Do You Need a Pack n Play? Is it Necessary?

When you are doing your baby registry, deciding whether you absolutely need to list a pack n play can be such a mental hassle. This is because you do not want to buy baby items which you will not actually use once your baby is born.

So do you need a pack n play? Is it really necessary? Well whether or not you need a pack n play for your baby will depend on individual needs. A pack n play is a versatile baby item which can be used as a baby crib, as a travel crib, play area, for afternoon naps from birth up to 2 years of age.

So, if you are considering purchasing a pack n play then this article will help you make a sound decision for your individual needs. Read on to learn what you should consider before getting one.

Table of Contents

Is a pack n play really necessary?

A pack n play as a versatile baby item can be used as follows:

Pack n Play as a baby crib

Buying a baby crib can set you back a few hundred dollars and it could be a little pricey for some parents. In such a case, getting a budget pack n play to use as a sleeping area for your little one is a much cheaper option.

You only need to purchase a better mattress than the mattress pad which comes along with it and a proper fitting pack n play sheets so that baby can have a safe place to lay your little new one.

A portable baby crib

A pack n play is a very portable baby item because it is lightweight ,easy to assemble, does not take much space when folded and it is easy to maintain.

It therefore can be used as a portable baby crib when you are not at home so that you can provide a safe and comfortable baby sleep area which they are familiar with. Especially because some babies become very fussy when you travel or change their sleeping environment.

Consider getting one if you will be doing the following especially in the first 2 years of baby life.

For grandparents home – it is the perfect baby sleep area to have at grandparents home.
For travel or vacations – a pack n play will come in handy when you take trips out of town , it is better compared to the crib beds set up at hotels.
As a napper babies take 2-3 hour naps in between feeds and a pack n play is a good place to lay your baby as you lounge in the living room rather than jotting to the bedroom every time.
For camping– for those parents who love camping out in the woods. A pack n play is the perfect small , portable and safe baby sleeping area.

As a play area

A pack n play is a safe place for your baby to play as you conduct your household chores. It is one of those areas you can keep your baby off the floor. Just give them their toys and they get very busy.

This can give you some solid 20- 30 minutes for you to also take a much needed breather or time to do some much needed work.

As a changing pad

A pack n play will be perfect to use as a changing table because some are designed with two levels a top and lower compartment.

So rather than buy a changing table, you get a pack n play which can act as both a sleep area, play area and changing area. You do not have to bed over to change your baby diapers- win win for mama!

As a spare sleep bed for visitors kids

If you are big on visitors or have friends with little ones. Getting a pack n play will come in handy when your friends children sleep over or need to take a nap. Seriously, they will only feel like home away from home.

Is a pack n play for you?

Now that we have covered ways which you can use a pack n play for your baby. It is much easier to decide whether it is absolutely necessary for your home.

In my books, a pack n play is necessary especially because it is such a versatile item. It is one of those nice to have options which you can pass down if you plan on having more kids.

Babies will definitely need to play- what a safe place for them to have some much needed alone exploring time with shakers and blocks or bonding time with their sibling.

Is a pack n play worth it?

Well, a pack n play is less than $100 and for the number of activities you can use, it is way more worth than the price and it provides so much value for your money. I did not have a single regret purchasing a pack n play for my son and i have used it more times than i can count.

How long can you use a pack n play?

You can use a pack n play for your baby up till they are about 2 -2.5 years of age. The weight limit is 30lbs and the height 35”.

And if you maintain it well, you can pass it down to your children if you plan to have more than one. It is also a good item to resell on ebay or craigslist.

Are all pack n plays the same size?

Well, not all pack n plays are the same size. However, there is a standard size for pack (L*W * H) 40” by 28” by 29”. The size will vary depending on use of the pack n play and the brand.

Conclusion

When shopping for your baby, you must be careful not to get items that you will never end up using. A pack n play is one of the versatile baby items you can get that you will definitely end up using. It can be used as a napper, a crib and a play area to keep baby off the floor.

When Do Babies Start Wearing Bibs?

A bib is one of the important pieces of baby cloth you must purchase and you will need it sooner than you think. When I was shopping for baby items for my son one of the items I forgot to buy was a bib. Once he was born I quickly realized what a ‘ huge’ mistake I had made.

So when do babies start wearing bibs? Babies typically start using bibs on their newborns as early as 1 or 2 weeks after birth. This is because they come in handy while you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding, when they drool, spit up or worse vomit.

This way you avoid getting stains on your baby’s clothes or baby getting wet and having to change cloth. But now you are probably wondering whether bibs are safe for newborns. Read on to find out.

Table of Contents

Are bibs safe for newborns?

Bibs pose a suffocation risk for newborns which means you must exercise caution while using them. Your newborn should never sleep in a bib. When they have one on while awake keep an eye on them to avoid it covering their faces.

Do not place an oversize bib on your bib, it should be correct size. Lastly, the material should be breathable and light. Keeping this in mind will ensure your baby is safe.

What kind of bibs are available today?

Breastfeeding bib.

These are put on babies who are breastfeeding or bottle feeding to catch all the spilling milk from reaching their sleeves. They help in keeping their clothes free from stains and that awful smell which comes from spilled milk on clothes. Check out this breast feeding bib by Tomme Tippee.

Drool or Teething Bib.

Most babies drool and the saliva soon drains their clothes making them wet. And when they start to teeth it gets worse. A drool bib which should be highly absorbent will help keep the dry.

Bandana Bib.

Bandana bibs are beautiful, functional and stylish bibs which are triangles in shape worn to catch baby drool or as a style item. They are perfect to catch baby teething drools to keep them baby dry and prevent drool rash. The biggest bonus is that they snap which means the baby cannot pull them off.

Feeding Bib.

These are bibs you will use when you introduce solid foods. Most of them are made from food grade silicone material which is easy to clean by wiping and features a pocket to catch all the food particles and spills.

Long sleeved Bibs.

These are great for baby led weaning and toddlers. They cover their sleeves and feature pockets to catch all soup spills. They will keep their clothes free of stains and save you on a whole lot of laundry detergent.

Disposable Bibs.

Disposable bibs are great for travelling as you only need to use and then throw away.

How many baby bibs will you need?

Now that we have covered the different types of baby bibs which are available. You need to know how many you will need to purchase.

This will depend on the number of bibs you go through in a day and the frequency in which you do your laundry. You can go through 4-6 bibs per day if you are bottle feeding or your baby is teething. In such a case, you should have at least 12 pieces of bibs to go through 3 days or so.

When you start weaning it is advisable you buy easy to clean bibs such as silicone bibs and 2-3 are enough because you old need to wipe them clean with a wet piece of cloth or in the kitchen sink.

How do you care for baby bibs?

You will need to take good care of your baby bibs and this will depend on the type of material.

Waterproof bibs are good because they are easy to clean and machine washable.
Silicone bibs clean off in the kitchen sink with mild soap and water.
Cotton bibs will require more care. Do not wash stained ones in hot water. You need to wash them in cold water to prevent chances of staining.

Alternatives to baby bibs

As a mommy you never want to find yourself without a bib in your diaper bag or while on the go. Luckily there are alternatives you can use, such as: burp clothes and baby wash cloths.

FAQs on When do newborns start using bibs

Do babies wear bibs while breastfeeding?

Babies do need bibs while breastfeeding because babies are messy and they can spit up any time without notice. This will save you cloth changes and on laundry.

Consider putting one on to keep stains off baby clothes and keep baby dry.

Should you wash baby bibs before use?

You should make sure you wash all baby items you purchase before using it on your baby. This includes baby bibs which the baby can touch or even put in their mouth. And we would not want to introduce any germs to their not so strong immune system or worse cause diarrhea.

When do babies stop wearing bibs?

This one will highly depend on individual babies but typically when they are 2 years of age. And if you have a messy eater in your hands they might need to wear bibs till they are 5 years of age. It’s no shame though because even as adults we use table clothes on our laps to catch any strays.

Conclusion

Bibs are essential baby items and newborns start using bibs when they are about 1-2 weeks old. It can be earlier especially for bottle feeding babies. For breastfeeding babies, bibs come in handy to keep them dry when they spit up.

Nonetheless, you must exercise caution when using bibs for newborns because they pose a suffocation risk. So your baby should never sleep in a bib and you should be keeping an eye on them when they have one on to avoid it covering their faces.

What Can You Use Instead of a Swim Diaper?

Swim diapers are good at preventing accidents while the baby is swimming. However, the cost of buying disposable swim diapers can quickly skyrocket.

That is why parents look for cheaper alternatives, so what can you use instead of a swim diaper? You can use reusable cloth swim diapers if you do not want to incur the cost of using disposable swim diapers.

They are cheaper, eco friendly and more cute I must say than the disposable options.

Table of Contents

What can you use instead of a Swim Diaper?

I am going to share with you what I personally believe is the alternative to swim diapers for the beach or for use while going for swimming lessons. If you do not want to keep bleeding savings by buying disposable diapers, then these are a must have.

You are going to need a reusable cloth swim diaper. Please note that not all cloth swim diapers work well, a lot of cloth diapers in the market today do not fit well and simply leak the dirty stuff.

Reusable swim diapers are not made to hold in pee, they do not have much absorbency so that your baby can be lightweight as they swim. They are made to hold in solids only – keep the poop out of the water.

The only reusable cloth swim diaper that I highly recommend is the Alva Baby Reusable Cloth Swim Diapers simply because it fits well and does a good job at keeping the dirty stuff in.

This reusable swim diaper is simply the best option to disposable swim diapers available right now.

Because I have been using this reusable swim diaper for my son since he started his swim lessons at 6 months and it custom fits him very well.

This reusable cloth diaper is that you can adjust them to custom fit your baby, they will not leak and will wash up very well. Alva Baby Reusable Swim Diapers contain a bunch of different snaps you can adjust to custom fit your baby and you can adjust as your baby grows.

They are also fairly priced especially for 3 diapers and are of high quality at the same time, what more can you really ask for?

How long can you use this reusable swim diaper?

Well, this reusable cloth diaper can be used until the baby is 2 years old.

The thing I love about this reusable cloth diaper is that it has sets of snaps to ensure they fit snugly but comfortably around the waist and legs to avoid any accidents…dirty in.

Most importantly ,it does not swell up like a disposable diaper under water so your baby can swim comfortably without being dragged down.

Pros

Well, there are quite a number of things that I love about this reusable swim diaper..

It is an affordable option unlike disposable swim diapers
Does not swell up like a normal diaper would underwater, it’s made with a light fabric.
It is eco friendly and washes up well.
It enables you to save money in the long run and comes with a 1 year guarantee – sincere service and no risk.
It is of high quality- cloth is thick and good sewing and durable – they hold up well 8 months later.
Has snaps you can adjust to fit your baby as they grow.
It is very easy to put on and available in super cute designs.
Looks so fashionable even without a suit over it.
Provides a snug fit on the baby bottom.
It is safe to use on a baby’s skin

Cons

After using reusable swim diapers for over a year with my toddler son, I have not experienced any problems.

Conclusion

The only diapering solution for babies while they are swimming is to use a disposable swim diaper or a reusable cloth diaper. However, disposables are expensive and simply add waste to the environment.

You can use reusable swim diapers instead. They are eco friendly, more economical and stylish so to speak. Wishing you all the best as you introduce your baby to swimming.