib for us at a yard sale. I used that one for about 4 months before DS became so active that I didn't think it was sturdy enough. I went out and bought a brand new one for $199 (and I just sold it for $120 4 years later). DS#2 still uses a PNP at Grandma's house since she watches them while I work but at home he is already in a toddler bed (almost 2).

I think DS#2 would have been OK in a PNP full time but DS#1 would never have for any long period of time. When DS#1 was little I would sometimes try to lay down on the couch at night to sleep because it was soooo hot in the room in the summer and put him in the PNP in the living room and that didn't work so well. He was so active that he would stand up and push out on the netting with his feet to gain a footing (making it into like a step) then try to throw himself over the top to get out.

So even within one family what works for one may not work for the other. Also when traveling it is nice to be able to pack everything in the car ahead of time and you wouldn't beable to pack the PNP in early if the little one still needed to sleep in it.

Just my 2 cents.

[shopgrrl]

My DD is 4.5 months old and is still sleeping in the bassinet (she was a preemie so is only 13 pounds now) part of a PNP. We never bought nursery furniture because when our house sells, we'll be moving. Now that we've seen how well the PNP works, we don't feel the pressure to buy any sooner.

[p_lo1081]

omg no u are not a bad mommy!!! i have my baby in a pack n play its really just like a mini crib!!!i found a mattress for it !!!so its perfect for me!!!:)

[VivaciousJewelz]

Update:

Luckily, my sister has backed off considerably. We have a cousin who is my age who recently found out her and her husband are expecting. They are in an even worse situation than us (for several reasons), so my sister has eased off of pressuring me, b/c compared to my cousin, I'm the perfect mommy! LOL.

[sevan76]

My daughter slept in a PNP til she was about 8 months old. She was a preemie, so smaller than most babies, but we had no probs with her in the PNP. I had it pulled up right next to my bed and it worked out wonderfully. She had a crib in her nursery and about 2 weeks after we moved her into it, I found out it had been recalled. Turns out she was safer in the PNP!!! I would be careful about getting a used crib-will be harder for you to find out about recalls and without a manual it may be difficult to know that it is put together properly.

Get a PNP to start out with (baby should be near you at night anyways) and look into getting a crib later on.