My Newborn List: Sleeping Gear (Updated)

Must Haves # 5: Sleeping Gear

---- April 12, 2019 Update: Fisher-Price has recalled Rock n Plays. ----

• Fisher-Price Newborn Rock n Play Sleeper

I bought the manual Fisher Price Rock n Play second hand with my second child, that I used a couple of times. With my third baby, I often set up the manual Rock n Play in my master bathroom. Anytime the baby is asleep, I will place baby in the Rock n Play. It allows me to take a shower or brush my teeth, and I can keep an eye on baby and have my baby in the same room while my other children are usually playing or sleeping.  Because of the fold up design, I can easily move it from room to room, so if I am doing laundry, I can move this to the laundry room and keep an eye on baby. My third baby so far has been the only baby I could really lay in the rock in play asleep and stay asleep for a while so far. Then I received the automatic fisher price rock n play sleeper as a baby gift from family and my husband and I worked together on it when our baby was 3 weeks old. And I absolutely love it, since its an upgrade to our manual one. I can manually rock if I want, let it rock automatically, same great folder design, harness, and comes with a detachable toy. My only complaints are with regard to assembly of the automatic one, it was a pain for both my husband and me to get the legs on, I tried and managed to get one on, before letting my husband do the other three. I noticed this was a similar complaint in a Youtuber's assembly video here.  As of June 2017, I noticed Amazon sells the replacement vibrating unit for the automatic here and the replacement pad here. 

Oct 2016 Update: Would I get this again? Definitely!  I used this a ton until my baby could sit up and still occasionally used it when he was sleeping until he was almost 7 months and 19 pounds.

* Commercial (Youtube): Rock n Play Sleeper  
* Fisher-Price Newborn Rock n Play Sleeper  (manual)
* Fisher-Price Newborn Auto Rock n Play Sleeper (automatic)

• First Years Close and Secure Co-Sleeper

I have co-slept with all of my babies thus far. This was one of the first co-sleepers that I purchased for my babies and I really like the idea. I no longer have it but it had a little night light that I could turn on at night that I used when nursing my baby.  I would either put it in between my husband and I or in between the wall and I. I started putting the co-sleeper there, because when I had two children, I had a toddler in my bed sleeping either on the other side of my husband or sometimes the middle and it was easier to keep them on either side of me, especially when I was alone. The only thing is my babies (all 3) always slept best cuddled next to me rather than in a crib or co-sleeper. 

Oct 2016 Update: Would I get this again? If my babies would have slept in it more, my answer would be yes. I really wanted it to work.


*  First Years Close and Secure Co-Sleeper

• Infantino Fold & Go Travel Bed

I absolutely love this idea, because carrying your infant car seat everywhere is not convenient and they are so heavy after a while of carrying it. That being said, this ended up being a bust for me, since my babies sleep well next to me in bed and will sleep in baby carriers. I thought I would use it for baby to at least play in, but I never really used it. This item is now discontinued, but it looks like you can still buy it from certain places.

Oct 2016 Update: Would I get this again? My answer, for now, is no. If my babies would have slept in it, my answer would be yes. I really wanted it to work. 

* Infantino Fold & Go Travel Bed

• Graco Pack n' Play Play Yard Bassinet Changer with Cuddle Cove Rocking Seat

I bought this brand new on E-bay when I had my second child. And I actually bought it by mistake. I thought I was buying the Graco Pack n' Play with Newborn Napper Elite in the Vance print. I loved the picture of the storage of that style. To see it click here.  The seller from e-bay accidentally used the wrong photo of the pack n play and was not aware that it was misrepresenting which Graco pack n' play I  would be receiving. This is such a big product, I really didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to buy another one and doing an e-bay return, so we kept it. I didn't really use it a whole lot for my second baby. I actually have used it more with my third. With my second baby, we kept this in our bedroom. With our third baby when he got to around 7 months, we took out of the boys' room and put in our living room. Because it is in a high traffic space where we spend a lot of time, close to the kitchen and dining space because of its an open concept with the 3 rooms open to each other. And what I noticed is, it's  getting a lot more use than when it was in our bedroom or in the boys' room on a different level of the house. I think the Rittenhouse print looks lovely in photos, especially the customer reviews on Amazon.com. If you would like to see it, click here. However, I have the Winslet print, which is a light sea foam green. My babies tend to not like to sleep anywhere but with me. So I appreciate the bassinet piece and I like that it is there, but it didn't get a whole lot of use with either my second or third child. Although I would be interested to see if and when we have a fourth child, if leaving it where it is, if the bassinet piece will get more use. I appreciate the play yard because sometimes I have to set my baby down somewhere safe. We used the Fisher Price Rock n Play a lot with him while awake or sleeping. However, he is trying to crawl and can sit up on his own, and pull up on things, so his Fisher Price Rocker n Play is not that safe for him to be in while he is awake. However, my baby is not a fan of the play yard or at least not yet. I love the changing station. My baby is almost 8 months and I still can change him on it. I was worried about it being able to hold a significant amount of weight as my baby was getting closer to 20 lbs because the changer is only attached to two sides. I like that I don't have to take the changer off of it, and the changer doesn't take extra room like a changing table. I do think the change can be cold if your baby was going on it without clothing or a changing pad. It would be nice if it came with an optional changing pad cover, for those who didn't want a bare pad to wipe down. And just as I said this I saw October 2016, that Graco has changing pad covers for their play yards. If you like the idea of having a changing pad for your play yard's changing area, click here. My complaint about the pack n' play overall, is I wish that this had more storage. I love the little hanging basket. It's perfect for storing changing pads, lotion, disposable baby wipes pack. I wouldn't change it. I would add more storage to it. I have a photo to show you what I have stored in mine to help you understand why I need more compartments. You can see on top, I have me a regular hand sanitizer and oxo tot perfect wipe pull that has my cloth wipes. If anyone is interested in this pack n' play, I saw today (10/22/2016) that Amazon has a bundle pack where you get this one and a Graco My Ride LX 65 Convertible Car Seat for $286.48, to see it click here.

Oct 2016 Update: Would I get this again? My answer, for now, is no. If my babies would have used the whole pack n play more, my answer would be yes. I really wanted it to work. At this time, we've only set my third baby down in it a few times. He cries every time we do. We mostly just use the pack n play changer for our toddler and baby. These fancier pack n plays are so expensive to only use a changer.  It also becomes this dumping ground when the baby is not in it. So not a good enough reason for me to buy again.

*  Graco Pack n' Play with Cuddle Cuddle Cove Rocking Seat

For other ideas, view the Top 10 Bassinets in 2015 here.
For more ideas, view the videos below:

Last Edited: April 13, 2019