Just an FYI. I never used one with my son but I know a lot of people who swear by them
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Ive been following this. My kids are far too old now anyway but I don’t know how i would have gotten any sleep without the rock and play! Honestly if I had a third baby right now, I’m not sure I would stop using it. I also know I almost never used the restraints (a no-no) and I can’t swear I stopped using it immediately after or before they started rolling over. It makes me sad because it helped me so so much- but obviously a million times sadder for these families.
It makes me wonder how many babies died or had problems with crib bumpers before they recommended against them/ banned them. I remember seeing people still use them and thinking, wow, how could you use those when you know they are bad? And now I get it.
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@Foodnerd81: it makes me so sad. Im pregnant with #2 and was given one as a hand me down but I think I’m too scared to use it now
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@magnolia: you could keep it and just not use it for sleep.
We never had our babies sleep in it. Well, never overnight. Maybe a nap here or there (like honestly maybe 5 times for each kid) but never overnight. We mostly used it for when they were awake to play or while I dried my hair.
The main concern is using it for sleep. -
@SweetiePie: right the main concern is sleep- which is what I primarily used it for. But it was also super helpful when my second was tiny because it kept her higher up and safe from big sister.
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@magnolia: I loved mine for naps. But naps while I was either in the room or watching on a monitor, not overnight sleep. And we transitioning out prior to rolling over. I think I would still be comfortable under certain conditions. But it is scary!
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32 out of tens of thousands is statistically irrelevant and from what I read the babies were older, nor strapped in and could roll over. I wouldn't let my babies sleep in it at night but I think the recall is pretty extreme. But of course when it comes to babies, you can never be too cautious especially in our litigious society
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I used a rock n play for overnight sleep for my first two babies and it was a lifesaver for me. I don’t know what I would have done without it. We never restrained them and stopped using around 8 weeks but I really credit it for keeping me sane. I’m pregnant with my 3rd due in June and I’m really upset about this.
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Several of the babies had illnesses and just happened to be in the RnP when they passed. And many had extra bedding or were much older. Still absolutely tragic, but there’s definitely a fear-mongering factor here. I think it’s important to shed light on things like this to help parents be aware and make educated choices for their family, but when lots of the article leave out very pertinent information it’s frustrating.
I’m usually not at all a conspiracy-theorist, but you also have to wonder who funded this study. Perhaps another company (Snoo, Halo come to mind) attempting to steer scared parents towards their product. It sure is working! Definitely not saying the RnP is the best option or that Doctors recommend it in most cases, but sometimes we have to make educated choices for our family and it can be very challenging to determine risk vs reward.
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@LadyDi: Agreed. It was amazing for our first. And transition to a crib around 2 months went great. When he slept for 30mins in bassinet vs 3 hours in the RnP, it was an easy decision. Now I don’t know what to do. And part of what makes the decision hard is that I feel like we’ll be judged if we choose to use it again.
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I didn’t have it for my first but I was planning to get it for my 2nd! Guess I can’t now unless I find it secondhand.
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@annem1990: @pachamama: I agree. While I don’t use it for overnight sleep for other reasons, I still think it’s statistically pretty safe and there were likely other factors at play. Just like orajel. If you look at actual cases of ANYONE dying from orajel it’s NOTHING. And that number includes adults, it’s not even just babies.
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I never had one for my first but did for my second and it was amazing. He napped in it in the living room for the first couple months and we used it about another month after that as a safe place to put him when he was awake. By the time he could roll he was getting too big for it anyway.
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@pachamama: the CR analysis found that some deaths were from infants < 3 mo that were properly restrained. It was the unsafe positioning that the non-flat surface put them in that led to asphyxiation.
I have advised against these for years and am glad to see them recalled, along with the walkers and crib bumpers. How many babies would be acceptable to let die before we recalled something? Baby sleep is hard but losing your baby is unimaginable.
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@magnolia: congrats on baby #2! We loved ours with our now almost 4yo, using it a lot for her first 3mos of life, both for naps & overnight sleep. Our pediatrician didn't have a problem with it. Very sad for those who lost babies, but I tend to think there must have been some cases of improper use.
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I just received one of these at my baby shower a few weeks ago, and we already put it together and got rid of the box right before the news came out. I guess we will be returning it to the manufacturer as part of the recall. ☹️
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@MenagerieMama: eliminating RnPs isn't going to decrease the number of deaths most likely, in fact, it could lead to more. Example: eliminating RnPs could mean nationwide, 1000s of infants wake more often in the night, meaning 1000s of mothers get less sleep, meaning 100s fall asleep nursing in bed or are unsafe drivers. I know for me, that would've been the case.
Also, ageed that while very sad, 30 infant deaths in 10 years is not statistically significant given that there were 4.7 million sold over that time.
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@DesertDreams88: I was saying something similar to my husband- how much more likely would I have been to get in a car accident if I wasn’t getting at least 3 hours of sleep in a stretch? And i definitely would have fallen asleep in bed with the baby and pillows and blankets. Hell, my baby fell out of a very low swing because I was so tired I I forgot to buckle her in. Luckily it was very low but still. Sleep deprivation is serious too.
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@DesertDreams88: That's a good point. I was thinking about the whole "keep your baby in your room for a year" too and THAT I know from experience is dangerous. I pulled baby into bed because I was absolutely beyond exhausted and frustrated, and he had been right next to me. Way too young to be in my bed. Tiny infants in bed with adults scare me way more than RnPs. When I put him in the crib, I knew I'd be awake in the glider and it was safer. Can't believe I did that.
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@MenagerieMama: Agree that it isn’t the most recommended way of safe sleep. And I think everyone should be aware of it and talk about their repercussions. But I also don’t think anyone should be shamed for something like this. Perhaps some people are “perfect” and follow every guideline to a T - but I personally don’t know anyone like that. If that works for you, that’s awesome. But what works for one doesn’t mean the other option makes you a bad parent. Case and point:
- How many parents let their infants sleep in the car seat after bringing them inside? I’ve never seen a parent wake a newborn to take them out.
- How many people have their baby sleep in their own room before 6months (AAP SIDS recommendations)?
- How many continually put their children in football knowing all of the research on brain injuries/death that have occurred? (I will never let my children play, but I don’t think someone is a bad parent if they choose otherwise).
- How many children die or are injured every year on bikes (with and without helmets) and yet most parents teach children to ride one (hopefully with helmets!)?
ETC...
We take risks every day. All of these (including the RnP) are so low, that many parents feel the benefits outweigh the risks. Some don’t and that’s okay too! It’s important to have information to make educated decisions, but it’s also nearly impossible to eliminate all risks. As parents our job is to decide what we feel is best for our child. I’ll counter your question with a question: “How many children have to have traumatic brain injuries from football or riding a bike before they are banned before 18? How many children have to die alone in their cribs before we police parents to make sure they are sleeping next to their children until 6months? How many infants have to die before we can’t take a car seat out of the car and are forced to wake a child each time?”
I think the recall was the right decision given the information that came out, but fear monger is not the answer either.
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@annem1990: How about less of the gov’t policing how we raise our children. Give us the information but let parents make informed decisions. What works for one family may not work for another. Like you said there are risks with everything we do. (said as my baby sleeps in the car seat).
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@magnolia: my 6 month old still uses a rock n play but never for overnight sleep. This makes me sad. Sometimes the recalls are because people misuse the product. Swings and sleepers are not designed for overnight sleep. Similarly I see so many moms post pictures on social media with their child in a bumbo on their kitchen counter when it is clealry printed on the product to only be used on the floor
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I never used this but I really don't get how it's any different than for instance a swing, which I did use. I wouldn't use it overnight but during the day when I'm aroundto monitor, it doesn't seem any more risky than for instance putting the bucket seat on a stroller.
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Honestly, this is the one piece of gear that I wanted for this pregnancy. The only baby container I have is a bouncer and it's too close to the floor with 2 older children and the fact that I will be mostly soloing this child at least for the first 2 months. I don't want a swing as it takes up too much floor space. I wouldn't be using it for sleeping anyway.
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This makes me nervous, but we never used ours for sleeping anyway. Our first was a terrible sleeper, but if she would have slept in it we definitely would have used it because we were desperate. I can’t blame anyone who did use it for sleep because I remember being so desperate to get her to sleep anywhere.
Our second only used it when she was hanging out in the kitchen with us, so it was while I was there the whole time. I’m pregnant with our third, and am tempted to keep it for that reason again, but won’t allow him/her to sleep in it.
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We didn't use it for sleep (b/c LO refused to sleep in it
) but did use it almost like a high chair before he was old enough for a high chair - would sit it next to the table while we ate and he enjoyed being part of the action. I would guess that's much safer than trying to hold him while eating. We want to have another LO and I would continue to use it for this purpose... When you consider the # of deaths relative to # sold - and as @annem1990: said, the fact that some of those deaths involved blankets or babies who were already quite sick so are very unlikely to be due to the r&p - it still has to be way safer than falling asleep with the baby while sitting on the couch, or driving sleep deprived, or all sorts of other things that might happen if your baby literally won't sleep anywhere else...
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I have a feeling it will be back on the market very soon with new safety guidelines/features and a new marketing strategy. It’s such a profitable item that I bet they will be able to spin data and find a way to get some pediatric organization to say it’s okay under specific conditions (which I believe it is!).
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@LadyDi: literally exact same on all counts (except due in november : ) my mom is already making comments about it but, like, i only used it for each kid for like 9 weeks max--but it was soooo useful for those 9 weeks.
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I don't know. I feel like people are mostly upset about this recall because they loved using the RnP and feel like life will be harder without it, and are feeling defensive because they feel like they were "bad" to use it, which is not true. I can imagine this was the reaction our parents had when baby walkers were recalled, or crib bumpers, and yet the majority of us are raising our kids just fine without them at this point. I think the recall will hopefully promote the development of more easily accessible (as opposed to something like the $$ Snoo) safe sleep options, and help make families (probably outside of the reading audience of HB) more aware of safe sleeping practices.
I work in the medical field and if recalls like this eliminate even one time we have to code a baby and tell a family that they have lost their child, due to something that could have been prevented, I am all for it. We all have calculated risks we take with our kids (for instance every day I put mine in the car!) but the AAP and other guiding groups exist to analyze the data and help try and make risk reductions to increase safety. This was not something done lightly. My first was a terrible sleeper and making sure she always got safe sleep was a challenge, but there are safer options available.
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For what it’s worth, I’m in New Zealand and I hardly know anybody that owns either a swing or Rock’N Play-type apparatus, it’s just not a thing over here!
And to my mind, it doesn’t matter how a product is labelled, if the majority of users aren’t using it in accordance with the instructions then it needs recalling and relabelling.
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couldn't figure out how to say it the way you did @Kemma: my thoughts exactly.
Rock n Play- sounds like "awake" time to me yet everyone I know that recommends getting one used it as an initial sleeping space.
@MenagerieMama: agree here too. Statistics or not- babies died. Parents used them the way most do as a sleeping place and that's not how they are "really" marketed.
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I’ve been trying to think of a way to say the same thing @Kemma: said - in Canada these aren’t legal, and people aren’t crashing their cars because their babies never sleep. I get that people are attached to them and see them as a magic bullet but in their absence, you’ll find something else that works!
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@erinbaderin: in Canada they are rock n play soothing seats. Same thing only they are sold as seats not sleepers. They aren’t recalled here.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/fisher-price-rock-n-play-soothing-seat/6000196359230
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I am sad to see this because I loved the rock & play for both my babies, we used it for naps during the day and night-sleep, right next to the bed, for the first 3 months.
For those who have them... are you going to send it in for recall or keep it? I was actually just thinking about selling ours since we're most likely done with babies, but now probably won't be able to... I would hate to sell it and have the worst happen.
Ours is 4+ years old, so the website says we'll just get a gift certificate for another fisher price item, but doesn't give a $ amount. I could just save it for my sister with clear instructions for no night sleep?? -
My LO barely used it, and never would use it for sleep, so I don't have any sort of emotional attachment. I do think in this sort of thing you have to very carefully consider the secondary consequences, because when the rate of deaths is very low, if you raised the risk of falling asleep with baby on couch by a tiny bit (much more common way to die), then you aren't saving lives anymore. Ideally we'd all be able to move heaven and earth to get the baby to sleep in the crib, but often that's just not going to happen. It's just basic statistics/math, not any sort of broader parenting statement. In the end I'm sure it will be back on the market with a different marketing strategy.
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This entire story makes me a little ragey. Sure, a lot of the deaths were from user error, but there were also some that weren't. I see so many people commenting on social media that they aren't going to listen to the recall and plan to continue to use/recommend the product.
If a company is going to go through the horrible PR mess of doing a recall, they have a good reason. Why on Earth would you still continue to use the product?! That seems so risky just for the potential for some extra shut eye.
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We used the Rock n Play for both of our boys and I have still been putting my 7 month old in it (strapped in) for the last hour of sleep in the morning when he can't settle in his crib or to play in while I get ready.
I know it isn't ideal for overnight sleep but it really did help us out on a few sleepless nights and when DS was getting over RSV and needed to be elevated. I can understand people's attachment to them. I look at the Dock a Tots and don't understand how those can be safe when crib bumpers aren't so I guess each parent needs to make decisions based on their comfort level.
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@DillonLion: there were only 30 deaths in 10 years. That's an average of 3 per year across the WHOLE United States. That's why people are willing to accept that risk.
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I did not use a R&P for my older one. Someone gave me two as hand-me-downs for my twins so we used them as a place to hang out and to nap in the living room during the day. They never slept in them at night -- we used a twin bassinet in our bedroom until they moved to their cribs -- but it was nice to have them up off the floor due to their big brother and our cats. It never occurred to me to buy one on my own though, and it was fine raising my son without one the first time.
That being said, my son slept in a Mamaroo for his first six weeks so that was probably not safe either. I did not use the R&Ps once my twins could roll, but they also napped in swings for awhile after that. Now they are almost 9mo and most of their napping happens in the stroller (or sometimes I tandem wear them for naps on the weekends).
Baby sleep is a rough topic. It is hard because we have so little support for new moms in our society, and sometimes you are just so damn tired that you feel desperate. It is easy to judge someone when you are well rested and not caring for a newborn 24/7.
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@ElbieKay: You make a good point! If we weren't all so chronically sleep deprived due to lack of support, it wouldn't be such a big deal.
) but did use it almost like a high chair before he was old enough for a high chair - would sit it next to the table while we ate and he enjoyed being part of the action. I would guess that's much safer than trying to hold him while eating. We want to have another LO and I would continue to use it for this purpose... Subscribe to our newsletter
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