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RNP -- functioned as a bassinet and travel crib for the first 3-4 months for us. Mostly kept it by my bed. It was great.

Swing -- was a good spot for downstairs naps for the first 3-4 months before he was used to his crib. Not totally indispensable for us, but I was glad to have it.

Bouncer -- just a good spot to plunk him that wasn't too heavy to move from room to room, like when we ate and such. He occasionally napped in it when he was very small.

As for the Mamaroo, I have no personal experience with it but have researched it for a freelance assignment. Many people say it's too low to really soothe their baby. I would get a swing over this any day. And swings are cheaper.

This is only my experience- and keep in mud I borrowed or got hand me downs of all of these:

Rock and play- use all the time. She sleeps in it at night and some naps, will hang out in there and look around or out the window when she is in a chill mood.

Swing- hates it. Sits in a corner holding the playmat (which she also hates) off the floor so the dog doesn't lay on it.

Bouncy chair- hates it. Sits next to the swing.

She's only 6 weeks and I'm hoping at some point the swing or chair will be more interesting! We are in a one floor apt so we just move the RnP from room to room as needed.

We are getting a Rn'P for the next baby, I didn't even know they existed when C was little. I like that they can fold flat for storage, so that's a plus.

We used our bouncer for the first 6 months, it was nice, but not mandatory.

The swing was mandatory for us!! We have the plug in Graco swing (30 pound weight limit!) and used it daily for 15 months. We finally put it in the attic at 19 months.

Never used a Momaroo, but they were well out of our price range and looked too big for our small house.

I echo exactly what @Mrs. Yoyo: said. All three were useful to us.

We use our rock n play daily, do not own a bouncer, and I kick myself daily for not buying a swing!

Rnp - we used for nighttime for 4 months or so. Loved it.

Bouncer - essential for times you need to put them down. I got a larger one that we can still use now (8 months).

Swing - got very little use. He liked it at times. Completely quit using around 4 months (although it's still in my living room). I'd want one, but I'd probably go used/borrowed (which would also work for all of these items).

Bouncer for calming down and playing in. It was most portable so I could bring it into the kitchen too. The swing was big an great for naps downstairs or while my husband played video games. The rock n play fit next to our bed (a pack n play didn't) and she had reflux so inclined sleeping was a must

You could easily buy a used bouncer! We don't use it much now at five months old but she loved the lights (not so much the vibration)

RnP is great for naps. It's easy to move around and folds up nicely for travel and storage. It's a must have for us.

Swing is a lifesaver. Seriously. One of the only things that gets him to sleep when he's fighting a nap or fussy for no reason. My husband says he would have paid triple for that thing, knowing how much it helps DS sleep. It's a definite can't live without for us.

The bouncer is something he doesn't really care for. He won't nap in it, so he'll just squirm around until he starts crying and we have to take him out of it.

No need for a mamaroo, because the fisher price swing works well enough!

Swing is a must for us. Has been from birth up to now five months. We have definitely got our moneys worth!

I am the type of parent who doesn't like a lot of baby "stuff." I sort of felt like I would rather wear the girls or play with them on the floor sometimes and not have bouncers/swings/whatever. However-- I did have a R'n'P. It worked really well for us because the shape of it mimicked being held, so on the rare occasions I needed Lorelei not in the wrap while napping, or while I did something fast, she seemed more content there than just flat on her floor bed or somewhere else. I liked that it was portable and easy to get out of the way when not in use (which was most of the time). You do have to watch out for extended periods of time in them, as other people have said, but for me it was a great match for our needs and wants. No mamaroo. I did contemplate it as our one baby item (instead of the R'n'P) but decided it was a little crazy to spend so much on something we intended to very rarely use, and I had heard so much about kids outgrowing them really fast and their not living up to the hype.

I still use the bouncer at 9 months to keep DS contained while going to to bathroom, etc. ours was a hand me down. I used the swing until about 4 months when he decided he hated it. He slept in it for naps when he was younger. I never had a rock n play.

- The r'n'p was our #1 must have item. M slept in it next to our bed for all nights and naps for the first five months (she has a perfectly round head but I know some people have said phagioceplaly can be an issue). I loved that I could put her in it, rock her to sleep and sneak away. No issue of having to soothe her and then transfer her to a crib. She was the kind of baby who needed to be moving all the time. I could put this next to me anywhere (Christmas dinner table), eat and soothe her at the same time. Folds flat for travel.
- FP vibrating chair we used a lot as a newborn. The vibration helped her to chill for a minute and, again, you could bounce it with your foot.
- The swing M hated at first but it helped us after 6 weeks or so. Of everything we could have done without the swing. If you get one get the one that plugs into the wall.

@Mrs. Yoyo: ditto to what you said minus Mario no experience there.

All were essential for my boy who hated lying flat on back at first.

R and p for night sleep til 4 months

Swing for naps til 4 months

Bouncer for "play time" til 6 months. He never really mapped in it after month 1.

We did not get a rnp or bouncer for lo;however, we were gift a swing from my parents. Initially, lo did not like the swing until he was 3 months old. I alternate between the pnp and swing when I needed to get things down while he was awake. He is now 8 months and on occasions, the swing will make him sleep but I think he has grown out of it since he now can crawl and pull up proficiently. He doesn't like to be strap in anything that will not allow him to have the freedom to roam about.

We did not miss the rnp or bouncer. I think having the swing was good enough for our lo.

It looks like this thread hasn't been posted on in over a year. There may be a more recent similar thread, but I'd love to know if anyone has any additional input on this issue. We're trying to decide which of these things to put on our registry

Following. Have been wondering these questions, too. My aunts told my mom that they would get me a "playpen," since that is what they got my cousin last yr. I have no idea what that means, as it was passed via my mom, but I know I didn't register for one. Maybe she means a PnP, which we also haven't registered for. We already have a wooden bassinet that DH and his brother used as babies. Perhaps I can stead them towards a swing or bouncer? Recommendations?

ETA: why don't people follow registries?!? Especially for bigger ticket items? I certainly don't expect people to follow for everything (e.g., clothes, toys, books, etc), but we received two massive crockpots for our wedding 5 yrs ago. We still haven't used them!

We didn't use the bouncer very much, as he definitely prefered swinging to bouncing and vibrating. The rock and play was where he slept next to us at night. So the rock and play and swing were our essentials. The bouncer wasn't super necessary. We try to mamma Roo when we were on vacation and a friend had it. Frankly he preferred the more rough swing of a swing to the gentle mamma Roo motion.

@Astro Bee: you must be young! Growing up it was called a playpen. I had no idea what a pack n play was at first. I tried the old time wooden swinging bassinet with my 1st and he hated it! Hope it works for you.

RNP - love love love. Didn't have it with my 1st and we survived but it's so useful and convenient.

Mamaroo - didn't have it with my 1st. 2nd one used it and liked it but I wouldn't say it's necessary

We had a vibrating chair both my kids loved. Not sure if that's the bouncer. We also really used the pack n play. My older son slept in it as a newborn and then we used them as a safe place to keep them.

@Mamasig: Nope, I'm 34! I just have a mental concept in my head of what a playpen is (from my 80's childhood), and it doesn't match up with what I see in stores nowadays. The one we had, my grandfather made. My family is very traditional and rural, and live halfway across the country, so I'm not sure what my cousins there are using, or what my aunts are referring to.

@TravellingBee: @Mamasig: It's a wooden one piece rocking bassinet that's low to the ground. MIL is having a firm foam mattress custom made for it, which is all we plan to use, with a sheet. If LO doesn't like that, we'll either use the crib or buy a bassinet for our room (although we may have room for the full size crib). I'd like to try it first so as not to offend the MIL, but only if it's safe and comfortable. I also voiced my concerns to DH about potentially having difficulty bending down to pick LO up at first. We'll deal with that as it comes.