I think this will be a great choice
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UV0UCM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005UV0UCM&linkCode=as2&tag=crazy0f-20

Our Graco has the bassinet (with vibration) and changing table. Both have been hugely helpful. (And my first wouldn't sleep without the vibration--it would go for 20 minutes before it auto shut-off; I'd watch the clock and quickly turn it off/on when we reached the 18min mark.)

My son LOVED the napper on our Graco play yard. It was pretty much the only place he consistently napped the first few months. It was a major convenience for me because we live in a split level and I was recovering from a c-section. The play yard stayed on the ground level of the house, which meant I could hang out near the television, best wifi access, front door, and kitchen.

I would skip any with the built in mobiles or music. There's no need for those bells and whistles... you'll have plenty of ways to provide music or stimulation and at a few weeks old, they prefer to watch a ceiling fan or the light coming in from the blinds.

We used a Graco with the bassinet insert (which is basically a shallow insert the same size as the pack n play, not the infant napper) as our baby's bed when she slept in our room, until about 5 months. You don't need a mattress.

jindc wrote:Is it ok for a newborn to sleep in the play yard part without a napper? I'm trying to figure which one we'll get before buying real furniture. We're going to use the changer so we can avoid buying a changing table / pad (our dresser is too high to use as a changing table). So even if it's usable for a couple of months, it's still helpful.

Does it need a mattress if we're going to use it as the crib for a few months? I notice those are sold as well...

My 5 month old has slept in hers every night since we came home from the hospital. No need for a mattress. The one that comes with the play yard is thin, yes, but my baby apparently finds it to be very comfortable.

The only safety concerns I read about with the rock and play was that in some models since the covering is not removable it can be a mold hazard.

We ended up not registering for the rock and play, but getting the Tiny Love 3-in-1. http://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Love-Rocker-Napper-Brown/dp/B0073DNYSW

We liked the vibrating function and the fact that baby could lay flat or elevated (would lay baby flat for sleeping).

I've looked at the rock and play - does that have the same issue as the 'napper' for the safety issues?

I'm only just now researching - I use Lucie's List, which recommends the napper and rock and play.

I bought the very simple graco play yard with no bells and whistles. It was small and more portable. Some of the others were huge. the changing table portion is kind of useless as you are technically not suppose to have it attached if the baby is sleeping in the bassinette portion. I just put a towel or regular changing pad on the dresser to change the baby.

We are getting the Aprica Haven because I like the simple design. We are in a situation where we will be moving 2 months after the baby is born, so we won't be setting up a nursery. For changing, I plan on putting the changing pad on the bed or floor to change him.

I know a lot of people have their babies sleep in a rock and play for the first few weeks, so you may want to look into that.

jindc wrote:Is it ok for a newborn to sleep in the play yard part without a napper? I'm trying to figure which one we'll get before buying real furniture. We're going to use the changer so we can avoid buying a changing table / pad (our dresser is too high to use as a changing table). So even if it's usable for a couple of months, it's still helpful.

Does it need a mattress if we're going to use it as the crib for a few months? I notice those are sold as well...

Op here, all my questions too. I plan to ave my son sleep in it the first few weeks in our bedroom.

jindc wrote:Is it ok for a newborn to sleep in the play yard part without a napper? I'm trying to figure which one we'll get before buying real furniture. We're going to use the changer so we can avoid buying a changing table / pad (our dresser is too high to use as a changing table). So even if it's usable for a couple of months, it's still helpful.

Does it need a mattress if we're going to use it as the crib for a few months? I notice those are sold as well...

I'm the first PP, and yes, it's fine for a newborn to sleep in it without the napper. Ours did for naps.

The mattresses are meant to be used when the "floor" of the yard is all the way at the bottom, not in the upper part. Along with that, apparently it's also a suffocation risk, as the child can pull it up on the corners. We had planned to get one because we thought our baby might sleep better with a more cushioned surface, but the salesman cautioned us against it.

Is it ok for a newborn to sleep in the play yard part without a napper? I'm trying to figure which one we'll get before buying real furniture. We're going to use the changer so we can avoid buying a changing table / pad (our dresser is too high to use as a changing table). So even if it's usable for a couple of months, it's still helpful.

Does it need a mattress if we're going to use it as the crib for a few months? I notice those are sold as well...

I have a Graco with a napper/changer. My 5 month old sleeps in it every night and loves it. However, we only used the napper/changer about 3 times total. If I could do it all over again, I'd pay less and skip any accessories. We also got ours on Amazon.

We had three different ones with our first--basic Graco, Graco with bassinet/changing table, and a Bright Starts with changing table. Really, there is not much difference between any of them. I wouldn't bother getting one with the changing table, since you can just use the bassinet. Once they're too big for the bassinet, they're too big for the changing table, too. Also didn't both with the fancy ones with music and other noises. You have plenty of other opportunities to get the baby hooked on noisemakers, it's just not necessary with a play yard at this point.

One tip--we checked them out in stores and then went on Amazon. The "old" prints/patterns were much cheaper there than in stores. We spent between $50-120 for each.

Looking for one with a newborn napper/bassinet. Any recommendations or advice?