Crib or no crib?

Janel - posted on 05/18/2011

I have a 4 in one crib as well. It was a drop side, but I called the company and they sent me the pieces to make it stationary and that I use for my 4 month old. My 2 1/2 yr old boy went to a big boy bed right after the crib. He loved his crib, he was in it for a little over 2 years. He didn't climb out and went right to sleep. He was like a "fish" when he slept, by consistently moving, but then when we moved him to a full side bed, he is doing great. He did fall out once, but otherwise, he has been doing great without a rail and my 4 month old is doing great with the bed. I do have a pack and play and just use it when we travel. I bring a lot of blankets for the cushion. I say do what you feel most comfortable with.

Lori - posted on 05/16/2011

I also have a "grow with me" crib that is 4 beds in one. It was a bit pricey but in the long run it is the best option. if you choose a style that is versatile and classic, it will be a bed that can transition with your child all through their at home years.

Tavia - posted on 05/16/2011

well...it's your decision what works best for your child. you've had one so you know you have to be flexible and use what makes him/her comfortable and secure. my husband and i tried the bassinet,crib and then one day she fell asleep in ther car seat so i brought it in the house and let her sleep in it. eventually we decided she liked the tightness of the car seat so we bought a pack and play and put the car seat in the pack and play and thats where she slept until she outgrew the car seat then we just put her in the pack and play w/ no sides just the netting and the mattress that comes w/it. she slept in that until she outgrew it. then i put her in her crib during the day to get her use to it and then when she was tired i'd lay her down in the crib and she slept there until she stared to stand in the crib then i changed her to her toddler bed @ about a yr. she slept there for 6months she cried during the night so my husband put her in our bed and since that shes still w/ us and shes 2.5. so its up to you to decide your course. good luck.

Sara - posted on 05/14/2011

I have a 4 in 1 crib. It starts out as a crib then switches to a toddler bed then to a day bed and then the final step in a full size bed. I got one like this because I didnt want to have to spend money every couple of years... I love it!

Kristi - posted on 04/26/2011

My son has been in his big boy twin bed since he was about 26 months - went right from the crib to the twin bed. We had the drop down crib for him and used it with no problems. We are going to try for # 2 this fall as well and now don't know what to do about the drop down crib issue. We had Wes is his bassinet until 5 months, then he slept in our room until 13 months old in a pack and play ... with no problems at all. We just had a little bit more padding on the bottom (just a thicker blanket) ... a bassinet isn't comfy either when you feel the bottom. I will likely do the same thing with # 2 in our room, but hopefully he/she will move out before they are 13 months old (out of the room, not the house :). This needs to be a decision you make and what's best for you family. I, personally, had no issues with using the pack and play for as long as we did!

Lindsy - posted on 04/25/2011

My little boy who is a Nov. 08 baby went strait from his crib to a twin bed without any problems. But he does have an older sister so I'm sure he thought he was such a big kid b/c he didn't have to sleep in the baby bed anymore.He was so proud that he moved up . (He was climbing out of the crib anyway .)We don't have side rails and he never falls out, but there is a great big bean bag chair next to the bed just in case he does. Try what you think your kid will like. If he's a bold kid he might like having a big kid bed too.

Rachel - posted on 02/23/2011

We have twin girls that are 2 and went thru two crib recalls for them. I am too short to reach into a crib without a dropside when the mattress is in the lowest position, so any other type of crib would not work for us. I check the drop rail every day to make sure that there isn't any cracks in the hardware etc that would cause the side to break. I do have the hardware to "fix" the most recent recall when I go to get rid of the crib.

As for those that really want to use the pack n play as a crib - if you are looking for more padding, we travel with our girls quite often, and were finding that they just were not comfortable sleeping in the pack n play. So my momma brain had to start working overtime to figure out why. I ended up getting a twin size egg foam crate bed padding and cutting it to fit the size of the pack n plays. I put a waterproof crib mattress pad on it and then a regular crib sheet over that. OMG! It worked, the first night that my girls slept in their pack n play with that, they slept just as if they were at home in their cribs!! I would recommend this concept to any mom out there that uses the pack n play regularly for their child esp. if their child does not sleep that well in them. (P.S. my girls were 1 1/2 when I started doing this, as there is a little space where the foam didn't get all the way to the side of the pen. That way I knew that they would be able to push their head up if they needed to move.....

Adrienne - posted on 02/21/2011

We have our 2 year old in a twin bed and he loves it, he didn't like the toddler bed or the crib at abou 18months. (he liked to sleep sideways) I am pregnant with our 2nd child now and we will be using a bassinet the first 2-4 months and then a crib afterwards. Walmart.com has some GREAT crib sets, we got ours for about $250 and it comes with the mattress and a changing table (both solid wood). I don't like the pack-n-plays because they fold up (they aren't meant for long term use), and as you mentioned, they certainly don't seem very comfortable and they aren't very big so if you have a long baby you won't be able to use it for very long anyways. And if you get a good one, it can be as expensive as a crib anyways. You can re-gift your crib when your finished with it, sell it or donate it.

Mindy - posted on 02/11/2011

used cribs are fine, as long as you buy new mattress.

Alexandra - posted on 02/08/2011

I would do whatever feels confortable for you. We used the bassinet and pack-an-play for 7 months before they went to their cribs. With both our children, we plan on doing that with the girl due in June too. I would not buy anything used, if that's the route you will take. That's me, I just don't feel confortable with it.

Allison - posted on 02/06/2011

i have a 3 year old and two year old twins.. when we found out we were having twins, we didn't want to spend the price of a crib, let alone two.. we tried moving my oldest into a toddler bed and he didn't want anything to do with it... we went onto craigs list and found two cribs at a good price.. If you are going to try for a second one, my best suggestion would be to try craigslist or even wait until the summer time and check out yardsales... we have a pack in play and have only used it for a handful of times while traveling with the oldest one.. we also had an eddie bauer travel bed but that didn't have much cushion in it either... you might be good with the pack n play if you can find a cushion for it..

Stephanie - posted on 02/04/2011

i agree id get a crib that can grrow wit your child

Anna - posted on 02/01/2011

Also, we had originally had a drop side and got rid of ours as well. Our daughter wasn't ready for the toddler bed so we made sure to purchase a better quality crib and the transition kits. We haven't had any issues with it or the one now my son is in. (They have the same crib just different colors). We are also already expecting our third so we will be getting the same crib again or another good quality one.



Just make sure to do research, and read reviews. I also know pack and plays present safety risks as well. My daughters pack and play was recalled because it ended up bending in half with babies in it and them getting trapped. As you pointed out there are safety risks with EVERYTHING so as parents we just need to make the best educated decision that works for us.

Anna - posted on 02/01/2011

We got my son a pack and play that also had the co-sleeper. It was sooo hard!! I added a baby positioner but that would not be comfortable by itself when they got older. It is really going to be what you are comfortable with. They may make mattress pad type covers for them as I know they make the sheets for pack and plays. Otherwise most cribs these days ARE NOT drop sides. Both of my children have good solid cribs. They were pricey but they are excellent quality and will transition to a toddler bed then full size bed. Totally worth the money.