Rock n Plays...

skidderdo

Okay, so I was thinking about trying out a RnP with #2 but my sister said they may be associated with flat heads. Has anyone heard this? Any experience? Any alternatives (we are looking for a small bedside sleeper option)?

hatroopes

We had one but used it only for naps.

camdensmom32

We had one. Cam slept in it every night for the first few months. No problems.

JSS1002

I was considering trying one this time for while LO is in our room, but decided just to stick with the PnP like we did last time.  James had ZERO issues transitioning to his crib in his own room at 8 or 10 weeks so I am hoping for that luck again... nervous that being in something as tight and snuggly as the RnP will mean a huge change when he moves to crib.

pinottoparenthood

Yes, I have also heard that the RnP can cause flat heads... that's why we didn't use one.

elbou

Grace0609 said:

It is a known issue with rnp -- positional plagiocephly. They aren't supposed to sleep in them for long periods at a time. We just have a small cradle by our bed. I like it better than our old pnp bc the mattress is more firm

This is what we did at our old place when my girls were babies. They outgrew it by about 3 months, at which point they moved to the crib in their own room. We don't have a spare room for DS at this house, so he has been in the crib in our room from day one.

MrsHartman7

I had never heard about the flat heads...but now that I know...I would still use it again if I have another baby, that thing is worth its weight in gold!

Zelda925

I used the rock and play for 6 months during our transition from the States to Germany. It was amazing. (And my daughter has a perfectly round head). It's easy to move from room to room and it snuggles them. You don't have to worry about them sleeping on their stomachs, it gave us a piece of mind and it was convenient.

cassied7

We used a rock and play from 3 months to Around 7 months. It was a miracle bed for us. He slept in there for naps and night. No flat head here. At 7 months we transitioned to the crib using CIO. It only took one night for Si to get used to the crib.

efujan

We used the RNP a lot, because DS wouldn't sleep in a crib/bassinet at all at night.  It worked miracles with his reflux since it's got an incline to it.  And as far as flat heads go, he did get a bit of a spot from it because he ALWAYS turned his head to the right (it's fine now).  We had to reposition him a lot to keep him off the right side, thought about getting a tortle beanie - it probably would have made it a little easier than constantly wedging towels under the padding, but he was too wiggly to stay in the RNP by the time we got the beanie & just moved him to the crib.
We plan on using it for #2, I'll still be careful about how much time LO spends in it, but I'm not worried about the flat head.  We have the beanie now in case #2 favors sleeping on one side, too!

bhjones1980

he slept in one until he was almost 6 months old (and close to the weight limit).

bhjones1980

We also stuffed a folded up blanket under the cover of it to make the head part softer (it seemed so hard with the plastic right there), so that might have helped the head issue.

JSS1002

I thought the whole flat head phenom was caused by the "back to sleep" initiative -- ie, no matter where they sleep, if they are on their back, it can lead to flat head... thus the importance of tummy time.

BellaBean76

pinottoparenthood said:

Yes, I have also heard that the RnP can cause flat heads... that's why we didn't use one.

This

pinottoparenthood

JSS1002 said:

I thought the whole flat head phenom was caused by the "back to sleep" initiative -- ie, no matter where they sleep, if they are on their back, it can lead to flat head... thus the importance of tummy time.

You're right, but spending too much time in the carseat, swing, RnP, etc. will exacerbate the problem because it keeps their head in the same position. We were letting R sleep in his snugabunny swing when we first brought him home (which is basically shaped just like the RnP), and I did a lot of reading on it before deciding that we needed to move him. We ended up transitioning him straight to his crib in his room at 5 days old and it was amazing for us, but I know some people want their baby in the bedroom at first.

JSS1002

saxchloe said:

pinottoparenthood said:

JSS1002 said:

I thought the whole flat head phenom was caused by the "back to sleep" initiative -- ie, no matter where they sleep, if they are on their back, it can lead to flat head... thus the importance of tummy time.

You're right, but spending too much time in the carseat, swing, RnP, etc. will exacerbate the problem because it keeps their head in the same position. We were letting R sleep in his snugabunny swing when we first brought him home (which is basically shaped just like the RnP), and I did a lot of reading on it before deciding that we needed to move him. We ended up transitioning him straight to his crib in his room at 5 days old and it was amazing for us, but I know some people want their baby in the bedroom at first.

I was told the same info by my doctor it's the vibrating chairs and swings and car seats and rnp type things that cause a problem or make it worse.... That's why I didn't let lily spend a ton of time in any of those things and I spent a lot of time wearing her when I needed my hands free. (She also sucked at sleeping in cribs and bassinets during the day)


Ah. My doctor just said "do what
You need to do so that everybody sleeps." He napped in his Graco swing a ton. No RnP though!

No flat head over here. :-)

charlies-angel

I used the RNP a ton with both kids and neither had a flat head. It was my most used baby item!

UberBiz

I didn't have a RnP for V, and I don't plan on getting one for this one. We got along fine without it. He napped on me, or in his pack n play.

JordynLeighx3

I've been very absent but I'm lurking so sorry to bump this BUT our girls slept at night time in the rock n plays and as I'm sure you know, ended up in helmets for 4 months. We're not sure if it was attributed to them or if it was in utero positioning as it can be much more common in twins but I don't plan to take my chances with baby #3 (which will be a long ways away). However, I DO think the rock n plays are banned in Canada due to this issue.

pinottoparenthood

saxchloe said:

I've been very absent but I'm lurking so sorry to bump this BUT our girls slept at night time in the rock n plays and as I'm sure you know, ended up in helmets for 4 months. We're not sure if it was attributed to them or if it was in utero positioning as it can be much more common in twins but I don't plan to take my chances with baby #3 (which will be a long ways away). However, I DO think the rock n plays are banned in Canada due to this issue.

I think you are right they are banned in canada do to that reason! I just looked into it you can't buy them here!

Yeah... it freaks me out! If my baby absolutely REFUSED to sleep anywhere else, I'm sure I would end up using it... but I would give it some time and try lots of other things first, like we did with Rhys. Also, if I were using an RnP every night, I would be sure to keep baby off his head as much as possible during the day.