Graco Pack N Play, Where Should Newborns Sleep

Unless it just won’t fit in the space you have, get the full size Pack N Play. Baby B definitely prefers the big Pack N Play to the Travel Lite. That could be because we use a Dream on Me mattress inside the Pack N Play. This Dream on Me 3″ mattress is noticeably softerand more supportive than the pad that comes with the Pack N Play.

The mattress has a built-in base plate to keep it from sagging or hitting the floor. There’s no weight limit, but you should stop using it once your child is able to climb out, which is usually around age 3. With a bassinet attached, it can be used from the first day your newborn baby comes home up to about 3 years old. You should however keep in mind that pack n plays are not meant to be used every single night, they are meant for travel and daytime play. With the added usage your pack n play may start showing signs of age quicker than expected. With this in mins, check for the structural integrity of your pack n play regularly to ensure the utmost safety of your baby.

Babies should stop sleeping in their pack n play once they reach about 30 pounds, 35 inches in height or somewhere between 2 and 3 years of age. You should also avoid bassinets where the bottom and sides are soft or made of a soft material. The bassinet should have a firm base for your baby to sleep on, if you plan to leave him unattended. Pack n play are safe for sleep as long as all other safety guidelines are being followed – period.

It is stable with no rolling issues observed, and it fits nicely into the bassinet without moving, though we were able to get our fingers around it by pressing on the mesh. A 2020 What to Expect Award winner, Graco Pack ‘n Plays are practically synonymous with playards; the company offers a full range of playards from bare bones to souped-up models. Thisfull-service playardis top-rated forits cleverdesign that grows with your babe — not to mention its great price. If you think you’ll be toting your playard over to Grandma’s definitely opt for a model that’s lightweight, folds compactly and is easily mobile (wheels help!). Playmats and bouncers are undeniably life savers in those first few weeks, but what do you do once your baby starts to roll or wants to explore more? FamilyEducation is part of the FEN Learning family of educational and reference sites for parents, teachers and students.

It is a versatile product that makes a great backup for all thenecessary daily taskswith a new little one and alsotransitionswith them from newborn stage all the way to toddler. It also works great for a traveling play yard and crib and iseasy to assemble and disassembleefficiently. Toddlers need a little more space to play, which is why this playard with more than 10 square feet of space is great for them. It has a flat mattress that’s great for play and sleep, comes with a bedsheet, has mesh siding for ventilation, and is equipped with padding that covers all of the metal and interlocking parts.

Meg Collins started Lucie’s List in 2010 after learning everything about babies the hard way; she is now the Editor in Chief. She’s an engineer and former CPST who now lives in the Tampa Bay area with her family of four. She enjoys improv, 80s music, CrossFit, and giving people unwanted nicknames.

Whether you use it once in a while or every night does not matter as long as you are following all other sleep safety guidelines already mentioned here. The sides of the pack n play should allow ample air to come in. The pack n play should preferably have breathable mesh sides which nowadays is pretty standard for most manufacturers. The first one is thestandard play yardoption that has a solid surface near the base of the mesh enclosed surround, this works great for either sleeping or playing, especially once they get a little older. This option is able to hold the little one up to 35 lbs.

For older babies that are able to roll over on their own, a pack n play is perfectly safe for sleep. For more on babies sleeping in pack n plays check out my other post where I discuss babies sleeping in the bottom of a pack n play in detail. The bottom line is that a pack n play is a safe and controlled environment to put you baby.

A pack n play is a small, enclosed area fitted with a mattress where your child can sleep and play. Some have a wooden frame and others have a metal frame with mesh walls. It gives them a breather while their baby is happily occupied playing in a safe, restricted environment.

graco pack and play

Some pack ‘n plays do double or triple duty as a bassinet, portable crib for travel, or as a changing station. They’re also perfect for taking over to the grandparents’ house or other spots that may not have been as thoroughly baby-proofed as you would like. Cradles are a classic, compact sleeping space for newborns. But increased awareness of SIDS prevention has made experts and parents wary of cradles’ rocking motion, graco travel system which may cause or help infants to roll over on their side or stomach. If you do choose to use a cradle, look for a new model with a firm mattress/pad and a “locking arm” or stopper feature that allows you to prevent the cradle from rocking while your baby is sleeping. Also, keep in mind that your newborn may come to rely on the rocking feature and have a hard time transitioning to a crib when he outgrows the cradle.