Small apartment: pack and play and bassinet and crib?

[Anonymous]

Remember - for the first few months of a baby’s life, they can’t sit on their own. Usually around 2/3 months they gain neck control to sit on your lap. They stop falling over while sitting around 5-7 months. So. If you want to put them down, you can lay them on the floor or put th m in something. We have dogs, so the floor was never an option, but if I was in the living room, I did not always want the baby in the bedroom (psychological but I liked seeing here - even when my hands needed a break). So, one “container” per room / floor meant that I could do thing - bathroom / make lunch / answer an email - ok a DCUM post - without holding her.

You do not NEED it, but it is nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another mom in a tiny apartment. We got an Arms Reach mini co-sleeper and that lasted us until 6 or 7 months. My neighbor gave us their pack n play. Baby is 19 months and still sleeps in that. We bought a mini crib mattress to make it more comfortable. The arms reach converts into a mini pnp, which was useful in our living room when we needed a safe place to stick baby.

I was going to suggest mini co-sleeper in your room—more functional than a bassinet. A crib in their room.

A pack n play if you travel or spend time at grandparents house for example. Not really necessary otherwise.

[Anonymous]

We got a Bloom Mini crib w/ wheels from craigslist. That was it to start. We did end up buying a travel crib, the Lotus one. Not a pack and play... too big and bulky. The Lotus one still works fine when we travel w/ our 2.5 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in 2 bedroom 1000 square feet in DC for first 2 years of DD life. I had a crib, bassinet and pack and play at first. It’s nice to have one thing like that in each room so you don’t have to move them around but completely unnecessary. I was done with bassinets by 2 months and wanted it out of the house. That’s the trick in small spaces. Get it cheap/borrow and then be able to get it out of your space. You def don’t want to be keeping and storing that stuff. I bought pac and plays for each grandma which was convenient for visiting them.

PP Reading the other responses, I’ll clarify. We have a dog, so I couldn’t put baby on the floor. Also I didn’t want to put baby in swings, bouncers, RnP, etc bc I think it’s better for sleep habits if babies get used to sleeping flat and get used to their crib. I wanted the crib from day 1 so we could practice baby being in it pretty early. While DD was still in the bassinet at night in our room, we did one nap a day in the crib so we all could gradually get used to it, esp DD. (DD STTN from 2 months although there were obviously many other factors.)

[Anonymous]

^ oh and one benefit of crib over PnP, etc is that as they age, it contains them. Unless they learn to crawl out, which can be dangerous, it’s nice that Rhett ant get out of their cribs in the morning. Once you go to a toddler bed, they can get out of bed on their own. You’d be pushed into a toddler bed earlier if you’re using a mini crib or PnP.

[Anonymous]

I lived in a studio when DD was born. I had a carseat and my bed. We coslept. When we traveled, we coslept. We moved into a one-bedroom when she was five. That's when she got the bed and I started sleeping on the couch.

You need SO MUCH LESS than you think you do.

[Anonymous]

We used a baby bjorn travel crib for all 3 kids. They went from that to twin beds.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I have a dog too. But I’m all on one level, and I also have a swing. So, it sounds like I’m fine sticking the swing in the open space common areas, having the bassinet in my room and the crib in the nursery. Then maybe getting a lotus (or just co-sleeping) in a few months if needed for long trips. Thanks for all of the tips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lived in 2 bedroom 1000 square feet in DC for first 2 years of DD life. I had a crib, bassinet and pack and play at first. It’s nice to have one thing like that in each room so you don’t have to move them around but completely unnecessary. I was done with bassinets by 2 months and wanted it out of the house. That’s the trick in small spaces. Get it cheap/borrow and then be able to get it out of your space. You def don’t want to be keeping and storing that stuff. I bought pac and plays for each grandma which was convenient for visiting them.

PP Reading the other responses, I’ll clarify. We have a dog, so I couldn’t put baby on the floor. Also I didn’t want to put baby in swings, bouncers, RnP, etc bc I think it’s better for sleep habits if babies get used to sleeping flat and get used to their crib. I wanted the crib from day 1 so we could practice baby being in it pretty early. While DD was still in the bassinet at night in our room, we did one nap a day in the crib so we all could gradually get used to it, esp DD. (DD STTN from 2 months although there were obviously many other factors.)

Sleeping flat has zero to do with creating positive sleep habits. It’s a safety issue. Positional asphyxiation. You can have a bouncy seat. They are very convenient/portable when a an infant isn’t able to sit up on their own. It’s not recommended to put babies to sleep in one b/c of safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have a dog too. But I’m all on one level, and I also have a swing. So, it sounds like I’m fine sticking the swing in the open space common areas, having the bassinet in my room and the crib in the nursery. Then maybe getting a lotus (or just co-sleeping) in a few months if needed for long trips. Thanks for all of the tips.

Some kids hate swings. They take up a ton of space. Get a bouncy seat.

[Anonymous]

We were in a 580 sq foot 1 bedroom.

First two months she slept in a rocker / napper that then converted to a little chair (baby love). Then she slept in a mini crib until we moved a few months before her 3rd birthday.

We are short and she was petite. The crib said up to age 2 or 50 lbs. She was nowhere near the weight limit and the pediatrician said if she was sleeping and not trying to climb out to keep her in it until one of those things changed.

[Anonymous]

I had a one bedroom. The pack and play was the bassinet, and then I bought a crib when the baby was three months old. The crib went in our room, and then the PnP was a playpen in the living room. Borrow the swing or kick and play - you don’t know what your kid will like, and if one doesn’t work you get it right out of the house ASAP.

[Anonymous]

OP - if you can swing the price, you might want to look into the Lotus bassinet/travel crib combo. We used the bassinet in our small apartment (it has a setting for rocking) until the baby was big enough for the full size travel crib. We used the travel as the baby's primary crib until we moved/were ready to commit to something more permanent. It made traveling/going to friends' houses and having naps there much easier since he was in his own crib!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have a dog too. But I’m all on one level, and I also have a swing. So, it sounds like I’m fine sticking the swing in the open space common areas, having the bassinet in my room and the crib in the nursery. Then maybe getting a lotus (or just co-sleeping) in a few months if needed for long trips. Thanks for all of the tips.

Hi - OP. I'm the one with the 850 square foot apt. I'd suggest skipping the swing and getting a bouncy seat. They take up so much less space and can fold flat for storage. We splurged for the baby bjorn one and loved it, but there are cheaper options if needed.