The Pros and Cons of a Pack and Play

Before having our first baby, my husband and I knew that we didn't have a lot of space or money. After looking at all of the options, we decided that our little girl would use a pack and play for the first year of her life. This decision had some pros and other terrible cons.

Pros of a Pack and Play

1. Pack and plays are exactly what the name suggests. You will never regret having a pack and play when you travel around to your family's home, hotels, and even camping. It will save you sleep in many situations!
2. Pack and plays are compact! For the longest time, we kept our pack and play in the trunk of the car. You would think that this would be a nuisance, but it never seemed to be in the way.
3. Pack and plays are easy to clean. Most babies spit up and make messes. With a slick material, pack and play's are easy to wipe down with a baby wipe or a damp towel. This helped me many times as I was cleaning up our baby's room.
4. Nap times are more convenient. If you have a babysitter that watches your little one at their home, a pack and play is an easy nap time solution.
5. Some Pack and Plays have a higher and lower setting. If you are looking for a basinet and crib in one, you are in luck. It is the worst when you are laying a sleeping baby down, and you have to bend down 3 feet while keeping the little pumpkin asleep.  

Cons of a Pack and Play

1. They can take a while to set up. The first five or six times setting up our pack and play I, was super confused. Don't pull this until that. Don't lift one side before the other. How am I supposed to fit this back in the bag? Yes, I was a little lost.
2. Our kids are chunky from the start. This didn't help when at three months our little girl had made the top basinet start to bow from her weight. To this day, the mattress is a little miss shaped. I really should have read the weight limit.  
3. The mattress isn't as comfortable. After finally deciding to get a crib with a real mattress it was mind-blowing how much better our little girl slept. Instead of waking up 8-10 times a night, she was only waking up 4-6 times. This improved the night after we bought a crib, which was amazing.
4. The lowest setting on a pack and play is low! I understand that a pack and play is meant for older kids that aren't supposed to climb out. But reaching down to pick up a child from the bottom feels as though you are reaching over the grand canyon to pick up a water bottle at the base of the canyon.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah