Baby Splurges

junebabyh

Does anyone have a double stroller they love? We have the City Select double with the glider board and I kind of hate it. It's like driving a train and you cannot fold it with both seats attached, so it takes up so much room in the trunk (a hassle when we travel and have to bring other gear). I kind of don't want a side by side double, but the tandem ones aren't ideal either.

@Erin1510 A dockatot is basically as you described it, but for some reason it's magical. It's cozy for Baby I think and I like it because it's very portable. I stuffed it inside the Halo bassinet and put it in the crib, too.

ShadeofGreen816

@erin1510 Yes you nailed it. I think it works so well because it surrounds them and so when their little arms fail out, they hit something instead of feeling like they're all alone. As far as the stringent "safe sleep" guidelines they're a no-no, but I felt better about that then something like a rock n play or a swing where baby is on an incline and has a higher risk of positional asphyxia. 

eleven_

I have never heard of dockatot until now and am confused on how it can cost $175 

meatballs37

@eleven_ it’s ridiculously expensive for what you get. But man, DD had colic and it was a lifesaver for us. I bought a second one used for the twins. It’s nice because it can be taken apart and washed. 

Erin1510

$175....ahhh! That's crazy pants. 

junebabyh

@eleven_ @meatballs37 @Erin1510 So pricey. The boppy lounger is essentially the same thing (minus the sides) and is way cheaper.

meatballs37

We have a boppy too. And though it is a nice item to have for propping baby up with supervision, it is not like the dock a tot at all. 

nmbrcrnchr1

@JuneBabyH I was thinking the same thing about the boppy lounger. If I can’t find a dockatot used I might try that. Anyone with a dockatot also have a boppy lounger that would talk me against that?

meatballs37

@nmbrcrnchr1 I know that technically the dock a tot isn’t approved for unsupervised sleep. But I would trust it over the boppy lounger for naps. If you just want something for baby to hang out propped up in during the day, the lounger is a way more affordable option. 

junebabyh

@nmbrcrnchr1 The boppy lounger also fits perfectly inside the halo bassinet. It's good for naps, but I wouldn't let the baby sleep in one all night. But you don't really need a boppy lounger and dockatot in my opinion.

eleven_

I have the the boppy lounger and it's really nice if you just want them to chill next to you on the floor or the bed. I never had them sleep in it though. 

nmbrcrnchr1

Thanks ladies!
DD was a terrible sleeper, we didn’t follow the “rules” and she slept in a rock n play from like 6 weeks to 4 months, only way either of us slept. I’m really hoping to get lucky and have a good sleeper this time around but also preparing myself for that not to happen

eleven_

@nmbrcrnchr1 We definitely didn't follow all the rules either. I always said I would never co-sleep, but not sleeping isn't an option either.

meatballs37

My mini review of the dock a tot

Here is DD in it at a few weeks old. She was a colicky little thing and we ended up purchasing it after she was born and we soon realized she cried constantly and startled easily. We were desperate for sleep and the crying to cease (which finally went away around 6 months). 

We personally found it helpful because she liked being swaddled, but would wake herself very easily by kicking. So we used to put her all the way to the end of the dock and tuck her legs under the buckle so she wouldn’t startle as easy.

I guess my advice is, to see what kind of newborn you have. If you have one that has acid reflux, the dock wouldn’t be ideal because of the flat surface. Maybe a rock n play would be better.

DD also outgrew it VERY quickly, which sucked. So for those looking for long term use out of it, maybe not the best bang for your buck. 

Was it worth the money? For us yes, because we needed sleep. But what works for one baby might not for another. And I get that some people might think it is ridiculous to spend that kind of money on something. But, every baby and parent is different. 

nmbrcrnchr1

@eleven_ yep, I swore I would never do it, but from like 6 months to a year that’s how we slept, we were very safe about it! I’ve learned there were a lot of things I swore I wouldn’t do that I’ve done. You got to do what works. 

meatballs37

@nmbrcrnchr1 @eleven_ oh man I agree. There are so many things I said I wouldn’t do either. Two years later and it’s all about survival. 

junebabyh

Both my kids fell asleep in the boppy lounger plenty of times and I didn't move them. This is before they could roll over on their own.

eleven_

@meatballs37 Thanks for that review! I seriously am so tempted to get one. I am just thinking of those sleepless nights. I need one of everything to see what LO likes. I think my DH would think I was joking though if I told him I wanted to spend $175 on a pillow 

meatballs37

Hopefully my review didn’t come off as too preachy or biased. But I could see how some wouldn’t purchase it and how some would. ☺️

nmbrcrnchr1

@meatballs37 how old was your DD when she outgrew it? Do you remember? This will be our last LO so that’s also playing into this. Although I’m sure I could re-sell it afterwards. This will definitely be one of those things I don’t tell DH how much it costs 😂

runyogamom

@eleven_ and @nmbrcrnchr1 we survived the early months by co-sleeping too. I was also in the camp "I will NEVER" prior to DS. Then DS sucked at sleeping unless being held and I sucked at not sleeping so we did what we had to. 

Re: dock-a-tot. We got one. It wasn't magical for us but it could have been because DS was to used to cosleeping by the time I got it. I kept it in hopes of using it for one of the kiddos. It would be nice for naps at family/friends houses too because it is so portable. But it was a lot of money to spend and not use for the first kid...

meatballs37

@nmbrcrnchr1 I think we stopped using it for naps around 5-6 months. And she was in a Merlin sleep suit overnight 

prpl11butterfly

My boss had one for her son and he outgrew it around 4m. Seeing pics of his chunky self squished in it were adorable though 😂

emeraldcity603

+1 to cosleeping and being on survival mode for several months. I always feel like that is from 3-9 months for me. Once they move out of the newborn phase and developed more normal sleep cycles they wake easier. I usually kick them out around 9 months due to being sick of sleeping all weird because I have a baby attached to my boob. 

This last time at 9 months I started some very gentle sleep training and slowly faded it out and she was falling asleep on her own by 11 months. My last two I use Ferber and it was just so tough on me that I decided to change it up and it was really nice for all of us.

My first slept with me for 6 years but that's an entirely different story. He is 12 years older than my second baby so it was just the 2 of us for a very long time. 

ShadeofGreen816

I would say Our DockATot experience was similar to @meatballs37. It was a gift from a friend who ended up buying it and loving it. Here’s what I loved. It was very portable and could go in PNPs, other peoples cribs, on a couch if we stayed late at a friends, in the Halo bassinet. So everywhere she went she was sleeping somewhere familiar. It even came to Jamaica with us when she was 6 months old. It somehow really calmed her startle reflex which was great bc she hated being swaddled but had a bad startle. She was in it for all sleeps until about 7 months old. 

Its totally not comparable to the boppy lounger. I had both. Boppy lounger is not long enough for the baby to be totally in it after a couple months old and is much more smooshy so I would we more concerned about suffocation risk if I were to walk away. 

The only downside to the DockATot for us was getting her out of it. We ended up doing some CIO sleep training at the same time which was another game changing decision (recommend it to everyone). 

Its pricey. But for something she slept in for 12-15 hrs per day for 6 months I count it as worth it. But like above, it’s a super personal decision so for some people it’s not worth the money. It’s also not approved for safe sleep so that’s a factor too. But again, it felt less risky (to ME)  than an incline. 

inomniaparatus2

Also adding for those interested in the DockATot there is a bst page on Facebook that you can get gently used ones for a lot cheaper. 

shamrocandroll

The SnuggleMe cushion is similar to the Dock-a-Tot, and I think it was a little less. I also had a very colicky baby who would not sleep flat, so I was in survival mode. He started in the Rock n' Play, but I had trouble sleeping due to my anxiety with that. I ended up buying a used Halo bassinet and putting the SnuggleMe in that. It fit perfectly! Transitioning out of it was rough, so I recommend starting that before you absolutely have to (when they start rolling). 

emeraldcity603

I have been pricing the Owlet monitor. I wouldn't mind having one. It's just so expensive. Plus my babies sleep with me or near me until they are 9 months. So I'm wondering if it would even be worthwhile. 

val_mom2

As STM my favorite purchases were the rock and play and the Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit. I wish I had tried the sleep suit sooner than we did. Though not a splurge, I loved my Pocket Nanny too. I had a baby that wouldn’t tell me when she was hungry so we had to schedule feeding. The Pocket Nanny helped me stay on track!

luckystar28

@val_mom2 I loved the Merlin too! My son slept so well in it..I was so bummed when it was time to transition out. 

srscott3

Just got this email from Dockatot!



Eta: sale runs from Wednesday at 12pm eastern to Thursday at 12pm eastern

srscott3

Okay, before this sale starts..can anyone recommend whether to buy the deluxe or just buy the grand? Can a tiny baby go in the grand from the beginning?

meatballs37

We only have the deluxe. But from what I can tell from photos, the grand is a lot bigger, not sure it would be that great for a newborn if you are looking for something cozy to help them sleep. But if you are looking for something to last longer, it’s not a bad idea to go with the grand. 

ShadeofGreen816

A grand would not be ideal for a baby from the beginning. I think they would be too small to benefit from the comfort of having something surround them.

eleven_

I was just going to buy one, but I guess I was too late because it would have only been 20% off for me. I don't really want to start making any major purchases yet if I dont have to.

ruby696

@eleven_ I got excited too, but then my PGAL brain kicked in and I was afraid I would jinx myself. I'll happily pay full price in 6 months or so if I still need one.

eleven_

@ruby696 Exactly. I don't want it in my house if this doesn't work out. 

ncm1919

@eleven_ good call. I bought one thing with my last pregnancy and every time I see it I kick the box. Maybe this time I’ll get to use it but I’d rather not have had it taking up room and hurting my foot for the last year. 

kr596

Thinking about getting the snoo. Anyone here have one?

ellem29

So, from what I'm reading here, it sounds like the Halo isn't really worth the money. Does anyone have a suggestion for a better bassinet, or did you have one you loved?