October 2011 Moms
Options
Fisher Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper: Safe for Sleeping?
I've heard a number of good things about this item and even saw that many people were laying their babies down in it for the night instead of a bassinet.
Maybe it's just me... but this doesn't seem safe. Everything we read says "firm matress, flat on back, etc..." This seems to go against that.
What are your thoughts? Any experience?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Fisher Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper: Safe for Sleeping?
my vote is NO. baby is not flat, and not on a firm mattress and not really able to even turn its head. and it just does not look sturdy enough to me to be left unsupervised while you sleep, it looks super flimsy.
i would only use something like that for naps or in addition to a bouncer seat on the first floor while supervised during the day and for short amounts of time.
This looks great for a baby with reflux. I've heard lots of good things about it, but I wont be getting one just becuase it would be another piece of furniture, and I'm sure we won't be want for a place to lay the baby down.
This.
Many things can cause positional plagiocephaly, but I'm not bringing a product into my home knowing that it can cause PP. We won't be using it.
My BFP Chart
Becoming a better role model for my daughter, one day at a time
Out of the 414 reviews for this product on Amazon, only 19 have 1 or 2 star reviews...344 are 5 stars. The 1 star people mentioned the flat head and I am more than willing to bet these are the people who leave their baby in it all night, then move baby to swing/bassinet/other contraption during the day where they lay flat on their back. Maybe if they picked up their baby once in a while, the flat head wouldn't happen. Tummy time is great for this very reason, you can get flat head if you lay flat in the crib all night without being lifted too.
And all of the good reviews are mostly from people who owned it for a week or 2 so it can go both ways. I'm curious how many of those people end up having the same issue. I know someone who has one who is having the flat head/neck issue and they baby wear and don't leave their baby in it all the time. I don't think it's a fair assesment to assume people who have this happen don't pick their babies up.
https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-baby/PR00043
and
https://www.flatheadprevention.org/about-flathead-syndrome/
I just wanted to add that maybe my position is also partly motivated by the fact that our LO will be in daycare after 3 months, and I know they often use a variety of bouncers, swings, seats, etc. to get and keep the babies to sleep. I won't have as much control over how often she's picked up, turned, given tummy time, etc. once she's in daycare, so I'm going to do my part while I'm home with her. For me, part of "doing my part" means not having this product. YMMV.
My BFP Chart
Becoming a better role model for my daughter, one day at a time
I was really into getting one of these until I read past the newborn/new-parent reviews and looked at the one's where the baby was over three months old. It's been over a month since I looked at the reviews, but if I remember correctly, none of the reviews that were over the baby being a few weeks old were good. I don't think it was a problem with the babies never being picked up. I think they ended up with malformed heads because they were sleeping in it all night long and it took a few months for the parents to realize there was a problem with the shape of the skull. All of those babies were put into physical therapy and some even have to wear head-shaping gear. I was SO disappointed that this was happening. It seemed like the perfect solution for somewhere for our little guy to sleep while he's in our room. It's just not worth it, unfortunately. I'm sure for naps it would be okay, though.
Married 08/18/07
BFP 02/15/11 EDD 10/27/11 Born at 35w3d on 09/25/11
BFP 10/13/12 EDD 06/25/13 Born at 37w0d on 06/04/13
BFP 12/11/15 EDD 08/23/16 Early miscarriage
BFP 02/02/16 EDD 10/16/16
This - its internal structure is different than other, similar products from what I understand. We'll use a swing periodically and a different type of seat periodically, but I do think the photo they use to market it (where mom reaches out of bed to get the baby from it) is troubling given what we now know about the product.
My BFP Chart
Becoming a better role model for my daughter, one day at a time
Speaking from experience DS started developing a flat head from sleeping in his crib. If your following pediatricians directions and place your child to sleep on his/her back then they have the possibility of getting a flat head, it just happens. I learned to put DS in his crib w/ his head facing the opposite direction in the crib every night/week so if he watched me walk out of the room he'd have more of a chance to keep his head to the side.
I must say i held DS alot so it has nothing to do w/ holding or not holding your child. flat head happens.