I'm worried about ending up with too many baby holders, and wondered which between RnP, bouncer, and swing was most useful - and for how long?
if you didn't use the RnP for sleeping at night, did you still get money's worth? when can babies start using swing and bouncer?
thanks!
pear / 1698 posts
I liked my rock n play and swing, but if I had to choose one I guess it would be the swing. They can start using the swing right away.
The rock n' play can be used right away too, and we used it ALOT, she slept in it at night when she had reflux, it was easy to move from room to room, and we used it as a travel bed since it was so light- much better than a pack n play in my opinion.
However, a crib with the mattress inclined and a swaddle would serve much of the same purpose minus the portability issue, so that's why I went with swing.
grapefruit / 4554 posts
I never had a RnP, we used the infant attachment of our PnP for sleep and our swing has been a lifesaver for both girls.
pineapple / 12053 posts
Didn't use the rnp for night sleep and didn't have the other two items. I lived having something portable to put her in to sleep or hang out if I was in another room of our house! We have a small place so a swing was out of the question.
pomegranate / 3331 posts
I have a rnp and a bouncer, but the rnp vibrates too so we use it way more than the bouncer. She's only just started to get excited about the toys on the bouncer at 2 months, so up till now it has just been another vibrating seat. I expect we'll start using it a bit more in the coming weeks. We didn't have room for a swing, but I haven't missed it.
pomegranate / 3331 posts
Oh and she sleeps in her bassinet but naps in the rnp during the day.
coconut / 8472 posts
DS never really liked the rock n play. He likes the bouncy seat for limited amounts of time, and can sleep in the swing for hours (if put in when he's drowsy or asleep.) To me, the 2 serve different functions. The bouncy seat hangs out in the bathroom mostly so that I have a place to put him when I need to use the bathroom in the morning and when I'm getting ready. We also put him in there when we're getting ready for bath time. The swing gives us some nice monster 2-3 hour naps. I guess if I had to pick one, it would be the swing. But fyi, he didn't love it from day 1, and he only likes it if he's already happy or sleepy.
pomegranate / 3791 posts
I don't think I could choose between the RnP and the swing! For home only I guess I'd say the swing, but as far as portability goes you can't beat the RnP - it's awesome and so convenient and easy to take around with you.
Originally I had a swing/bouncer combo, but I ended up exchanging it because my LO didn't care for the bouncer, and the swing feature on it sucked - it barely moved and only went in one direction. But our Snugabunny swing is amazing - the mobile and mirror above LO, the ability to have it swing in different directions, it's awesome!
pomegranate / 3411 posts
i didn't have a RnP. i had a bouncer and swing that i borrowed from a friend....the swing was hands down a life saver. LO had super naps in there! We never used the bouncer much.
watermelon / 14206 posts
LO isn't here, yet, but to preserve space, I have a bouncer/swing. It's the Lion King one from BRU. It can act as either one. It's pretty nice.
I don't have a RnP and don't plan on getting one.
grapefruit / 4997 posts
Oh this is hard. I've needed every single one at one point or another but we used the RnP the longest to the point where she would not sleep in her crib, only the RnP. So for #2, I am going to try to use the crib immediately once we are home from the hospital and skip the RnP. So I pick swing.
pear / 1699 posts
I didn't have a rock and play but had a swing and 2 bouncers (1 for each floor). The swing was a lifesaver those first 5-6 months and the bouncers were a spot that kept him safe while I showered, cooked ect. I guess I'd choose bouncer since its movable but I looooved my swing!
apricot / 287 posts
I would say bouncer! I liked that I could move it around the house and we got about 6 months of use out of it each time (2 kids). Plus it is the cheapest out of the 3 although I borrowed one from a friend. I barely used the swing and didn't have a RNP. I used a PNP for sleeping in our room for the first 6 months. I also borrowed a jumperoo that was so helpful from 5-12ish months.
cantaloupe / 6171 posts
LO hasn't been born yet, but we're really short on space and have only registered for a bouncer. I'm hoping that's all we'll need!
ETA: we chose the bouncer over the other types because that's what my bro and sil had for their daughters, so I figured that's all I'll need...
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
For our first we had a bouncer and a swing. At night she slept in the full size PNP in our room and then her crib. I hated the bouncer we had (fisher price toddler one) but she loved the swing.
For #2 I did pick up a used RNP because they are so cheap and hardly take any space. I think either the bouncer or RNP is nice because of its portability (take it in the bathroom while you shower) but the swing is nice because it moves on its own (while you are cooking dinner or folding laundry). So I would vote pick two.
pomegranate / 3872 posts
We had the bouncy seat and swing and we used them both a lot. It's hard for me to pick because at times in the early days she would only sleep in tbe swing but I loved having the seat because it was portable so I could bring it in the br while I showered or into the kitchen etc. I guess that's more convenience and sleep is necessity so if I had to choose I'd go with the swing.
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
Oh gosh. It really depends on the baby and what you're going to use it for. For my first I used the bouncy chair and swing every day. For my second the bouncy chair was useless and the swing just led to 6 hr naps but didn't help with night sleep even when we tried, so the rock n play was our savior.
pomelo / 5073 posts
Between the two I'd have to say the bouncer or the swing. We didn't have a rnp. We had a pack and play where she sleeps. The swing wasn't her favorite at the beginning, but she likes it now and the bouncer is one of her fav places to go. It would be hard to do without both of those.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
Oh and I think for the most part they can use all of them almost immediately (may depend on the specific product and how the baby actually fits). Most have a weight limit of 25lbs or so or when baby can sit up.
persimmon / 1355 posts
I couldn't give up either the swing or rnp. I just couldn't. They have both saved my sanity. We rarely use the bounce seat.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
Swing! But the bouncer is awesome, too...we still use it at 6 1/2 months. We never had an RnP.
pomegranate / 3350 posts
We had a swing and the seat detached so you could use it separately as a bouncer. It worked for us - DS did not love either but tolerated them for a few minutes at a time. He preferred a regular bouncy seat, never tried a different swing or a RnP.
This is the one we got. It doesn't look like it's still available but the new ones look better. http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Duo-Swing-Plug-Carlisle/dp/B004NTDT2K/ref=br_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3E14I4D0TALCE&coliid=I2OQCOZ6NSQLCJ
bananas / 9118 posts
Swing was our lifesaver for #1, for the first year and a half! We didn't have a RnP, but will be trying one out for #2. The bouncer was ok, but definitely not a necessity.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I think it depends on the baby. My LO hated our swing but didn't mind the daycare one. I chose not to use a rnp.
So for me it will Def be a bouncer.
persimmon / 1198 posts
One thing that I have liked about bouncers (with kids I babysat in the past) is that when they are a little more alert you can put a toy bar on and they can play/be entertained in the seat.
I have a RnP, swing and bouncer for my LO but won't set up the swing until we feel like we really need it...the swing doesn't have a toy bar, just a mobile like thing (fisher price snuggamonkey) and the RnP doesn't have a toy bar either (maybe there's an attachment you could get?). I guess it depends on what you'd like to use them for, but a bouncer might come in handy when the are like 3-4 months old and need some more entertainment when you need to put them down. Our bouncer was like $30 and came with a toy bar/toys. It doesn't seem to have that big of a footprint either.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
RnP
She never loved the bouncer for more then 15 mins. And she HATED the. Swing.
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
RNP and swing were essentials. The RNP is easily folded if you're concerned about space. And easy to get cheap secondhand.
Bouncer, eh. Never a necessity for both LOs.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
So hard to choose between the RnP and Swing! I definitely think the RnP and bouncer are similar so you don't need both of those... but out of the RnP and Swing I guuuuesss I'd have to go with the RnP.
nectarine / 2466 posts
We don't have a PnP but we have a swing and a bouncer. I couldn't chose between them though! The swing ( we have the snugamonkey) is awesome! Like a PP poster said, DD loves the mirror above her head, you can swing in different directions. We use it every day. However, the bouncer is handy because it's portable. I put her in it when I do my hair and makeup. DH puts her in it when he makes breakfast. We definately need both in our house as the swing is so big, you don't really move it, we need something portable as well.
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
We only really used the swing out of those! Worth every penny and square inch of space! Never had a rnp.
pear / 1517 posts
I liked the swing best with DS. We always did night sleep flat on back so we never used a rock and play at all...
persimmon / 1436 posts
We used the RnP more consistently and for longer, but the swing was a LIFESAVER for several weeks there. At five months old, we've put the swing in storage but still use the RnP as a chair and scoot him wherever we are when we need to do something with both hands. So...I have to say both are/were invaluable for different reasons!
grapefruit / 4582 posts
Bouncer. We never had any of the other ones. I had heard people complain about transitioning them out of the swing/Rnp and I didn't want to deal with that. We used out bouncer until 4 months maybe?
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