Crib and Bassinet

Hi J.,

I would suggest to use the playard. It goes up/down easily so that shouldn't be a problem at night. I had my son in 2007 and my daughter in 2008 and I used our Graco Family Tree playard. Then, it said it was the largest playard out and it was still easy to move. I didn't move it to the living room until my son was sitting up but I did have to move it around my bedroom depending on what I was doing. I kept both babies close by me until around three months (everyone is different) but that was because, with my son, my husband was deployed and his room was on the other side of my house and then with my daughter...well she came out a "mommy's girl" and would NOT sleep unless she was on my chest...so she only went in the bassinet/playard when I did things around the house. My newborns weren't that loud so I just "never knew" what to expect with every little noise (which is why I kept them close from the start). Looking back on what I spent financially for my first born, I'm glad I didn't waste money on a bassinet because my kids gained weight very fast and there wasn't a need for anything like that past 3 months. Either way, you will make the best decision for your family if you look at it, you can find second hand bassinets (if you desire) that are inexpensive and still save some money while giving your baby what you really want her/him to have. If you do buy it brand new, you can always sell it to break even (at a later date)...pregnancies are very popular amongst military families!

Take Care,

J.,
I decided on co-sleeping with my younger daughter (now 7.5 months old) and got the secure sleeper, that you can put in the bed with you and hubby, baby won't roll out and you and hubby wont roll in, it is very sturdy... I got mine at the PX for I think about $30. You could also check in the thrift shop on and off post, you might find a used bassinet in good condition. Right now little one is still sleeping in our room, due to the fact that we only have a 2 bedroom appartment and our 2nd grader needs her sleep, so I wouldnt want to put the baby in the same room then her. I think it always depends on how secure you feel with baby in the next room, if you are nursing or not (I am guessing here, I nursed both kids, still nursing the baby) I figure if you bottlefeed you have to get up anyway...

J.,

How large is your bedroom? You may consider putting a crib in your room while the baby is an infant, than move it next door when he/she starts sleeping longer. I'd really recommend going straight to the crib unless you plan on having more kids in the future. There are cribs available that convert into toddler beds too, so that would prolong its usefulness even more. I also want to add that when my oldest child was in a bassinet, I kept putting off getting a crib, so he was using it at about 7 mos...he stood up in it once and fell out. I bought a crib right away after that!

I'm also a member of PWOC, in the Schweinfurt chapter. I've been in Germany for just over a year and love it!

Hi J.,

I am a mom of five children. From my pass experience, go with the bassinet for now. Babies are usually small when they are born and the bassinet can be used until they are up to fifteen pounds. Plus, in the early months, you may be tired and may want to rest so you can always place the bassinet in your room until you get used the baby and set up a rountine. It is hard to manage the house having two small children in it. You can always save and plan ahead for the crib something that can last you awhile.

My daughter slept wonderfully in her swing so she spent the first few months living in it. we would pick it up and put it in whatever room we were in and at night, we'd put it next to our bed. A little bouncer might be a nice option too until the baby is old enough to roll around. They have straps for the baby and many other uses besides just another version of a crib. Good luck and congrats!

You might want to check out your Thrift Shop. Since babies grow so fast, often times items donated are barely used.

We are also very close to our daughter's room and decided to put her in her crib from the beginning. (She ended up sleeping in her carseat for 2 weeks in our room because that is where she liked to sleep). After we put her in her room, it took me about 2 weeks to not worry about her every 15 minutes. If you don't think you would be ok with that you might want to look into purchasing a Moses basket, they are not as sturdy as a bassinet, but they are much cheaper.

We wasted money on our bassinet, which I ended up giving away. I promise you don't need both upstairs on the same floor. We had 3 levels at the time so it was best for us to have the bassinet in the beginning since my daughter would have been on the second floor with her siblings. Since you can hear the baby really well from the other room I think a crib would do just fine. One other option would be to find someone that is giving a bassinet away or find one at a yard sale. You can easily clean them up good and you won't have to spend alot of money. Good luck, Mom

Don't waste your money with the bassinet, just use the crib in the next room. Your baby will be fine, and will respond to your emotions about the situation. If you are anxious about him being directly in the crib, he will be anxious. Your first born will also pick up on the anxiety of the sleep situations and may start to have sleeping issues as well. So it really depends upon how you will feel about the situation and if you will be able to make it work or not! There is so much more that you will need to spend your money on.
This is just a convenience object for those mothers who prefer to have their children right next to their bed so they don't have to bother doing much when the child wakes up in the middle of the night.
Honestly the play yard is also not necessary, unless you are concerned for the safety of your newborn and want to seperate the little one from your firstborn child. Unless you have a rambuncious male child, I don't see this as a necessary item either. These are just my thoughts, good luck.
W.
W.