Any thoughts on baby rocker/swing?

[hbmummy]

Seen the following:

Mamas & Papas Star Lite Swing

Fisher-Price newborn to toddler rocker

Thought of investing in one, but it is not cheap. Would not want to buy one and discover it is made for parents to buy and not really useful for DD1 (7 weeks going to 8). Bought a playmat and it does not hold her attention - when it suits her, max she will be on it for 20 mins or so. Perhaps too young to play yet?

Want something that would keep her occupied while I eat, etc.

[dirtygertiefromnumber30]

oh, i really wouldnt bother. Someone lent me theirs when i had dd (i really didnt want it but took it to be polite!) and it was just a great big lump of ugly plastic cluttering up the house. She was no more content in that than in a normal bouncy chair.

waste of money imo.

[Pheebe]

We have a BabyDan. DS1 hated it, DS2 (8 weeks) loves it, will sit there quite happily for half an hour. Any chance you can borrow one first to try or try your DD in it at the shop, some babies can find em quite scary.
BTW 20 minutes play at anything is pretty impressive at this age

[thegrowlygus]

We always said we wouldn't get one - but it was a life saver especially with DS1 who just wouldn't settle unless held. It was just such a relief to be able to eat our tea without one of us (usually me) holding him.

We borrowed one for a bit to see if he liked it then bought a cheaper one when we found he did!

I can't even find ours on line anymore. It is a Graco one but they don't seem to do anything as basic anymore. It is only 3 years old! If you are anywhere near Cambridge you are more than welcome to borrow it to see if baby likes it.

DS2 loved it too - snoozed in it, again long enough for me to have a bit of a break.

I wouldn't go for one with lots of whistles and bells. Ours has little toys dangling off the front but neither of them paid much attention to them TBH.

[bodiddly]

My mum bought one for us when my ds was only a few days old and it was brilliant. Admittedly it is hideous to look at but we have certainly had our money's worth and I have since lent it out to 3 or 4 people.

[dirtygertiefromnumber30]

forgot to add if you really wanted one, my friend bought hers (babydan)off ebay for about £30!

[hbmummy]

Tried out the M&P in the short for about 5 mins. DD1 is calm in the swing - no special expression. DH thinks she is just being good to impress the saleslady.

Growlygus - Is yours a bouncy chair or a swing? DD1 always wake up just when we have the meal ready, and we always ended up microwaving food again and again, until she settles. Not good for steaks! We are in Reading so not really close to Cambridge and do not know anyone else that we could borrow from. Thank you very much for your offer!

[hbmummy]

Hi Bodiddly - which one do you have?

[perpetualworrier]

These are definitely something to be bought 2nd hand and passed on.

I had a really old wind up one that my mum found in a charity shop for £2.

It was invaluable for about 3 months (from six weeks) and meant I could see to DS1 while DS2 swung happily and it even meant DH & I could both eat at the same time!. But it does have a very short period of usefulness imo and they're very expensive.

My wind up one is now on it's 5th baby since DS 2 had it 4 years ago. (and I reckon from it's design it must be at least 25 years old)

[thegrowlygus]

Ours is just a swing. Eats batteries like nothing on earth but really was a life saver. I even remember with DS1 taking it to the in laws and finally all being able to sit and have a meal together with the gentle hum and whirr of DS1 rocking in the background. Both my DSs have breast fed for loooooooooooooooong periods of time and so otherwise I would be stuck with them stuck on my boob whilst fil tried to be 'cool' about me breast feeding!

So - along with the sling I got for DS2 (anticipating the constant breastfeeding in advance!) - it was really good.

But I would certainly borrow/beg one from somewhere. Like I said before, short life span and really no need for all the gimmickry.

[strawberrylace]

hbmummy - we have the fisher price rocker, and also a fisher price take a long swing. of the two a would recommend the swing. the rocker is very versatile as a chair and rocker, but ds did not really like it until he was about 1o weeks and could play with the toys. now he'll sit happily in it for half an hour ish. the swing on the otherhand has been a life saver and he's loved it since about 6 weeks when we were given it. happily swings for ages, and its the one way to get him to sleep in the day. and means we get dinner in peace. the only downside is it can use loads of batteries...

[bodiddly]

I think ours was the fisher price aquarium one ... he also used to go into one at nursery when he was little - I am not sure the make is all that important to be honest.