Bassinets are essential devices parents need to have for their babies in the first 3 to 6 months after delivery. They tend to provide the perfect sleeping environment for babies.
Generally, bassinets come with different features – Some have mesh sides while others have non-mesh sides. Some have wheel features for easy movement around the house while some are stationary, etc.
In this article, our focus will be on rocking bassinets.
Do all bassinets have the ability to rock? Why do bassinets rock? Are there safety concerns with rocking bassinets? We shall discuss all these and more.
Without further ado, let’s begin with the crux of this article.
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Table of Contents
Do All Bassinets Rock?
Not all bassinets come with the rocking feature. If you are interested in buying a rocking bassinet for your child, you must go for the one with rocking features.
The good thing is that most bassinets with rocking features can also be locked to serve as stationary bassinets.
Most of the bassinets that rock operate with either manual or automatic rocking mechanisms.
Just as the name implies, a manual rocking bassinet is one that will need a manual initiation from parents or the babies. Once you activate the initial motion, it will keep rocking and maintain a moderate level of rocking.
As for the automatic rocking bassinets, they come with sensors and motors that initiate rocking automatically. These sensors can pick when your baby is fussing and rocking will begin immediately.
No doubt, the sophisticated accessories of the automatic rocking bassinets make them more pricey. However, they are worth every penny spent on them because they provide maximum soothing relief.
**We’ll talk about some of the best rocking bassinets at the end of this article.**
You may want to read this: Why do bassinets have hoods?
Why Do Bassinets Rock? Are There Any Benefits Of Rocking Bassinets?
The essence of a rocking bassinet is to provide soothing relief to babies so as to facilitate the sleeping process. Apart from helping to sleep, it also improves the quality of sleep.
The rocking mechanism of a rocking bassinet has synchronizing effects on the brain. As the brain syncs with the rocking, it triggers natural sleep.
After examining the effects of rocking on babies, it was discovered that slow rocking helps to switch babies into sleep mode.
Most of these bassinets also come with soothing sounds and lights to create the perfect environment for initiating sleep.
Apart from the comfort rocking bassinets provide for parents and their babies, it also saves moms from pain and pressure.
To rock a baby without any device, you will feel pain in your back, arms, and pelvic region. Also, you might hurt your healing belly if you rock your precious one standing up.
Therefore, rocking bassinets play important role in parenting as it helps to make things better for babies and parents.
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Is It Safe For Babies To Sleep Overnight In Rocking Bassinets?
It is never a welcome idea to use the rocking feature on your baby all through the night. While rocking bassinets have some pretty nice benefits, you should also be wary of overuse.
For most of the good things out there, there are always one or two downsides. Using a rocking bassinet introduces some safety concerns that are not found in stationary bassinets.
Once your baby begins to roll over or move around, there could be a tilt in the rocking bassinet which could entrap your baby against the sides of the bassinet.
If your baby wedges his or her face against the side of a bassinet, it is hazardous and could lead to suffocation.
Babies tend to develop rolling-over skills quickly, so you must be sensitive enough to know when your baby starts rolling over.
Therefore when using a rocking bassinet, parents need to pay close attention to observe how it goes. As soon as your baby falls asleep, you should lock the bassinet to stop it from rocking.
Another thing parents should be mindful of is the excessive use of these devices. You don’t want your baby to be overly dependent on a rocker to sleep.
When this happens, it could lead to a sleeping problem which is not good for your baby. You don’t have to use the device all the time except if need be.
In all, don’t use the rocking feature if you are not around to supervise it. Also, do not leave your baby overnight in a rocking bassinet to avoid any Sudden Infant Death Syndrom (SIDS).
What Parents Are Saying About Rocking Bassinets
After going through a lot of reviews and asking friends about the rocking features of bassinets, the answers I got were quite unanimous.
“I like the rocking mode, My baby seems to love it and falls asleep very quickly, It’s a bit pricey”. These are the common reviews parents gave about this device.
Overall, rocking bassinets are good for babies because they help to initiate sleep and improve sleep quality. However, the safety guidelines must be strictly followed.
What are the safety rules? Don’t leave your baby on it overnight, lock the rocking feature if you are not around to supervise, and don’t use a high rocking intensity on your baby.
**Here are the 5 best baby chairs that attach to tables.
Top 5 Rocking Bassinets To Buy
As you go through the list of the top 5 rocking bassinets to buy, we will show you the one with the most feature, budget-friendly, portable, etc
Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinets
If you are looking for a rocking bassinet with the best features, this certainly should be the first on your list.
It comes with sounds, lights, and a scintillating rocking mechanism that takes your baby to dreamland within a few minutes.
Material composition is strictly cotton, making it quite comfortable for babies. The Fisher-Price rocking bassinet has a maximum weight limit of 2o pounds.
It has a price tag of $279.98. Click here to check it out on Amazon.
Graco DreamMore Bedside Bassinet Deluxe
Having Graco on the list is no surprise because the brand is one of the top brands for bassinets. The selling point of this rocking bassinet is that it is easily accessible.
Since it is quite difficult to get a bedside bassinet that rocks, Graco takes the spot as the most accessible rocking bassinet for babies.
It is made of polyester, has height adjustment features, has a manual sway feature, and has airy mesh sides for breathability.
Graco DreamMore Bassinet costs $279.99. Click here to check it out on Amazon.
Baby Delight Go With Me Slumber Deluxe Rocking Bassinet
Although all the rocking bassinets on the list are portable, this one takes the lead in terms of portability. If your number one priority is portability, Baby Delight Go With Me should be your preference.
you can easily fold it for travel purposes or for storage, JPMA certified, and suitable for babies between 0 – 5 months. It has a maximum weight limit of 20 pounds.
With up to 6 height adjustment settings, you can keep the bassinet at a height that is best for you.
It has net-side mesh and the cover and sheet are removable and washable. Overall, this is a solid rocking bassinet that cost less than the other two above.
Baby Delight Rocking Bassinet goes for $107.99. Click here to view it on Amazon.
4moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet With Bluetooth Feature
Of all the rocking bassinets on the list, 4moms Mamaroo is the most automated. You can easily control all the features of this bassinet via Bluetooth.
If you want something sophisticated for your baby, you should choose this product. However, it is more expensive than others.
Some of its features include 5 unique motions to soothe and improve sleep and it comes with 4 sounds: FAN, ocean, rain, and shh. The mesh sides also promote airflow and visibility.
You can read a full review of the Mamaroo Sleep Bassinet here – How Good Are MamaRoo Sleep Bassients?
4 moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet costs $374.99. Click here to view it on Amazon.
Fisher-Price Rock with Me Bassinet – Climbing Leaves
Our list would be a biased one if we didn’t consider parents operating with a tight budget. If you are looking for something nice at a reasonable price, Fisher-Price climbing leaves should be your best choice.
It is made of cotton material, suitable for both home and travel purposes, it has 4 motions to soothe your baby, it has a maximum weight limit of 20 pounds, etc.
The Fisher-Price Rock With Me Bassinet can serve as both rocking and stationary bassinet. The sheet is machine-washable and the mattress pad is wipeable.
The product has a price tag of $67.17. Click here to view it on Amazon.
Conclusion
If you are contemplating buying a rocking bassinet or you own one already but you are not sure if it is good for your baby, fret no! Rocking bassinets are good for soothing babies.
However, just like every other baby device, you must follow safety guidelines to prevent any form of mishap.
Rocking shouldn’t be intense, be there to supervise the whole thing, and don’t allow your baby to sleep in a rocking bassinet overnight.
