Issues About Crib on Vacation

I'll second the idea of a "Space Bag" to pack the bumpers. Those bags are great! They will squish anything into a tiny size, keep them clean, and poof...when you open the bag, they're back to normal!

A baby that is 7 months old shouldn't have bumpers. There is a strangulation hazzard. I think there are new guidelines for the use of bumpers. Pack and Play is the way to go.

M.,
You might consider bringing a child's sleeping bag. It's easier to carry than a pack 'n play. Put her near the corner of the room so she pretty much stays put. You might want to transition her by using it at nap time at home before you go.

Take the pack n play. I got one from Graco that folds down in to it's own carrying case. We made the mistake of using one from a hotel(once) and it was really old and rickety. After that we both agreed to take the pack n play no matter what. As bulky as the pack n play might be, the peace of mind you'll have is worth it.

First of all...ask the hotel about getting bumpers..use lysol on them. If not, ask for extra sheets and weave the sheets in and out around the bars. will be long enough to just let hang out at each end. Enjoy your time away.

M.,

Babies R Us sells "breathable bumpers". They are packaged pretty small in comparison to regular bumpers. You can always take it out of the package and roll them. Have a wonderful vacation.

We had the same problem so I bought a travel pod from babycenter.com. I haven't used it yet but the reviews said it was great and packed up very tiny for travel. Check it out:) I would not trust a hotel crib, even if it wasn't metal bars.

roll up some towels or your extra clothes(or even your dirty ones if they aren't to gross) and place them next to the rails. If you are worried about un rolling pack some rubber bands and put one on each end...you could also loop bands through to attach to the crib... Have a fun trip!

I wouldn't put my kid in one of those cribs no matter what. The pack-n-play is the safest choice. You can check it with your luggage and I don't think it counts towards the baggage limit. I know you don't want to deal with the bulk, but can you really afford to take chances with one so young? Good luck. Maybe someone else will have a solution for you.

A.

Most major cities have companies that you can rent baby gear from. When we went to California we rented a pack and play, high chair, exersaucer and toys. You can rent car seats, strollers and cribs with bedding as well from most of there companies. It is worth not having to lug all t he baby gear with you. We are heading down to Savannah this summer and are going to rent a crib with bumpers for our little one because she will only sleep in a crib not a pack and play. Good luck and enjoy your trip.
A.

My Mother in law once told us to take everything out of our suit case. Put a few towels inside it and lay the baby inside with the lid open. She also said that back when her kids were babies when they stayed in a hotel they put the baby in a dresser drawer! I always bring my pack n play with me. It's why we bought it. Good luck! ;)

Have you seen this website? It's for baby equipment rental, state by state. Maybe you can rent near where you're looking to go???

http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/baby-equipment-rentals.htm

Another option would be to buy one of those inflatable or pop-up type beds--I think you can find them on babiesrus.com. Good luck and have fun!

Hi M.-
You should visit the website www.onestepahead.com, they have all different travel solutions.
Hope this helps
K.

Why don't you mail or UPS crib bumpers to the hotel...along with other things you might need. Surely if you call the hotel, they will be glad to hold the package for your arrival....Then you can send things home the same way before leaving the hotel when done with your vacation.

Some hotels my have bumpers and crib sheets, or you can take towels and weave them in and out of the crib bars. The other option is a pac n play, which has soft sides and doesn't need bumpers.

A little about me: I am a mom of 3 (14, 13 and 2) and just started my own mom-owned business. Would love to know your thoughts on nomiebaby.com.

Enjoy your trip!

If you are going somewhere with a dollar store or a wal-mart, try those pool noodles. You can cut them to fit, and then just leave them there at the end of your trip. Chances are though, she probably wouldn't hurt herself just by rolling into the bars while she slept even if she did bump her head a little. We had the same setup, and my son never woke up even though we heard little thumps in the middle of the night.

How about bringing a roll of ribbon with you and ask the hotel for extra towels. This way you can roll up the towels and tie them to the crib with the ribbon. Hope this helps.

Buy a Pea Pod my son loves his. Good for beach too.

pick a different hotel. It's that simple. You obviously don't want to compromise your child's safety; and I commend you for that. It's either too much of a hassle to travel with all of that extra luggage (costing you God knows how much more in expenses), you switch hotels, or you deal with it. I just hope that you didn't know about the metal crib and still reserve your room. Great Luck!!!

I always rent our stuff when going on holiday it's much easier. If you don't want to rent or if a rental company is not available where you are going try using towels rolled up as a bumper. When we were in London for three weeks last year I asked for several extra bath towels and used them as bumpers which worked out quite well.

Good luck and have a fantastic holiday.

We rented baby equipment (pack n play, swing) from Baby's Away on our last trip (baby was about the same age). They have many locations throughout the U.S.:

http://babysaway.com/

There are other rental agencies as well. The prices were pretty reasonable.

I would suggest buying a pack & play portable crib. They are smaller than a regular crib and usually have mesh sides, so you wouldn't have to worry about your daughter sleeping close to the sides. Some of the newer ones also have a piece that snaps onto the top of the crib, so that you have a place to change the baby.

Hi M.,

I don't know where you're going, so this may or may not be helpful, but...

When we flew to CA a year and a half ago we discovered the most WONDERFUL thing...companies that do nothing but baby rentals for families on vacation! We rented a stroller, monitor, a box of toys!, pack n' play, and a booster seat. It was so cool. They deliver to the hotel and pick up again at the end of your stay.

Go go Google and search for "baby rentals" in the area you will be visiting. If there are none where you're going I think I'd just pack the bumpers (maybe only one of them).

Good luck!

There are small "breathable" bumpers available at Toys R Us/ Babies R Us for about $27. They would roll up to about the same size as your swimsuit. We have the same problem - my baby rolls around like a dervish while she sleeps, and those little metal cribs are so SMALL! My daughter bangs her head on the rails, but it doesn't usually wake her up..much. Is your trip long? It always takes my daughter 3 days/nights to get used to a new sleeping arrangement. We always make sure to bring one of her small blankets from home (most hotels don't have baby blankets, so you'll end up folding a queen sized wool blanket up to fit in the crib, which will make your baby HOT.) It's also nice for her to have the smell of home. :-) We also usually bring a small teddy bear that attaches to the side of her crib and plays a short lullaby and her "lovey."

You said you don't want to pack the bumpers, but it's probably the best idea. Why don't you get a space bag. You can even pack diapers, t-shirts, swim suit, and anything that won't matter if it gets wrinkled in it. That way space won't be a problem and you'll have your best solution. As well as the bumpers your daughter is used to from home. It might help her sleep better in a strange bed as well.

I'd rent a portable or pack and play, or bring your pack and play. I rented baby stuff from a website called babysaway.com when we went to CA. We rented a car seat (brand new Britax), pack and play, booster seat for kitchen, and box of toys for $90 for four days. They also rent strollers and lots of other stuff. There is also jet set babies. I forget their website, but you can google it. They drop off and pick up, including hotels. It's really easy!

I am flying to Europe with my one year old and many hotels there do not offer cribs, a pack a play would be too bulky to bring so I purchased the Pea Pod travel bed by Kidco. http://www.albeebaby.com/kipeintrbed.html
Its compact and light weight, it fits in our suitcase and folds up out of the way when not in use. Its soft so you won't have to worry about your daughter sleeping near the edge. One of the best things about it is that you can introduce your daughter to it while at home so that she is used to it before you travel. Infact my daughter is sleeping in hers right now before our trip in a few days.

My daughter loves it, I would highly recomend it.

Check with the hotel as to whether they provide the bumpers for the crib. Many do, particularly upscale hotels. Sounds like you've already asked them if they have a pack-n-play. We just returned from vacation, staying in four different hotel/motel/condo situations and they all had different crib provisions.

How long will you be away? If its a long time bring the portable crib. If its a short time roll up some towels and tie them to the crib. It will act as a bumper. Good luck. Denise

Since airlines are now attempting to charge per bag it makes travel very difficult. Especially when traveling with a young baby or child. I would ship a box of her stuff over to the hotel via FedEx, airborn -- whatever is the most reasonable. That way you can have the things she likes in her crib and perhaps you can even buy an inexpensive bumper or borrow one from a friend. If you have a wood crib at home (I assume you do!) she won't hurt her head if she sleeps close to the railing so you could take yours off for a few days and send it ahead. Not only will your stuff be there ahead of time but you won't have to worry about the airlines losing it!

Hi M.,

We traveled a lot with our children when they were very young like your daughter. We always brought our port-a-crib that folded up so nicely into a travel bag that was checked through.

Just a suggestion.

C.

A little about me. I am a stay at home mom with a thriving home based business with other moms just like you.

www.HomeBizMamas.com

You could get the breathable bumper which does not take up any space but will keep the metal bars covered so she will not be uncomfortable.

Do you live in nyc? If so i have an eddie bauer travel bed which folds flat and fits in your suitcase. I would sell it to you for ten dollars. We got it at the baby shower but i actually never used it when we traveled opting for her cosleeping.

what if you packed a couple of extra baby blankets and roll them up on the sides...you can tuck them down on the sides to make them tight, but then she won't bang her head at least.

Hi M.,
Have you considered having her sleep with you in bed just for this trip?

Try using the extra large towels that the hotel supplies--I'm sure they will give you a few extra--make sure they are secure.
Good luck and have a good trip. M.