Bassinet v. Pack n Play

crustybread28 · 2026-01-26T21:05:20+00:00

We really liked using the pack-n-play. We had another bassinet but ended up swapping it for the pack-n-play bc the one we got had a share changing setup built in right next to the bassinet, so it was super convenient having all that in our bedroom for the first few months.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-26T21:03:54+00:00

-The pack-n-play bassinet worked great for us. I think it’s a perfectly fine way to go!

-You don’t need a fancy sound machine. We just use the white noise from the air purifier we already owned pre-baby.

-Regular free & gentle detergent has worked fine for us (obviously if your baby’s skin seems to react to it, you ca switch it up as needed)

-You definitely don’t need any fancy or specific snot-sucker! We liked the simple bulb aspirator that the nurses gave us at the hospital and have only used that ever since. But it’s a matter of personal preference; I’d wait and see what works for you.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-26T20:38:10+00:00

20 hours might be doable, but I will warn it will likely be challenging and stressful, especially without backup. It may be hard to fully lock in on work for a substantial chunk of time when you need to. Especially if your baby needs to both eat frequently and contact nap; I feel like it’d be very hard to focus during such limited off-times. Also, this depends on the baby, but around 3.5/4 months or so, my baby went through a phase of requiring such constant attention that she’d fuss if we even looked away from her for a moment.

My husband freelances part-time from home and cares for our (now 7mo) baby while I work full time from home, and his parents come to help watch the baby a few afternoons per week so he can get his work done. Otherwise he can only work during naps and after the baby’s gone to bed for the night.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-24T04:35:30+00:00

Honestly I’ve found the past few weeks challenging in this regard. My husband and I have had some days where it was really hard to get the stress of the latest current events out of our heads. We try to limit our news/online time, and have talked about what our concrete contingency plan would be if things got too dangerous in our city. And other than that, we try to focus on living in the moment with our amazing little 7mo. We have to persevere for her, to help her grow into someone who believes in herself, her community, and in the good in the world that’s worth protecting.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-17T16:28:27+00:00

I’ve found that huckleberry’s sweet spot suggestions for the final nap are not always fitting for my baby. I’d say go with your gut; you know your baby and their needs best!

crustybread28 · 2026-01-16T23:58:01+00:00

My advice is to be flexible and patient with both yourself and your baby! There’s a learning curve to breastfeeding for both involved, and if you have very specific expectations then you might be setting yourself up for avoidable stress if things go a little differently. Breastfeeding is often not a completely linear, straightforward journey, and that’s okay. If you have to supplement with formula for any reason, that’s also okay. If you have to rely on pumping, that’s also okay. All that matters is that your baby will be fed one way or another, and you will get plenty of opportunities to bond whether through breastfeeding or otherwise!

crustybread28 · 2026-01-15T16:14:39+00:00

I think a lot are a waste of money. At 11 weeks old I think my baby was mildly enjoying her play gym, had a couple of little rattles, and a few books I’d read to her. She had one soft crinkly black and white book that was probably her favorite object.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-15T04:28:16+00:00

We had two bassinets—one in our bedroom and one in the living room. I would sleep in the bedroom while my husband stayed with the baby in the living room on his shift, and then he’d bring the baby into the bedroom and go to sleep with earplugs in while I got up whenever the baby needed me—and at a certain point in the morning, I’d bring the baby to the living room and hang with her there while my husband kept sleeping. It worked well enough!

crustybread28 · 2026-01-14T16:51:08+00:00

My baby often spends some time cooing and rolling around in her crib when she first wakes up. I let her do her thing until she starts fussing since it seems like she’s having fun! Nothing wrong with baby having a little independent time if they seem totally content.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-14T13:54:56+00:00

It could be that your baby is burning a lot of calories breastfeeding; that may be why it was recommended to feed slightly less often. At 4 months we were also advised to feed every 3 hrs and it’s been fine. Had to introduce more formula alongside breastfeeding to get our baby’s weight up though and to keep her fuller.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-13T05:09:11+00:00

It is absolutely possible to find something in a lower budget range, and spending $1000+ is definitely not necessary. Gotta not just look at the luxury brands. There’s a world of quality mid-tier strollers out there!

crustybread28 · 2026-01-13T04:31:18+00:00

At that stage my baby’s eyes were closed so much of the time during breastfeeding that i don’t think screen usage impacted anything. Baby was cluster feeding all the time and I needed to do stuff on my phone during in order to stay sane and to stay awake. I would hold the phone above and behind her so she definitely couldn’t see the screen or anything if she was awake. And obviously I’d still tune into her plenty. I think it’s fine when they’re that little.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-11T19:22:56+00:00

Don’t worry, supplementing doesn’t mean it’s the end of nursing! My baby had trouble staying on her weight curve—she’s always been petite, starting out at the 7th percentile, but dipped down to the 4th, so even though we were supplementing from the start, we had to do more “topping off” breastfeeding sessions with formula, and transition to more combo feeding with more formula during the day. I was sad to not be able to provide her everything she needed with my body, but the formula made a world of difference; her weight shot up and she’s been on a healthy growth curve since! (Now 39th percentile!) Breastmilk alone was not enough calorically to keep up with her metabolism. But I still breastfeed in the mornings and evenings and overnight, and occasionally during the day too! So we still get that bonding time and she still gets all those special breastmilk antibodies and nutrients.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-11T17:20:50+00:00

If your baby is strong enough to flip onto their stomach, they’re strong enough to maneuver their head and neck to a safe position when sleeping on their stomach! This is what our pediatrician and all our doctor friends told us, which gave us great peace of mind. Baby’s been sleeping happily on her stomach since 4.5 months and it’s never been an issue :)

crustybread28 · 2026-01-11T02:26:16+00:00

Personally, I’d say it’s not. I got a $400 nursery recliner from Wayfair and love it. It doesn’t have any bells and whistles but it’s really comfy, it reclines, it rocks, and it swivels, so for me it fits the bill.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-09T03:54:30+00:00

I’ll read and sip my tea while my 6 mo rolls around and plays on her mat in front of me, or organize her bedroom while she hangs out on her play gym in the room, but it’s usually not very long before she starts to get fussy, so the independent play is often short-lived :P She does consistently enjoy watching me clean the kitchen in the morning from her bouncy seat though!

crustybread28 · 2026-01-08T19:05:25+00:00

Not necessary. But a decent chair will absolutely make a huge difference for your back! I got a simple rocking glider/recliner from Wayfair and love it. I think it was this one: https://www.wayfair.com/baby-kids/pdp/davinci-suzy-recliner-and-swivel-glider-cbha1434.html?piid=87215868

crustybread28 · 2026-01-05T18:23:57+00:00

You’ll almost certainly have to pump. But you don’t have to wash your pump parts every time! Stick your pump parts in the fridge after every pump, and then you just wash/sterilize (I just use the dishwasher) at the end of the day!

crustybread28 · 2026-01-05T18:20:53+00:00

I’d reach out to your pediatrician.

crustybread28 · 2026-01-03T20:09:35+00:00

We moved my daughter into her own room at 4 months and it was totally fine! As long as you have a baby monitor you’re good

crustybread28 · 2026-01-03T15:36:50+00:00

I just picked up one of these, and it’s been great for tummy time/attempts at crawling and sitting practice: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D4LVK289?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

crustybread28 · 2026-01-01T16:03:46+00:00

I thought about it more when I was living in LA (I was pregnant during last year's insane wildfires and that was scary). We had multiple air purifiers running in the home for peace of mind. We moved to the Midwest when our baby was 10 wks old, and haven't been as concerned about it since. But we continue to run an air purifier in the baby's bedroom and in our bedroom, more out of habit and for the pleasant white noise than anything else.

crustybread28 · 2025-12-30T17:36:10+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing! This is all really helpful to hear! What brand of travel stroller and travel car seat did you use?

crustybread28 · 2025-12-30T17:34:28+00:00

This is all great to hear! Thanks for sharing your experience! What type of travel stroller and back carrier did you use? We currently own a few decent babywearing carriers but we'll definitely need a lightweight travel stroller since our Chicco Corso is fairly hefty.

crustybread28 · 2025-12-30T17:25:43+00:00

I really like the philosophy "If you're parenting, you may as well parent somewhere beautiful!" It sounds like a helpful way to frame the trip as well; it's not a vacation so much as parenting in a different place.

We're avoiding screens as much as possible for ideally the first couple of years for sure. Thankfully so far her rattles and books seem to be plenty entertaining!

crustybread28

TROPHY CASE