Did you find a playpen useful?

[Samanthas mum]

I can't decide whether to get a playpen or not. I have had conflicting comments about how useful they are and the amount of time you can really use them for.

I  don't really want to pen my little one in but she has got to that age where she is getting into everything and she isn't even crawling properly yet!!!!!!!!!! It just means that I can't even leave the room for 5 minutes to make a coffee. I am getting dehydrated!!!!  :lol:  :lol:

[Rosa]

I said yes.  I even give them as gifts.  Play pens were useful for containing a crawling infant while the parent is doing something else that can't permit them to keep an eye on the child.  The play pen was instrumental in helping dd try to stand (pull-up) and when she was learning to fall back down without getting hurt.  The time she spent in the play pen got her comfortable with it.  When we traveled (which is extensively), she would easily stay in the play pen to play and also to nap/sleep.  Because of the positive experience, we used it immediately with ds.  We still travel with the same playpen that dd used.  Ds sleeps in it during travel.

HTH.

[Mariek]

We bought the BabyDan one (or the Baby Jail as we used to call it  :lol: ).

https://shop.babyworld.co.uk/DisplayDetail.aspx?which=122

It was a bit more expensive but was a life saver when DD was at that stage (the "just mobile" stage) especially if I wanted to nip to the loo or into the kitchen.

When she out grew it as a playpen we used 3 of the segments as a room divider to stop her getting through the archway into the kitchen which has been great when we're cooking and stuff because she can still see us but can't get under our feet.

love

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

I voted no, but Megan isn't crawling yet....not sure if that would change my view!  I just put her on the carpet to play and she mostly stays put. I imagine for an active child, though, it would work better.  My sister used hers tons with her kids...

[Colleen]

I never used my playpen for my DS1, but in a sense my whole livingroom was the playpen. The entries to the room were gated off and the whole room was babyproof, so I could leave him in there.

With my DS2, I had the playpen set up in the livingroom and I used the changing table part rather than go upstairs for every diaper change. I also used the basinet to lay him in to play for a few minutes or to take the dog for a walk.

With my DS3, I use it a LOT -- like a cage to protect him from DS2. I put DS3 in his bouncy seat, put the bouncy seat in the bottom part of the playpen, then close the changing table part and basinet part so he is completely enclosed. I hate this -- but if I need to shower or make phone calls this is the only safe spot for him.

Also, I only used the playpen/paknplay for travel sleep with DS1 as neither DS2 nor DS3 slept well in it. :?

[evanskimberley]

Yes, we've had a travel cot up in our lounge since DD was born. The room isn't vey big and I didn't want her on the floor all the time as I was paranoid i'd trip ovr hre, spill hot drinks etc!! She loved playing in the bassinet bit when she was younger and I use it now as a playpen.

It is also really useful for keeping toys in so they have a definate home, we pile all her big mechanical toys in there at the end of the day and the room is ours again. Now she's crawling she's not too keen, but I'm trying to encourage her to enjoy her time in there, she it can become useful again!!

[Samanthas mum]

Thanks for all the comments and advice.

It does seem that most are using their travelcot as the playpen. We have one of those which did mention on the brochure that it could double up as a playpen. My only concern was that if she used her travelcot as a playpen when it came to going away she would get confused and wouldn't go to sleep in it but from what Rosa said that doesn't appear to be a problem for her little one. 

My mum and dad have offered to buy me the Babydan playpen which funnily enough Marie K supplied a link to. Because it is quite expensive I wanted to be as sure as I could be that she would get plenty of use out of it.

Based on what people have posted though I think I may just use her travelcot and keep my fingers crossed that she will still sleep in it when we go away!  :lol:  :lol:

[evanskimberley]

Don't be too worried about her sleeping in the travel cot her seeing it as where she plays. DD hates sleeping in the travel cot and i'm yet to meet any baby that does like it, but thats cos they ae so uncomfortable!!!!!!

(I'm hoping to teach holly the other way, that it's a fun, comfy place to be in during the day, so it shouldn't be that bad at night. she also plays in her cot upstairs too so we've not had any kind of problem in that area.)

So whatever you get, make sure it fits in wherever you need it to go and check out how comfy it is!

[jennc123]

I am not sure about a pen but Bella uses a pack in play that she loves, and she is safe in it if I leave the room, I just put her in it with some toys and she rolls around and plays on her tummy, plus she can see us and the doggies and loves that.

[jennc123]

now I am wondering, a playpen or a packnplay?  i think they are two different things right??

[mommasboys]

When my oldest was a baby he slept in a playpen during the day. And he'd also play in it thoughout the day because our floor had no carpet.

but now with dorian he only sleeps in his playpin.  With all the sleeping problems with the older one we just started out using the playpin.  So, since it is his bed.....the only time he's in it is nap time or bed time.  But if it weren't for that i think i would bring it into our living room for him to play in.  So he could be safe.