I need a magic baby-calming sleep-inducing swing/bouncer of some sort. Please help me find it!

[ItsMyLastOne]

I'm 34 weeks pg with DC2. DD was a nightmare sleeper who refused to sleep in a Moses basket, wouldn't sit in the relatively basic bouncer we had and I didn't discover proper slings till she was 5 months.

This time I would really like to do anything possible to avoid going through all that again. So I'm going to get a hammock of some form for in our bedroom, but I want something for the living room that can do lots of jobs. I'd like something that can lie flat or near enough flat for sleeping, that has music or vibrations or both, something that moves (rocks or swings or whatever) without me needing to rock it myself, and doesn't have a really noisy motor.
I know it's likely I'll need to spend a lot to get all this. 2+ years ago I would have been shocked by these prices, but I will pay it if it will mean I don't go mental like last time!

I've looked at the 4moms mamaroo which I've heard is good but I'm a bit put off by the bucket seat and that it ony has a 3 point harness and no head hugger. Oh and it's expensive!

I also saw this tiny love one which looks quite good, but I don't think it moves by itself.

Or maybe the stokke one. Btw does anyone know the difference between the bounce n sleep bouncer and the bounce n sleep daybed?

Any other suggestions on what to buy, or what not to buy would be much appreciated!

Thing is, it doesn't matter what gadget you have if your baby is either not tired, or hungry.

They just don't sleep to convenience.

I often put a mat on the floor, and breastfeed to sleep there, then roll away to leave baby sleeping and wobbling his jaw to an imaginary dream boob

My DS loved his friend's baby Bjorn bouncer, so much so I've bought one for DD due in Dec. Not motorised, or fancy, but he hated the rocker that did have vibrations and music etc! Just baby moving starts it gently bouncing - it is a fab thing, with 4 positions, and suitable from birth to 2.

I do love the stokke one, but we have the Miyo baby hammock. We leave the stand in the living room, and baby hangs from the door at night, so I can't justify the stokke bounce and sleep. Maybe that's something to think about as well - whether you can just use the hammock?

I saw something in the John lewis baby catalogue that describes itself as 'mimicking the motion of a falling leaf' which appealed to me as I'm easily taken in

m.online4baby.com/for-baby/315/Fisher-Price-Rocking-Bassinet-Cradle-Crib---My-Little-Lamb

How about this?
It's kind of like a moses basket but rocks

Starlight maybe my title was silly! I'm not intending to try and force my baby to sleep when she's not tired. It's when she is tired that I need something for her to be in which she'll be comfortable in and won't either wake up as soon as she's put in it or won't settle in, but also something she'll be contended in when awake. For my DD the only comfortable place was on her playmat, but that just won't be such a feasible option for this child as she'll just end up getting trampled!

Bunty I had heard good things about the babybjorn ones but haven't looked a them properly because I thought they were far too upright and just one position. I'll have a proper look.
The hammock downstairs annoyingly won't work. We don't have enough room downstairs for the stand, and our living room door has a big shelf just above the to frame so you can't attach the thingy (I can't think what it's called!) to have the hammock in the doorway. It'd also make it hard to duck/crawl under even if we removed the shelf!

pumpkin I hadn't seen that one, thanks for the link.

I'd second the baby bjorn. Expensive but worth it. DS loved it and was a VERY tricky baby. It bounces as they kick and wriggle. DS used it til about 10 months.

Oh okay. Well, I have sectioned off my living room with a sofa and behind the sofa the children know they are not allowed. We told them it is grown-ups space and practised with orange ribbon they were not allowed to cross.

We practised before the baby was born.

How, when I put him behind the orange ribbon I know he is safe if I bf him to sleep on the floor there. Could this work?

There's really not enough room to do that. We also have the door at one end, and the outside door at the other end. We need the to be able to let the dog out of that door too. I'm looking around now and there's just not space. I've also just realised from looking around that we'll have to get a teeny tiny Christmas tree this year, and maybe stick to the ceiling or something!

We have the mamaroo which we love however we didn't get it until DD was a few months old. They do an insert for it I think for new babies (although I bought a boppy insert for ours). She's only slept in it a few times but it's a useful place to put her down safely. I think there are cheaper alternatives. I've heard great things about the fisher price swing (it's massive though) and the baby bjorn. Something you can easily move would be a good idea I think (the mamaroo has to be plugged in so not easy to move).

We bought the BEABA up and down chair for DC2. It has 3 positions and lies almost flat. DD would happily sleep in it for a couple of hours at a time when we first brought her home and will still nod off in it now (4mths). Now she can sit beside us while we're eating or whatever and because it is raised up she is more included then a chair closer to the floor.
Also the raised position and the 5 point harness protects the little one from over eager advances of the elder child.

Thanks Mono and Vintage. I might leave the mamaroo idea then because I hadn't thought about not being able to move it easily. I'll have a look at that Bemba one

I'm glad I asked about this because I've been spending too much time going round in circles and hadn't even thought about some of these points you've all made!

I had really wanted something more contained, but the babybjorn is sounding good! Amazon has a one for £57.50, do you think it's worth a shot at that
price? I like that it can be stored flat so I could take it in the car easily to gp's etc.

That sounds like a really good price. I'm in the US and they're about $150 on amazon here!

I had a Chicco chair from Mothercare for ds - it had a vibrate setting which he seemed to like and an activity bar across the front which played music and had some dancing bears and flashing lights on it which he could activate by a pull when he was big enough. It had an insert so it was suitable for little babies too, along with a harness and a fleece blanket that you could attach if you wanted. I expect they may have upgraded that model now as ds is nearly 4, but it worked well for keeping him entertained.

The best purchase I ever made was a jumparoo when ds was about 5 months old (could have used it from earlier than that). We got a free-standing one which had lots of activites and toys to play with on it and he could bounce about and spin himself round to play with the different toys - it granted me 20 mins of freedom which I would otherwise never have managed to get! Can't recall the make but it was a jungle-themed one from Mothercare.

I've heard those jumperoos are good too, I think they're fisher price, that will have to be a later purchase!

just had a look at the tiny love 3 in 1 rocker napper and it does vibrate and move, I quite like this one myself!

Oh does it? Off to look again.

Had very similar problems with DD1 (and just bought amby hammock for upstairs for DD2!). For downstairs we used the ziggy zebra swing from toys r us after trying a friend's. it was excellent, DD1 slept in it really well and it ticks all the bits on your list as far as I can recall. Would fully recommend it!

We had this for dd2 and she loved it.

Our nephew had it after and he loved it too.

The seat comes off and vibrates on it's own.

Oooh, I'm very interested in what everyone is saying about this!

Has anyone used the Tiny Love Rocker? That's what I having been edging towards buying to have downstairs. I thought it might be better thn the Baby Bjorn as it went flat or does that not matter? I'm due to havge DC1 and a bit clueless...

I hadn't thought about a hammock type one, oh no, that's one more thing to add in to my indecision mix!

That's what I was thinking about the tiny love one too badger. It looks good being a sort of Moses basket/bouncer in one. I was a bit concerned it'd be too reclined for when the baby gets to about 4 months.

But I clearly know nothing having bought a Moses basket which had a grand total of about 10 minutes' use and and a bouncer which was only used a few times. I clearly know nothing, but am determined to get something right this time round!

I went through a few different bouncers with my first DC, swinging ones, ones with lights, ones that had all the whistles and whizzes... He hated them all. So with my second DC we have the Baby Bjorn, which is AMAZING. Such a simple idea, 3 different positions and the baby looks comfortable.
We also have had the Amby Hammock for sleeping, it lasted both my babies til about 4.5 months.

You can buy them lots cheaper on eBay.

We had a swing for my DS and it was a life saver! We have it stored at mil's at moment but from memory I am pretty sure it was a grace one and think was in region of £60-70. It had a 5 point harness and music and vibrated and most importantly it had 3 reclining positions with one nearly flat for sleeping. He absolutely loved it in there and would always go to sleep in it or just happily rock away (as long as not hungry etc).

I will be getting it back in a few months time when dc2 is due esp as will have DS to entertain as we'll this time.

The only word of warning is that they can get too used to the swinging to go to sleep to and start to find it difficult to sleep on their own without the swinging. I used to just use the swing in the daytime with lights on and noise from tv etc and I tried to use it less and less after about 3 months.

Well as I am 7 weeks behind you I might wait and see what you get and how your baby likes it Itsmylastone!!

I think one of the positions is fairly upright - well at least it seems so in one of these pictures www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+3-in-1-rocker-napper-in+B1002 But I have no idea how old the baby in that picture is!

Sounds like my Ds when he was a baby. We tried everything, we borrowed and begged and bought stuff off eBay, swings, bouncers, tried feeding to sleep, rocking, cuddled. Most of the time I would have to stand and sway for 40 minutes before he fell asleep, and then he'd have only 30 minutes. I used a wrap style sling but still had to sway or took him out in his Priam which worked every time! I am hoping dc2 will be much better at napping!

Pram - what's a Priam?

Had a bells and whistles.swing for we who loved it right up until the motor gave out under his chunky.weight! Got a.baby Bjorn second hand and it was great, it's coming out of the loft for ds2 in Dec.