Customer Reviews

Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'n Play Sleeper, Yellow

5 star:		(535)
4 star:		(68)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

I wish I had this for my daughter six years ago. Just like with my daughter, my new son (3 weeks old) doesn't like to be put down and lay flat on his back in his pack and play or crib. This sleeper is PERFECT! He's been sleeping in it for the past two days. I got the dishes done with two hands and I slept so much better last night without him in the bed (and the worry that goes with that).
The sleeper is in the reclined sitting position that you naturally hold a baby in. He doesn't even notice that I'm not holding him anymore. And while he's cozy and snug, there isn't any safety concern with breathing space.
This is easy to put together (I did it by myself) and light weight enough to tote around the house.
I love this product and recommend it to anyone with a newborn that doesn't like to be put down!!

I've had this product for three nights. Each night, our 7.5 week old son has slept more soundly and for increasing longer periods. Prior to buying this, we were using an Arm's Reach mini-cosleeper and he was waking up every night at 3:30am and 6 am. The first night in this he slept until 4:30am, then 5:30 and last night he slept from 9:30pm until 6am and after eating for 40 mins, went back to sleep until 10am. Woohooo!

Our co-sleeper worked well for our daughter (who was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks) and is another product I would highly recommend. However, our son seems to have more congestion and needs to be elevated to sleep well. We propped him up in the co-sleeper but he still tossed and turned and snorted and coughed, frequently waking himself up. I've always been disappointed with the products on the market for elevating sleeping babies, especially since the most effective options are not approved for sleeping. So, I was very excited to see this on display at Babies R Us. I did't buy it right away. I checked on Amazon and the price was higher and it was not eligible for Prime shipping, so I went back to Babies R' Us.

I should also add that we are still swaddling our son while he sleeps in this. He's such a big and strong baby that the only swaddle blanket that works is the Miracle Blanket (another highly recommended baby product). With this blanket I can leave his legs out and still use the harness. It's not really necessary but it's better than having him sleep on the buckle. Without the swaddle his sudden arm movements disturb him. I expect however, that eventually we'll use this without the swaddle.

The design of this product is very simple but it's perfect for what we needed. I don't know why it took so long to come to market. I can't think of a better recommendation than a sleeping baby.

A few other points:
-it rocks very smoothly and easily
-has mesh on the side to allow for air flow
-seems comfortable, even for my big boy (he's already 12+ lbs)
-is very light
-seems very stable
-is lower that our bed (a normal queen mattress with frame & boxspring) but its easy to look over and check on the baby from bed

I'm a second time mom and recently bought this for my newborn son. I fell in love with it instantly. It's lightweight, portable, and the baby would fall asleep as soon as I would place him in it. My baby napped and slept at night in this sleeper. It worked like a dream, just like all the other reviewers say. We used this product exclusively for sleeping, and it says right on the box - "approved for sleep".

All was great until my son was about 2 mos old. I started to notice that he tended to slump his head to one particular side, and his neck strength was not progressing as well as it should. He also was starting to develop a flat spot on the right side of his head where the sleeper angles inward. You cannot tell from the picture, but this sleeper has a flat hard support underneath the padding. This hard support angles inward all the way up both sides of the sleeper. Because the sleeper is inclined, these angled hard supports provide a place for a newborn to rest his head, either to the right or to the left. These hard supports also cause a newborn's shoulders to slump inward - not great for baby's quickly developing neck and shoulder muscles.

At my son's 2 month check up, he was diagnosed with mild torticollis on his right side(shortened/tight neck muscles) and the beginnings of plagiocephaly (flat head). He is now 3 months old and in weekly physical therapy. We are hoping we won't have to get a helmet. I only used this product for sleep, but for a newborn, that means 14-18 hours per day.

If you do get this product, I would pay special attention to your infant's shoulder, neck and head positioning. Run your fingers along the back of the padding and feel where it is hard and angles inward on either side. Is it pushing in on your child's shoulders? Does your child's head lean over to one side? Use your best judgement. Perhaps occasional use as a seat would be ok, but no baby should spend all their sleeping hours in this contraption. I'm just upset it took us 2 months to figure that out.

Most of the 5 star reviews were written within the first few days or weeks of having the product. It would be interesting to see how many of those same infants are now having neck and head issues...

This is a relatively new product. I honestly believe that they will end up reclassifying it as an infant seat rather than a sleeper. Please be careful, don't make the same mistake we did.

** Please see additional comment (by A. Oakley) below**

Had I reviewed this item within the first 2 month of having it I would have given it 5 stars. There was nothing I didn't love about this product, even bragged about it to my friends. Though my daughter did have acid reflux I'm not sure this really helped address that issue like some of the other reviews said. Anyway at about 3 months we started noticing the slumping of the head and the raised shoulders, shortly after we noticed the very flat head. At my daughters 4month checkup she was diagnosed with torticollis and now goes to physical therapy. At 5 month now we are not seeing much improvements. I wish I had noticed how hard the back was and that it could lead to this. I hope Fisher Price fixes this product or warns consumers of the possible side effects. I wouldn't recommend this product to my friends but if people want to buy it anyway I would strongly urge you keep a very close eye on the head development of your child. Torticollis is not a fun thing to go through :(

Sigh. This was the perfect little sleeper for my son. It was portable so I could keep him right by my side when he slept. The box stated that it was specifically for sleeping, so we used it as a sleeper for night time only. I trusted that this product would work as well as it looked, but I am so sorry that I ever bought this.

I have realized that most of the reviews on this product have come within the first few weeks of life, and not very many have posted about using this after the first three or four months.

As a result of the hard plastic seat insert that my son slept on for several months, his head was so flattened that his forehead pushed out and the flat part of his head has an inverted spot from where the seat curved out and into his head.

He received lots of tummy time, being held, and rarely wanted to be on his back during the day. He now has to spend the next three to six months of his life in a special helmet so that his head won't be malformed for the rest of his life. We have seen three specialists now and a physical therapist to correct the problems that were caused by this sleeper. The costs for these doctors is in the thousands.

I agree that this would be perfect for babies with reflux etc. but please weigh your options for an older child. Inserts are not safe to be used with this product, as you cannot securely buckle your child in. (Well, we couldn't)

I would not recommend this product to anyone, especially not after the first few weeks of birth. I feel so guilty about this happening to my son - it could have been prevented had I only done my research. With so many babies ending up with this happening, I would not have bought the product.

I loved this sleeper when we first used it- however, it caused my baby to have a flat head. At 2 months, I realized my son's head was pretty flat, but I didn't think it could be this product. Because it's at an angle and like a sling, I foolishly thought my babies head was fine. After 2 months of being vigilant about doing tummy time, using a baby carrier, etc... the flat head was still there. I finally thought to really feel the back of the sleeper and it is HARD! Then I went online and found a few other reviews of people who experienced the same problem. I am heartbroken and so mad at myself for letting my baby sleep in this all night and for all his naps. Next week he may have to get a helmet to correct his head. Please do not buy!!!

We got this when my now 6-month-old baby was born because my other three kids all had acid reflux and difficulty sleeping. At first this product seemed like a lifesaver. He absolutely loved it; wouldn't sleep anywhere else at night. But like others who have posted here, my little one developed torticollis and plagiocephaly. Since he spends most of his time during the day in arms, on his tummy, or in a sling with no pressure on his head, I can't blame anything other than the sleeper.

Would I put a newborn in it again? Maybe. It was soothing for a colicky baby who had milk protein allergies and reflux. But I would put a lining of soft blankets between the pad and the very hard frame, and watch carefully to make sure that he didn't get into the habit of always looking in the same direction. And at the very first sign of a flat head I would get rid of it. Completely.

I wish Fisher-Price would alter this product - make it a little softer, a little wider, and change the seat angle to something a little more gentle. It could be so much better than it is.

PLEASE READ:
I loved this at first, but am kicking myself now for using it so much! My son slept in this for the first 10 weeks, including naptime. He did tummy time, floor time, and was held a lot also. He is 6 months old now and has been in a helmet for the past 5 weeks to treat a severe flat spot caused by positioning. I did not know until it was too late that flat spots are not just caused from sleeping on their backs, but the car seat, swing, and this sleeper are far worse than the crib! Being a first time Mom, I had no idea the harm I was causing.
I did love the convenience of this--easy to move from room to room, and it folds small so you can take it with you wherever you go. I have a small house so the size of this was perfect--no large pack n play to have to move around and fit into a small space. My son still takes naps in it and occasionally sleeps the night in it (he is in a helmet now, so I figure it can't cause any more harm). If I have another child though, this will not be used.
My baby will be in a helmet now for at least 6 months to get his head near the normal range. Beware and be careful! The convenience of this is not worth the inconvenience and strain on the baby that it causes.

Added to original review 4/25/2011:
My son is now a year old and still has a flat spot, even after 8 months of wearing the helmet. He will always have a flat spot, hopefully less noticable as he gets older. The neuro-surgean said that his flat spot was the worst she had ever seen. The improvement from the helmet is there, but since he started so severe, we just can't get it back into the "normal" range for head shape! I can't tell you how much I regret using this rocker. Imagine causing something to your child that you could have prevented. I didn't know. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Yes, the other reviews are true--Our daughter slept in this from day one, and slept in it beautifully. She started sleeping through the night at a very early age, and we were amazed at how this sleeper allowed her to sleep for long periods at night (she ate frequently during the day, and rarely woke up at night). Our daughter was gaining weight perfectly and was happy, healthy, and meeting or exceeding all of her developmental milestones; however, when our daughter was 8 weeks old, I noticed what I thought to be a flat spot developing on the back of her head, and our pediatrician told me she couldn't see it. At 16 weeks, I felt the flat spot had gotten worse--This time, we went to see a neurosurgeon, who diagnosed our daughter with deformational brachycephaly--or flathead syndrome. She now must wear a helmet to correct her head shape. Although this sleeper is probably a miracle product for children with acid reflux, GERD, colic, etc...it without a doubt allowed my daughter to sleep TOO well--and caused a flat spot to develop. The back of her head is completely flat. Once we moved her to a crib at 16 weeks, she now wakes up every single night to eat--and I'm thrilled. I strongly believe that Fisher Price needs to market this device NOT as an all-night sleep device, but as something that your infant might sit in while you spend 10 minutes folding laundry or emptying the dishwasher. It can't be used as something to sleep in at night, every night. The bottom line: If you do decide to purchase this, if your infant starts to sleep for very long stretches at night, pay particular attention to the back of his/her head. If you notice a flat spot, which I did at 8 weeks, I'd get rid of this product ASAP.

My wife and I are sort of granola types (I'm a yoga teacher and she is a sculptor.) We started out determined to use only organic and eco-friendly stuff, basically we swore off Fisher-Price altogether. However, after two weeks of using a Amby Baby Hammock, which worked great and our baby loved it, we learned that the Amby Baby had been recalled. After doing some research, I discovered that more babies die every year in un-recalled cribs then had in the Amby Baby but when you go to the website and it says that the product has been recalled and that all customers should discontinue use and find alternate arrangements its hard not to head that warning. We are new parents and if we ignored it and something happened, we'd never forgive ourselves. While I was clicking around on the blogs, I came across another couple in the same situation who ended up buying and recommending this Fisher-Price Newborn sleeper. So, for fifty bucks, we figured it was worth a try.

Have to say that this a truly great product. Its not at all eco-friendly (perhaps the first of many compromises we will have to make) but it functions as advertised. It keeps are baby in a slightly angled upright position and rocks when she moves, providing much of the same features as a hammock, and is wonderfully portable and easy to move from room to room. We put it next to the bed at night and it serves as a co-sleeper/bassinet and then we put in the living room during the day for naps.

For the price, you can't go wrong with this. I would definitely recommend it to others. As much as we are resistant to admit it, we gotta give Fisher-Price some props. Its worked great for us. Our baby is now two months old and in a few weeks we may transition to crib but, for now, the newborn sleeper is doing its job and we are grateful.