Bassinet for twins question

Raisin

Fri, Oct 08 2010, 6:53 am

ikea has a very small inexpensive crib. you can use it for older babies too but it is much smaller then a regular one.

Don't forget babies grow out of bassinets really quickly.

you could always empty a drawer and put them in that. Wink

but a pack n play is a good investment anyway for travelling.

↑ Motheroftwins ↓

Fri, Oct 08 2010, 8:34 am

DefyGravity wrote:

Oh, the mattress can be raised in the pack n play? Or are you just talking about the regular bassinet insert that goes across the top of the pack n play?

I'm talking about this:

The two bassinets are sitting on the raised mattress in this pic....the pack n play comes w a mesh that hangs and then the mattress fits into the mesh....once the baby sits or whatever, you remove the mesh and put the mattress at the bottom of the pack n play.
So that is what we used for our twins - the top mattress without the bassinets.

Just for a pc of advice - when we got our pack n play, we made sure to get with the vibrate option as well as the music option.....with twins, there was little quiet time at the early stages, and we used to use the music and vibrate to help both kids sleep at the same time, even if it was just to grab a quick shower.......you might want to consider those options as well.

↑ SivanMom

Fri, Oct 08 2010, 9:01 am

DefyGravity wrote:

But isn't the weight limit for the bassinet attachment on most pack n plays 15 lbs? That means they've practically outgrown the thing the second they come home from the hospital.

I read somewhere that the twins pan 'n play is 15 lbs per side, not total. I did not do research on this though, so don't rely on that.
Where do you live? I live in Lakewood and before my daughter was born I went in to the local baby store (Picollino) and had them put together an invoice of all the things I needed. Once she was born, DH called them, gave them the credit card info, and everything was delivered the next day. It worked perfectly, since we don't usually buy things before the baby is born. I'm sure any baby store would do that for you.
I bought my mini crib there. It's sturdy, has a thick mattress and 3 levels. I believe it was in the $150 range. Like I said in my earlier post, DD was in there till she was almost a year. I highly recommend it, though a PNP is useful for traveling.

↑ Motheroftwins ↓

Fri, Oct 08 2010, 9:03 am

DefyGravity wrote:

But isn't the weight limit for the bassinet attachment on most pack n plays 15 lbs? That means they've practically outgrown the thing the second they come home from the hospital.

are you talking abt my post? I didnt use the bassinet attachment that came with the pack n play. I just used the mattress. My twins were 3 lb when they came home from the hospital and stayed in the pack n play for almost 8 months together...

↑ DefyGravity ↓

Fri, Oct 08 2010, 9:06 am

I'm definitely leaning towards the mini crib at this point. I don't have an issue with buying stuff beforehand, I'm just waiting for some things because I won't need them immediately.

The mini crib seems like a good idea because then I can put it in the babies' room when it gets to the point that they need two cribs. It'll also be good for taking to my in laws (assuming I get the one that folds).

Raisin, putting them in drawers has definitely crossed my mind several times! At this point, that almost seems like the best solution!

It really drives me crazy that so many websites don't include the weight limit for their products. The twin pack n play description makes it hard to tell if it's 15 lbs for each side or altogether. Regardless, I've read many reviews and lots of pple said that it sags and seems unsafe.

↑ DefyGravity ↓

Fri, Oct 08 2010, 9:07 am

Motheroftwins wrote:

DefyGravity wrote:

But isn't the weight limit for the bassinet attachment on most pack n plays 15 lbs? That means they've practically outgrown the thing the second they come home from the hospital.

Was it annoying to lean down in order to take them out?

↑ Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Oct 08 2010, 9:17 am

DefyGravity wrote:

Was it annoying to lean down in order to take them out?

Not her, but I can answer this from my experience. It's EXTREMELY difficult to lean down and pick up a baby who can't help you (I.e. they don't sit yet), especially when you're short (you and I have discussed grocery carts before IIRC), and especially postpartum when your abdominal muscles are weak, and if you may likely be having a C-section, then even moreso. When I stayed by my mother in law for my sons' shalom zochors, I was not only exerting a lot of energy lifting them out, but I also found it very hard to put them back in without "dropping" the baby.

Mommy3.5 ↓

Sun, Oct 10 2010, 7:07 am

Graco has great customer service, if you call them they will tell you all you want to know about the weight limits. But even if it is 15 lbs per side, if the people reviewing it say it sags, I'd be a bit weary of it.

Most mini cribs do not fold easily, the one I have (which I love) has been up for the last 9 years... It needs to have all the screws removed in order to raise and lower the height. I like it because it is extremely sturdy. and I have my 27 lb 2 year old still in it.

The cosco mini crib does fold, but not all that easily, and it is pretty big and bulky, so it does not easily fit into a car, and it it heavy. My MIL has 2 of them, she folds them when not in use, but they are still pretty big, not at all convenient like a pack and play. Also the mattresses that come with them are awful, you need to get a good one.

Tova ↓

Sun, Oct 10 2010, 5:03 pm

DefyGravity wrote:

Defy, I have not been following this whole thread because I don't have experience with twins, but I have one of these mini cribs (if we are both talking about the same thing) that you are welcome to borrow. Smaller than a regular crib, folds, and comes on wheels. I got it at Piccolino in Lakewood when my younger one outgrew the bassinet but the older one was still in the crib and I did not want to buy a second crib. It came with a really flimsy mattress but they threw in a good one for us. I also have sheets that fit. You are 100% welcome to come look at it and borrow. Really, seriously. Just PM me if at all interested. It has either 2 or 3 levels (I can't remember) but the top level is really not bad in terms of reaching for the baby (IMO; by the time we actually bought it my daughter needed the lower level). Please don't hesitate to PM me!

↑ Motheroftwins

Sun, Oct 10 2010, 5:58 pm

DefyGravity wrote:

Motheroftwins wrote:

DefyGravity wrote:

But isn't the weight limit for the bassinet attachment on most pack n plays 15 lbs? That means they've practically outgrown the thing the second they come home from the hospital.

Was it annoying to lean down in order to take them out?

Sorry if I was unclear. I used the mattress for the pack n play when it was raised....My twins were VERY small and since the weight limit was 15 lb each side, they fit in the pack n play together....they were only around 17 lb at 1 year, so at 8 months when we finally moved them to cribs, they were well under the 15 lb mark.

↑ Mommy3.5 ↓

Sun, Oct 10 2010, 6:12 pm

Tova wrote:

That's so weird, Mommy3.5 that they make it so hard to fold and change heights. Ours folds and adjusts easily - you just set the board that holds the mattress up or down on the holders.

The cosco one has those, but even my husband finds it very hard to adjust. I find it impossible.

↑ 4c

Sun, Oct 10 2010, 6:13 pm

DefyGravity wrote:

Although I do recommend a mini crib, I don't recommend it for traveling. It's worth it to have a pack n play in addition, or have your parents purchase their own mini crib. The mini cribs that I have do fold flat and are quite easy to store in my house, but I would never travel with it.

Re reaching down for a baby: I had mine on the lowest setting and it was just fine. A mini crib's mattress at the lowest setting is significantly higher off the ground than a pack n play, and the bars don't reach quite as high as a full sized crib. And I am quite short, under 5' 1". BUT I did not have a c-section, so occasional minor bending was not that big of an issue in the first few weeks. If your doctor thinks you are a strong candidate for a c-section, then you may want to look into something that is higher. Do keep in mind if you are the type to co sleep, as my twins spent most of the night in my bed.

↑ Tova

Sun, Oct 10 2010, 7:28 pm

Mommy3.5 wrote:

Tova wrote:

That's so weird, Mommy3.5 that they make it so hard to fold and change heights. Ours folds and adjusts easily - you just set the board that holds the mattress up or down on the holders.

The cosco one has those, but even my husband finds it very hard to adjust. I find it impossible.

I'm going to try ours out tomorrow as right now it's in the room where my daughter is sleeping. This cost @ $100-120 - is that the price range of the costco one?

↑ Mommy3.5

Mon, Oct 11 2010, 1:00 pm

Tova wrote:

Mommy3.5 wrote:

Tova wrote:

That's so weird, Mommy3.5 that they make it so hard to fold and change heights. Ours folds and adjusts easily - you just set the board that holds the mattress up or down on the holders.

The cosco one has those, but even my husband finds it very hard to adjust. I find it impossible.

I'm going to try ours out tomorrow as right now it's in the room where my daughter is sleeping. This cost @ $100-120 - is that the price range of the costco one?

cosco mini crib