Review: Fisher Price Rock n Play Sleeper

If I had to pick one item to purchase for my baby's first few months. I think this would have to be it. (Swing is a close second, if not a tie) The Fisher Price Rock n Play Sleeper completely saved my sanity with Baby E, and I really don't know what I would have done without it.

I remember being home in the first week of Baby E's life, and he would not sleep anywhere. He did fall asleep in my arms, but as someone who really does not sleep well with a baby in my bed, I needed to find another solution. I hadn't heard about the Rock n Play, as I think it only became popular after A was born.  My mom was in town, and purchased it on a whim after someone mentioned it to her. We quickly assembled it, and never looked back.

E napping around 6 weeks

I'm not sure if it is the angle of the seat, the way the seat hugs the baby, or some other factor, but it works. The way the fabric is attached, the Rock n Play creates a hammock-like seat for the baby. I would have preferred E be sleeping flat at night, but he had other ideas. He did have quite a big flat spot, and I do think the Rock n Play may have been a factor (that and the swing were the only places he slept for the first 4-5 months), but I would have done anything to get him to sleep at the time. Thankfully, his head continues to round out as he spends most of his waking hours on his stomach or being held.

I love the small size of the Rock n Play, it was very unobtrusive and easy to travel with. The fact that it rocks is a big plus, and definitely helped us out at the beginning. Baby E would only sleep swaddled as well, which can be tricky with the buckle. We did not buckle him as a newborn, and we transitioned him to his crib when he started moving around more.

Chilling - around 3 months old here

I attempted the crib transition a few times, but I kept pushing it off because I was just so tired. It's all a little hazy now, but I think he was sleeping nights in his crib by 5 months. The transition was not very difficult, and my fear of moving him was definitely the worst part of it! Daytime sleep has always been more difficult for him, and he napped in his swing until closer to 6 months.

The Rock n Play was also great as a place to put the baby down during the day, and we could easily bring it from room to room ad even to the backyard. E is now 9 months, and the Rock n Play has been folded up and put away for about a month. I am thrilled with the amount of use we got out of it, and it was a very worthwhile purchase.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: This post contains affiliate links

Review: Fisher Price Space Saver High CHair

 


      When we were looking for a high chair for A a couple years ago, we had very limited space in our kitchen. We decided to try the Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair, because it doesn't take up any additional space.

     The idea of this high chair is that it is a full-featured high chair that straps on to one of your existing chairs. The pad and back can also be removed for the seat to be used as a booster when your child is older. Here is my experience with the seat:

• The seat is very supportive, and has 3 recline positions. I used the high chair as an extra place to put Baby E down in the kitchen long before he started eating solids. 

• The Space Saver comes with a very large tray and built in cup-holder.

• The High Chair has an easily removable pad that can go in the washing machine. The seat itself is also easily cleaned, but I do find that a lot of crumbs fall through the pad to the seat, so it needs to be cleaned often. This is the one thing that annoys me most about this high chair. 

• The padding is not as plush as some full-sized high chairs but it is definitely adequate, even for a very young baby. 

• The seat has a 5-point harness that can later be converted to a 3-point harness for use in booster seat mode. I do not love the seat as a booster, because it feels very big compared to some other booster seats out there. 

Baby E chilling in his Space Saver

Some things to remember:

• The seat works best on a chair that has a hard and flat seat. We have the chair strapped to a dining room chair at my in-laws and the chair either leans forward or back. This is fine for a short visit, but not a good long-term set up. 

• The seat needs enough space to recline back. On my old smaller kitchen chairs, I had trouble using the 3rd recline position. On my new chairs, I have plenty of room. 

• If you are using the Space Saver on a seat with a cushion, make sure to put a towel down underneath the seat to prevent any damage from dirt and crumbs. 

• I think Fisher Price has made some updates to the 2012/2013 model of this seat, including changing/removing the arm rests, which I think is a great change. 

Here is A as a baby enjoying the Space Saver. This is on our old smaller kitchen chairs. 

      Overall, we have been very happy with the seat for both kids. If I had unlimited space in my kitchen, I would probably go with a full-featured stand-alone high chair, just to free up the extra chair. But if space is at a premium in your house, this is a great option that does not sacrifice much if anything in baby's comfort or safety.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: This post contains affiliate links