Alright, I said I’d do a review of the Rock N’ Play later… so here we go.
This may be one of the best gifts we received at our shower. Not only is it good for reflux babies, but for babies in general.
When your LO is little, you want them close by. Pack n’ Plays and cribs are huge for them! Babies aren’t used to being in wide open spaces. So, for the babies that struggle to adjust, and for the parents that want a few minutes more sleep… I give you the rock n’ play!
This rocker sits up higher than most infant seats. It has breathable mesh lining on the sides, so no worries of SIDS risk. It also has a vibrator (and I’ll be honest here… I think that rocking motions are far more soothing to babies than vibrations. But, that’s just in my experience.)
We kept the Rock n’ Play right next to the bed for the first several weeks. When Lucas would cry, and we knew he’d just been fed and diapered, we’d rock him in this until he went back to sleep.
The cons: Most of them are manual rocking, unless you spend some additional money for an auto-rocker. Secondly, I’m not sure how much “play” there really is to the Rock n’ Play. They have a weight limit of 25lbs, meaning that most infants will grow out of it before they’re playing too much.
The only other big con to me: the straps to buckle them in don’t tuck in if you don’t want to use them. We didn’t use the buckle for the first several weeks because our LO wasn’t squirmy (and this is a deep rocker.) They are nice to strap them in when they’re moving, but I wish they’d tucked in (similar to how the Fisher Price Infant to Toddler seat does.)
For reflux: many babies with reflux need to be elevated when laid down. This rocker is about a 45 degree angle, which is perfect to help acid stay down. It folds up easily, so it can be carried from room to room if needed (which we definitely did.)
The fabric is easy to take off and wash. There are tons of patterns to choose from.
Batteries in this lasted 6-8 weeks for me. Not great, but not terrible. Like I said, the vibration feature in this is an extra I could take or leave.
The Rock N’ Play will cost you anywhere from $40-$60 (more if you choose the auto-rocker.)
Definitely money well-spent. I would recommend this to any parent— but particularly those babies that are struggling with reflux/GERD.
Perfectly Imperfect Parenting 