Rock n Play questions

kramja01 · April 2014

DH set up our RNP last night. We are planning on keeping LO in our room for a few months, since we are moving sorting after baby's birth and don't want to set up the entire nursery at our old place. I noticed that the RNP has a buckle/strap that goes between baby's legs...does that mean you can't swaddle or use a sleep sack in the RNP? Also, it seemed like the incline on the RNP was steeper than it looked on the box...it is ok for baby to sleep at that angle throughout the night, correct?

amroke · April 2014

When your baby is a newborn, it won't be able to roll or try to climb out of the rock n play. So personally, I would swaddle and not worry about strapping the baby in. But that's your call.

amroke · April 2014

Oh and as far as I know, the incline is fine. My son slept at an incline as a newborn due to reflux.

runningyogimama · April 2014

The incline is the reason behind it helping baby sleep since all NBs have some amount of reflux! We just swaddled and didn't use the seat belt those first few weeks when we were using it

Xath · April 2014

I don't know if things have changed since DS1 was tiny, but we were advised not to used the angled Rock n Play as an overnight sleeper. It's fine for naps; it's fine for using around the house. But prolonged use in an overnight situation led to a lot of kids who needed helmets from flat head syndrome.

I know that there's a flat RnP that's been approved for overnight. But if the design of the angled one hasn't changed significantly in the last 3 years, I wouldn't use it for that.

danabsd · April 2014

We didn't use the strap until she was old enough to try and climb out.

MrsT2008 · April 2014

I never buckled until DD was old enough to move around a lot on her own and by that age, she wasn't in the RNP much

danabsd · April 2014

gertiebarden said:

I don't know if things have changed since DS1 was tiny, but we were advised not to used the angled Rock n Play as an overnight sleeper. It's fine for naps; it's fine for using around the house. But prolonged use in an overnight situation led to a lot of kids who needed helmets from flat head syndrome.

I know that there's a flat RnP that's been approved for overnight. But if the design of the angled one hasn't changed significantly in the last 3 years, I wouldn't use it for that.

I roll my eyes everytime I read these statements. RNPs and/or incline sleepers do not cause flat head. Too much time in any one position or contraption can increase the risk but about a billion other things are actual causes.

MinaE01 · April 2014

With DS, I used the RNP for sleeping and kept him right next to me in the bed. We swaddled him for a couple months and didn't use the buckle. He was very small anyway and barely moved while sleeping. We moved him to his crib at about 3 months before he was rolling or got too squirmy in there.

I plan on using it again for bedtime with this one!

LeeLee86 · April 2014

No input on the flathead but many people advised me against overnights in the RnP bc they get so used to the incline its much harder to transition to a flat crib. Naps and play are fine....hence the name I guess.

sthomas1222 · April 2014

I've never heard of a baby being difficult to move to a flat surface unless they had reflux (like my DD). We love our RnP, I'm hoping to use the Arm's Reach Cosleeper this time since I have it and DD never took to it... Also we only swaddled successfully with blankets. You shouldn't swaddle the legs anymore, new research shows it's causing issues. So we left her legs loose allowing her to be buckled in. DH insisted that she be buckled even though she didn't really need it...

chillypenguin · April 2014

We also never strapped her in at first in the RNP. She couldn't go anywhere and was right next to me, so I didn't worry about it. In regards to the plagiocephaly (flat head), DD did develop that but I noticed it very early on (one month old) and hers was due to torticollis (tight neck muscles) so she started physical therapy at 2 months old. I agree with PP that you just need to limit the amount of time spent in any one position. You should alternate which way you face the baby in the crib/bassinet or make sure they alternate which direction their head is turned in the RNP.

With the incline, DD had reflux so I think it helped. She slept in it until she was 6 month old. We did have a rough transition to the crib, but it was 2 really bad nights and then she was fine.

amroke · April 2014

My son slept in the swing or the rock n play for about the first four months (I think it was 4... Until he could roll over). 1) He had no trouble transitioning to the crib and 2) his head did get flat in back but as soon as he could roll over it went back to shape and he was no longer flat-headed.

I asked his ped about the flat head when he had it and she reassured me that it was temporary.

amroke · April 2014

amroke said:
My son slept in the swing or the rock n play for about the first four months (I think it was 4... Until he could roll over). 1) He had no trouble transitioning to the crib and 2) his head did get flat in back but as soon as he could roll over it went back to shape and he was no longer flat-headed.

I asked his ped about the flat head when he had it and she reassured me that it was temporary.

Actually, it may have been closer to 6 months.

kramja01 · April 2014

Thanks for the advice, ladies. @Gertiebarden, the picture on the Rock n Play we bought is a mother in bed with the RNP right next to her--definitely a night time situation vs. a nap in the living room or something, so I know RNP is at least marketing their product for overnight use now.

bumpuser10194737 · April 2014

We used our RNP overnight with our second because of bad reflux. He did have a tiny bit of flat head, but he also hated tummy time so was on his back a lot in general when not being held or worn, and it corrected itself as soon as he sat up. Not even sure the RNP caused it. He slept in it until for months. The transition to crib was rough for a couple of nights, but then he was fine!

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