Bassinets are a waste of money if you ask me. They serve only one purpose for the first maybe 6-12 weeks and then you are stuck with this large contraption that usually doesn’t fold away into a tiny space. You also can’t replace the mattress in most of them so resell value isn’t great. We went to Buy Buy Baby and asked about what people were using instead. Some people put the crib directly in their bedroom. That wasn’t an option for me because my crib is huge and made of solid wood so it is heavy an inconvenient to move around. Others decide to co sleep as in having your baby sleep in the bed with you. This idea terrifies me. I always pictured me or her father rolling over her and I just couldn’t. Plus we didn’t want to develop that habit so young. It’s important to us to be able to have our space too after all the baby has claimed every where else in the apartment. Then we learned about how pack and plays had evolved. They now have a higher level where you place the mattress and it can act as a bassinet. Most of them have diaper changers attached so you can easily access everything for that 2am feeding with out even leaving the room. Essentially your baby would use this as a bassinet, diaper changer, then eventually as a play yard. Your baby will use this for a few years instead of a traditional bassinet which will only be used for a few months. We chose this pack and play by Ingenuity.

My mom has a Graco which is one of the most popular brands and it was a hand me down given to us by my little cousin so you can even use it again or resell it. We decided this was the best choice for us. I wanted Penelope right by my bed but wanted to know that once we were ready to transition her to her room this would still serve sort of purpose. We saved money by not buying a bassinet. They aren’t cheap at all either they range from $99 to about $500. Penelope slept in the napper portion swaddled tightly for 6 weeks. That when she started working her way out of the swaddle and had a desire to move around while she slept. We then popped that napper out and had her sleep in the play pen mattress but elevated. Our little girl does a 180 when she sleeps at night so having the freedom to move around just like she would in a crib was great for us because that is when she began to sleep through the night. I’m a breast feeding mom and having her right by my bed those first few months is crucial. We used the diaper changer that was attached so we wouldn’t have to walk all the way to her room each time. The diaper changer has little pockets as well where you can put diapers, wipes, and creams anything you need for you little one will be right there and safely away from her while she’s in the bassinet portion. Our daughter is now 4 months old and we are going to be transferring her to her crib at 6 months. We are only taking a little longer than usual because we are going to visit my dad in New Jersey and he has a similar play ben/bassinet combo for her to sleep in. I don’t want her getting used to a crib and then getting confused when we go up there. Eventually we would like her to sleep anywhere we put her down but for now that fact that she sleeps 7-9 hours right next to us is amazing and we are grateful. Once she makes the transition the we will lower the bassinet level of the playpen to the floor level and thats where she will safely play for years. Unlike a bassinet where you would just have to put away or get rid of.

Now for a review and comparison between the Ingenuity and Graco pack and play.

We purchased the Ingenuity Washable Pack and Play you see above. Here’s what I love about it. The print is gender neutral so you can use it for other children. The big seller for me was that you can take apart the whole thing and throw it in the washer these things get messy. Ours was $179.99 which was reasonably priced compared to other which couldn’t be washed. The diaper changer part is a little small compared to the Graco one my mom is using and since it has a washable slip cover on it she would slip and slide all around while we changed her. The Graco diaper changer is made of a rubbery material and is easy to clean if there are any accidents and the baby stays put while you change her. The Graco changer is also raised a bit more compared to the Ingenuity which doesn’t really affect me because I’m tiny but if you are tall it may be easier for you. Our Ingenuity pack and play did not come with a mobile for the baby but you can pick one up on Amazon that fits the rails of the pack and play. The Graco one was almost $100 more as well and did not have the bassinet portion. Less features, more money? Doesn’t make sense to me but, I have recently seen Graco evolving into this concept as well. Both Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby have samples of each of these out so go on in a test them out. Use a doll and see what fits you best.

This is Penelope now in the raised area of the pack and play as she sleep through the night.