They're not cheap the Deluxe+ size (for infants 0 to 8 months) runs between $175 and $200, and the Grand, which is designed for babies 9 to 36 months old, maxes out at $300. “I bought it and never looked back,” one friend told me, explaining that her 6-month-old loves being close to his parents and sleeps soundly through the night.Īnother friend described her 3-month-old as the “best sleeper ever” - especially compared to her toddler - and she was convinced that the DockATot was the reason why.įor a few more weeks, I agonized over whether or not to purchase one. Several mom friends of mine are proud owners of the DockATot, and they were quick to sing its praises when I asked for advice. Still, after many sleepless nights filled with rocking our little one to sleep, only to have her eyes pop open the second we set her down in the bassinet, I was ready to try anything to get her to sleep and stay asleep. Rachel Prete, a pediatrician at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, tells Romper by email that, 'Although the product is portrayed as a safer sleep alternative, I think it can create a false sense of security for their infant and provide a potentially dangerous sleep environment.' She adds that the soft sides 'will not protect an infant from being rolled over onto or accidentally smothered by another adult' and is firm in stating that babies should always sleep on a separate sleep surface. I knew that the AAP recommends that babies be put to sleep on their backs on a firm surface, located in the parents’ room, but not in their bed - a sleep recipe that many parents find is nearly impossible to stick to when you add a baby who loves to fight sleep into the mix. I was a little reluctant to try the DockATot at first.

Therein is the tricky part: Parents love it during the day, when everyone agrees it is safe and helpful, and wind up becoming attached to it at night, when experts do not condone its use. It functions as a lounger for naps, an optimal place for tummy time, and a co-sleeping device for parents who want to bed-share (which, I note, goes against the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) extensive safe sleep guidelines). Would it work for us? Was it safe? If it isn't safe, why are so many people using it? Could we afford it? Is sleep with a baby in the house a lie? I set out to find out.įor the uninitiated, the DockATot is a canoe-shaped cushioned product that claims to “reinvent the womb” by creating a snug and warm environment for babies.

I’m talking about the DockATot: the baby lounger and co-sleeper that so many moms swear by. While googling for that elusive miracle baby sleep product, I kept coming across one device that was touted as a “miracle worker” by moms everywhere (including famous moms like Kim and Kourtney Kardashian). Before my daughter was born this September, I did what all first-time parents probably do: research the most popular baby items on the internet.

Dock it baby