Product Spotlight 6/4: Infant Seats (Bouncers! Rockers! Swings!)

hkom · June 2018

We haven't done one of these in a while so I thought I would start it, but I'm not sure which product to choose! Is anyone wondering about something specific?

*ETA: I'll change the discussion title when/if we pick something.

trucksntutus · June 2018

Mamaroos, are they worth it?

hkom · June 2018

trucksntutus said:

Mamaroos, are they worth it?

Maybe we could expand and do infant seats in general?

scaredunprepared · June 2018

+1 for car seats or infant seats. What's the difference? Lol

hkom · June 2018

scaredunprepared said:

+1 for car seats or infant seats. What's the difference? Lol

I actually think one of our first spotlights was on car seats! Infant seats would be for things to hold baby in the house (bouncers, rockers, bumbos, etc. We could even throw swings in there.

tumbleweed-1 · June 2018

I like non car seat infant seats. I think I finally made up my mind about a car seat. But I have no idea if I want swings, rockers, bouncy seats, all that other stuff. It would be nice to hear people’s experiences with them

scaredunprepared · June 2018

@hkom great, thanks for the clarification! I think I missed the carseat combo, but I will go back and look for it. I look forward to this product Spotlight as well! I literally know nothing haha

hkom · June 2018

But it might also be useful to keep these earlier spotlights for pregnancy-related items, since we still have so much time to talk about baby stuff, but some of us might be looking for pregnancy-issue-related things for the time-being.

*ETA: If the people want infant seats, give them infant seats.

maureenmce · June 2018

Yeah, swings/bouncers/rockers would be awesome! I think it would be especially helpful for FTM because I remember being crazily overwhelmed by the options. (And I'm looking for a new swing, so selfishly I'm in!)

scaredunprepared · June 2018

@hkom good point, we definitely still have time to get to all of that stuff. I'm honestly open to any discussion about any product since I am a first-time mom and have no clue what I'm doing LOL

maureenmce · June 2018

@hkom Good point! Pregnancy related, I would love any recs for bras (especially ones that are *supportive* without being underwire) though maybe that goes in maternity clothes? Belly bands maybe? The one I had last time I feel like did nothing.

hkom · June 2018

@maureenmce I would LOVE one for bras, although I'm not sure it would be of use to me since i'm such a weird size (STILL searching for an actually supportive wire-free bra that doesn't give me uniboob. Who wants to invest in a startup?!) But that would be super useful for pretty much everyone!

+ @scaredunprepared Why don't we just stick with the seats for now and then maybe next week we can try to come up with a pregnancy item!

Jens_Hoes · June 2018

We have this swing:
https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/ingenuity-trade-ing-convertme-swing-2-seat-in-orson-trade/1045432811?Keyword=swing

My daughter used it a ton for the first five weeks and then refused to sleep in it after. She didn't like being in it, so we didn't use it again until she was like 3-4 months old.

We also have a bouncer similar to this in that the baby can kick stuff by their feet and it makes noises and lights up:
https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/ingenuity-trade-ing-convertme-swing-2-seat-in-orson-trade/1045432811?Keyword=swing

I used that a lot when I was back at work and I would try to cook dinner.

Both the swing and bouncer vibrate, which babies sometimes like. I am hopefully baby number 2 likes this swing.

AGK2015 · June 2018

Sooooooo turns out babies actually have opinions on this kind of thing. Highly recommend picking only one thing (a swing, or a rocker, or a bouncer) and seeing how your kid responds, rather than spending the money on one of each and potentially only using one.

FWIW, we have a Fisher Price Snugapuppy swing. Plugs into the wall, which is awesome. Has an adorable mobile over it, which my daughter loved. Would occasionally make a rhythmic clicking noise as it swung, which my daughter didn't care about but which drove me nuts.

scaredunprepared · June 2018

@hkom good plan. Is The Rock and play considered one of these infant seats? I know my niece loved it, anyone else have experiences with these?

hkom · June 2018

scaredunprepared said:

@hkom good plan. Is The Rock and play considered one of these infant seats? I know my niece loved it, anyone else have experiences with these?

Yes! Stuff like that!

Fruitcove7 · June 2018

Hi everyone, my son is 4, so it's been a hot minute. We have this swing:
https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Cradle-Swing-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0042D69WO

And this vibrating seat:
https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Cruisin-Soother-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0054G1JUA

Both have been discontinued, but my son LOVED them.

Also, a side-note, Fisher-Price has amazing customer service. We bought the swing second hand. The motor went out and they over-nighted us the replacement.

trucksntutus · June 2018

I had a friend who swore by the rock n play, but I never bought one or used one lol! My DD loved her swing, I just think the mamaroo is cool myself, so it's kind of a toy for me, I love all the settings.

katy0990 · June 2018

We loved our graco swing and our bouncer. I had to pump after each feeding For the first couple months and it was awesome having options to put baby down so I could. The bouncer was also nice because we can put it on top of the table while we ate or take it outside with us. Ours came as part of our pack and play, which I loved because then it had a place to be stored and wasn’t just in the middle of the floor all the time.

maureenmce · June 2018

Totally agree with @AGK2015 that babies have opinions about these things and you cannot predict which of these things your baby will like with any certainty. Based on my experience and the experience of friends, I think it's likely that your baby will like *one* of the rocker, bouncer or a swing things, but it's hard to tell which one in advance. So yeah, it's great to either register for one of each type and hopefully be gifted all three (which you could return if your kid is like uh, no) or just buy one type and see if it works for your kid or you have to try something different.

Our DD was a bouncer kid - not a fan of the rocker, would *kind of* tolerate the swing. She basically liked to be powered by herself, not a machine, from the time she could actually do the bouncing part. She LOVED the baby bjorn bouncer. They are kind of pricey (we got ours as a shower gift thankfully) but she was obsessed with it from the time she was little until she (tearfully) grew out of it.

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiO05284LrbAhUXxGQKHecyBwYYABANGgJwag&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQOD2lnJ0UQimSn-wMUGqf3iPNUWJJ_bjB4-mlWWFOIBG-nm91QvMMvYHdCptVMicaXbm8_0EtrNXohBCYMSWkvc&sig=AOD64_35xFEEEAPEzItAoGr0JNc8aGx0_A&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwiP0pi84LrbAhXHsFQKHYQ6AyIQ9aACCDI&adurl=

Anyone have any cheapish swing recommendations? Ours last time was a hand me down we had to hand back after our friend unexpectedly had a third kiddo. I don't want to invest a lot of money since DD only kind of liked swings, but I'd like to have some swing as an option in addition to our bouncer.

lexidawg · June 2018

RE: Pregnancy bras... did I miss a memo that says we aren't supposed to be wearing underwire?

maureenmce · June 2018

@lexidawg I think you *can* technically (I did for a long time when pregnant with my DD simply because I couldn't find a bra with enough support without underwire) but they can just get super uncomfortable. There is some talk about underwire inhibiting milk production, but my OB said that's been pretty widely debunked. It's just a comfort thing, mostly. (And, as your breasts change in size, bras without underwire seem to have more give.)

lexidawg · June 2018

@maureenmce Thank you! That makes sense!

katy0990 · June 2018

@maureenmce I see tons of gently used swings at consignment stores, garage sales, etc.

kristah2 · June 2018

I like the graco swing. It’s cheap and great!!

I know now this isn’t about bras but just an FYI for underwire. Not an issue now it’s more of an issue later if you decide to breastfeed. Once you give birth and your milk starts to come in underwire can contribute to blocked ducts.
My opinion- you’re home a lot anyway and mostly in nursing tanks. So if you want an underwire when you go out at that time, go for it. The other thing is nursing bras with underwire are designed with the underwire a slightly different shape to accommodate and try to avoid blocked ducts.
But for now, bring on the underwire! (Or whatever is comfortable because your boobs are growing.)

krob · June 2018

I personally think Mamaroo is a scam. lol. It was an office pooled gift, but we got like 2 weeks out of it tops. When I went to go try and sell it on craigslist there were a million for sale. Which is how i came to the scam conclusion. I am sure there is a swing that would work that’s muuuuuccchhhh cheaper.

Didn’t register for a rock n play but a friend bought us one, because it was the only thing her baby would sleep in. Used it a lot in the beginning when we were figuring out baby’s reflux. Reflux babies need a little elevation. But used it a ton more once baby got older for things like being able to strap him in with a bottle while I was showering, etc.

Got a hand me down bouncer that at about 5 months became crucial to keeping baby entertained so I could do things around the house.

All that to say @AGK2015 is right, babies have very clear and defined opinions about these things. Definitely worth only investing in one or hitting up friends with kids or FB swap/sell groups to get others at free or cheap price.

Activebaby · June 2018

I have 2 kids. The swing has been a big fail overall. My mom really pushed it and bought me one. Who knows, maybe baby number 3 will like it. The bouncy seat was incredible for me. Ds1 would sit in it on a vibrate/bounce setting while I showered. Ds2, not as much, but he tolerated it. Both boys would let me put them in a carrier and get stuff done (that needs it’s own product thread). Basically I’m agreeing with the other moms- the baby will let you know which item is acceptable. They all take up a lot of space, so be careful what you ask for..you may have a ton of only slightly used space taker-upers.

Jens_Hoes · June 2018

@maureenmce
You can always look for swings on the facebook marketplace. I bought a 30 dollar one and a 25 dollar one (one for my mother's house and one for my MIL house) and both looked to be in pretty good condition.

gingersnap-mama · June 2018

I loved our mamaroo but feel like we got most of our use out of our inexpensive bouncer! It was lightweight which was nice to move it around the house and we took it on trips with us! We also have a swing which DH used mostly in his man cave. It was annoying because it clicked like @AGK2015 mentioned (we have the same one). We never had a rock and play but I've heard they're fantastic for reflux babies.

Katzalia · June 2018

We loved the rocknplay for sleep for our reflux baby, but she hated being in it when awake. Really hated it.

It’s a little spendy and only rocks from baby’s own movement but Poppy loved the baby bjorn bouncer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BQYVOKY/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1528284993&sr=8-3&keywords=baby+bjorn+bouncer&dpPl=1&dpID=41xrlcD%2BymL&ref=plSrch

with the toy bar: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001HX4DNE/ref=mp_s_a_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1528285061&sr=8-4&keywords=baby+bjorn+bouncer&dpPl=1&dpID=313Y7zMhEPL&ref=

She got hours of delight kicking to rock herself and spinning those toys. But every kid is different, so whatever you get, I’d buy it closer to birth so you can return what you don’t need.

katy0990 · June 2018

PSA: If you have a Babies R Us near you, go check it out ASAP! I was just at ours and most items are 50% off including swings, bounces, strollers, etc. I got our changing table dresser topper and a snuza for $125. These are both products that I talked myself out of it with DS due to price, so I am pretty excited!

Activebaby · June 2018

katy0990 said:

PSA: If you have a Babies R Us near you, go check it out ASAP! I was just at ours and most items are 50% off including swings, bounces, strollers, etc. I got our changing table dresser topper and a snuza for $125. These are both products that I talked myself out of it with DS due to price, so I am pretty excited!

Call and check if your stores are still open. Mine closed around 2 months ago. I drove by and didn’t call - wasted my trip

kchiquita20 · June 2018

So, sort of an infant seat. What about in sink bathtub things? I was set on a blooming bath flower thing, but I have a farmhouse sink... one of those deep, wide ones with no dividers so I don’t think it would work. I had a countertop one with my son and it was terrible. I’d love to have something I can put in the sink that not hard, wobbly plastic.

katy0990 · June 2018

@kchiquita20 We used this with DS and plan to use it again.

krob · June 2018

We had a 4moms bathtub that goes in the sink that we loved. It flushed clean water through and regulates the water temp.

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Product Spotlight 6/4: Infant Seats (Bouncers! Rockers! Swings!)

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