Fisher Price Rock and Play

Okay so I debated quite a bit about whether I would blog about this or not but after reading more into it and talking to a friend I decided it would be better to just throw it out there and let people make their own decisions.  Last week I was on one of my diaper groups on Facebook and a mom was talking about how her son was just diagnosed with  Torticollis (twisted neck) and Plagiocephaly (flat head).  He needs to go to physical therapy now and has to have a helmet to fix the shape of his head.  Her pediatrician attributed it to the use of the Fisher Price Rock and Play as the main place that the child slept.  The women then went on to say to check it out and read some reviews on Amazon.  So I did.  I copied one of the reviews that I found.  If you filter your review search to those with low ratings you will find many very similar situations.  She updated her review just a few days ago.  Another thing to look at with reviews is the length of time that the product has been used.  With the rock and play many of the people with the positive reviews have only been using it a short time.

Let me also say that I purchased this rock and play when Elsie was 2 months old.  After thinking about how much I would use it since we had a swing, bouncy, bassinet size pack and play I decided to return it because I didn't really "NEED" it.  I think it is a great concept and is especially great if you baby has reflux.  I do know quite a few mamas who use this for their child to sleep.  I also know every child is different but I just want you to be aware that there have been some reports of some issues.  Fisher price may have made some changes to the design but I do know they sell this one too since I purchased it.  I also know that flat head is more prominent now because of the standards to put your child on their back to sleep so that may have something to do with it to.  I just encourage you to check it out.  I think there are other factors that lead to flat head as well.

I also want to be very clear that in no way am I judging those of you who use this.  I would be using it too had I gotten it right after Elsie was born because I didn't read up on it beforehand.  

Here is the link for the product and then the One Star Reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Yellow/dp/B002M77N22/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Yellow/product-reviews/B002M77N22/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_1?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0

Product Description
Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'n Play Sleeper Soothe, sleep or play night or day. The Newborn Rock 'n Play Sleeper is a nighttime sleeper and playtime seat all in one. And it's the only infant seat that meets industry safety standards for bassinets. So besides using it as a perfect place for baby to rock and play during the day, you can also use it as a place for baby to sleep at night.

Sigh. This was the perfect little sleeper for my son. It was portable so I could keep him right by my side when he slept at night. The box stated that it was specifically for sleeping, so we used it as a sleeper for night time only. I trusted that this product would work as well as it looked, but I am so sorry that I ever bought this.

I have realized that most of the reviews on this product have come within the first few weeks of life, and not very many have posted about using this after the first three months.

As a result of the hard plastic seat insert that my son slept on his head has an inverted spot from where the seat curved out and into his head. Perhaps ours was made wrong, and this is why the edge curved in.

He received lots of tummy time, being held, and rarely wanted to be on his back during the day. He now has to spend the next three to six months of his life in a special helmet so that his head won't be malformed for the rest of his life. We have seen three specialists now and a physical therapist to correct the problems that were caused by this sleeper. The costs for these doctors is in the thousands.

I agree that this would be perfect for babies with reflux etc. but please weigh your options for an older child (2 or 3 months). Inserts are not safe to be used with this product, as you cannot securely buckle your child in. (Well, we couldn't)

I would not recommend this product to anyone, especially not after the first few weeks of birth. I feel so guilty about this happening to my son - it could have been prevented had I only done my research. With so many babies ending up with this happening, I would not have bought the product.

UPDATE: 5/25/2012

I now see there is a "deluxe" version of this product.

I purchased this product for my son in 2010 - it was the yellow one. I've now seen this product on sale, so I feel I need to leave a review of our experience on this product. At first, this was the perfect baby product for us. If you'll read all the 5 star reviews, you'll see they are all within the first week or so of using this product. What they don't tell you, is that after three months of use as a sleeper - which this item is approved for -

This product left my son permanently disfigured. He will never be that perfect baby he was when he was born. And yes, his head was perfectly round when he was born. Yes, he was held for most of the day, had tummy time, and no, he was not neglected and left in the sleeper all day long.

This product has a hard plastic shell, and the top of it was curled outward, right into my baby's head.

This left a large DENT in the back of his head. It also left his neck and shoulder muscles so constricted he couldn't turn his head correctly. He required PT for this.

Close to $3000 thousand dollars later, (and all out of pocket because military insurance covers none of this) my son son will never be the same. We had to purchase a helmet, which our insurance refused to cover, despite the documentation from numerous doctors stating it was medically necessary. Physical therapy for a baby is heart-wrenching as a mother to watch. The helmet could not fully correct the severity of my son's head, which his doctors truly believe would not have happened if he were not in this sleeper as a bed and had been able to stretch out and move around like he would have been able to in a crib. He was stuck in one position in the sleeper when he was little. He hated his crib. He refused to sleep in it at night, so we used the sleeper, which, again - is approved as an all night long sleeping device, per the product description.

He turns two tomorrow, and with every bath, haircut or hat that doesn't fit correctly, I'm reminded of what this sleeper did to my son. It gave him brachycephaly.

I know it won't happen to every child, but please, as a parent, BE AWARE of the possibility, and be prepared for the consequences should something happen. You never know if your child will be susceptible to this or not. This was a fantastic product, but had I known then what it would do to my son, I would give anything to take it all back.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had such a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.  Lots of time spent with family and friends.  Friday night we just hung out at home and then just as we were about to getting ready for bed our neighbors called and asked if we wanted to join them in thier driveway for a fire and s'mores.  So we grabbed the monitor and headed over for our first fire of the season. 

Saturday we hung out at home in the morning and then in the afternoon dropped Elsie off at Grandma and Grandpa so that we could have a little time for the two of us and we went to Des Moines to do a little shopping-for Elsie of course.  We got a highchair that attaches to a table for our trip to Idaho, jars of baby food for when we finally introduce her to solids in a few weeks, and an inflatable pool so she can play in the water at home.  After shopping we went out to dinner (at like 4:45 PM haha).  I had been craving Red Lobster since February so we finally got around to getting there.  After dinner we headed back home to get our little stinker and Brandi and the girls were at Grandma and Grandpa's too!  So we visited for a while and then went home. 

Sunday we got up and headed out boating with some friends! It was going to be a hot day!  Elsie did wonderful in her little infant life vest and did great on the boat. 

Later that night we went to the Olson's for another wonderful campfire night!

Monday was another family day. We pretty much just stayed at home and hung out. I decided that in the spirit of Memorial Day, Elsie needed to have on her red, white and blue diapers.

We also decided to try out Elsies new little pool since it was such a warm day!  This will be much easier when she actually sit up on her own :)  She still had a lot of fun playing in the water. 

Memorial Day

Although many think of Memorial Day as the official start of the summer, a day to fire up the grill and enjoy a few cold ones it is so much more than that.  It is a time to think of those who have sacrificed for the many freedoms we have today.  Last night we drove past the local cemetery and what I saw brought tears to my eyes.  There at one of the grave sites I saw two people sitting there in two camp chairs settling in to enjoy the beautiful evening with someone they loved, someone they have lost.  I hope that everyone today takes a few minutes to stop and think about all of those individuals who have fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country, for those families who are grieving the loss of a loved one and for those who are currently fighting and pray for their safety.  We will be praying for many family members who have served in the past and will continue to pray for my brother Tony who is currently serving in the US Air Force and has served overseas in Iraq.  We are thinking about you and pray for you and your fellow Airmen.  We love you!  

Our local cemetary...the flags were just beautiful.

My brother Tony.  We can't wait to see him again in a few weeks.  

  

Parker's Birthday

Elsie went to her very first birthday party this weekend.  Our friends Chuck and Lisa's little boy Parker turned 3!  The party was a tailgate before the I Cubs game in Des Moines.  We went for the tailgate but passed on the afternoon game.  We have had such warm beautiful weather and it is too bad that this morning it was cold and windy.  I think the afternoon turned out a little bit nicer for the game.  

Amber and Cayden

Me and my little girl.  

 Orson and Kara. Their little baby Orson is snuggled up staying warm.  He is 3 months old.  

 Cayden borrowed my fleece jacket to try to stay warm :)

 Our family all cuddled together.  John wanted to hold Elsie the whole time

because it helped to keep him warm.  

I just had to get a picture of these cute little shoes.  We hardly ever put

shoes on Elsie because they never stay on.  These didn't stay on much past this picture 

Parker the birthday boy enjoying his birthday cake.  

Elsie having fun playing with her dad.  John was just amazed at how Elsie interacted with all the kids running around playing.  When Cayden would bounce the ball she would just giggle and watch him the entire time.  She loved looking around at all the kids.  

Elsie's Sleeping Habits

NAPS
This week we have been working with Elsie on sleeping in her bed for naptime.  We have gotten in a terrible habit to let her nap in her swing.  Now she either wants to swing for nap or be rocked to sleep and then laid down for her nap after she has fallen asleep. The past few weeks on my days off we have been out and about running errands so those naps have taken place in her carseat.  Naptime in general has gotten a little more difficult since it seems like she is always trying to fight it-even if we are rocking or she is in her swing.  I started this on Wednesday after struggling with her naps over the weekend.  Also up until this point she would just kind of nap whenever she wanted to and by no means were they regular.  Sometimes she has little short catnaps and sometimes she would nap for 2+ hours.  It just depends on the day.  I would like to get her into a little bit more of routine.  I feel like by the time she is clearly tired she is overtired and fights falling asleep.  So this is what we are working on right now.  Naps.  Also, I would like to ideally get her to nap in her crib so it isn't such a strange place when we transtition her out of her room but I think I am going to try to get her first to nap consistently in her pack and play.  Wednesday she napped for 45 min in the morning in the swing, 45 minutes in the early afternoon in her pack and play, and 45 minutes in my arms on the couch-not rocking.  One of the challenges I notice is that unless she is asleep when she lays down she will immediately roll onto her belly and then that really wakes her up and she wants to play.

I want to start to set little goals for this next week:
1.  At least one nap a day in her pack and play
2.  Set a naptime routine so she knows what to expect.
3.  Be home for her afternoon nap.

NIGHTTIME
Elsie's nighttime habits are so different than her naptime habits.  She goes to bed so well! I really can't complain at all since she has been sleeping for about 10 hours now since Easter.   We start the routine around 8:00 each night unless it is a bath night.  It really isn't much of a routine either.  We change her diaper into a nighttime diaper (either a bumGenius 4.0 stuffed with microfiber insert and hemp doubler or a Flip cover with and organic cotton Flip insert topped with a microfleece liner), her pajamas (cotton sleepers-our favorite right now are the lighter Gerber ones from Target-pefect for these warmer nights we have been having lately), and then giver her a bottle (about 6 oz).  Once she is finished eating she is ready for bed and we lay her down in her pack and play, turn the monitor on and leave and she is pretty much asleep.  If she is really tired she might fall asleep before she is done eating but that doesn't happen too often.  She sleeps until about 6:00 AM.  Most nights at least once she will let out a cry or two and then fall immediately back to sleep.  I can hardly get to her pack and play before she has stopped crying so I wouldn't even call it a cry.  I will put her pacifier back in if she is still restless otherwise I just let her be.  Most mornings she will wake up and immediately roll over onto her tummy.  I wake up to her making little "uh uh" noises as she is trying to roll back over to her back (which she has no problem with doing on the floor but she can't do it in her bed).

I really only have one goal for nighttime at this point since she has been doing pretty good:
1.  Read some books after we get her changed into her PJs but before she eats.

After we get back from Idaho this summer I will make the transition into her room in her crib.  I figure there is no point doing it before than since I want to wait until the 6 month mark and she will have to sleep in her pack and play anyways while we are gone.

Any suggestions for sleeping would be appreciated.  I feel pretty good about her nighttime sleep habits but am struggling with her naps.

Graduation For Three

This past weekend we headed up to NW Iowa for John's cousins's graduation.  His Aunt Becky and Uncle Denny had three children graduation this year.  We had such a nice weekend visiting with family and seeing his Grandma Evelyn.  I think she could have held all day!   

Elsie and Grandma Ev

All Tuckered Out!

The three graduates:  Kyle, Julia and Patrick

Elsie and Bev's Cousin Barbie

Elsie with Cousin Kylee (Barbie's daughter)

 Elsie loved playing on the floor surrounded by all the big kids :)

 Cousin Danny all tuckered out!

Cousins!

Elsie so wanted to play with Danny but he was not having it :)  He was ready for his afternoon nap.  

It was such a wonderful weekend!!  Of course it was too short.   Elsie did a great job being away from home.  She struggled a bit with her naps but that has been happening at home too. I can't wait to get the family all together again.  

Elsie Marie-5 Months

Wow this month has probably been the most challenging for us, mainly due to Elsie being sick.  Although challenging, I am so loving the stage she is in right now!  She is developing such a personality and it is starting to shine through.  I just can't get enough of her and her smiles!

Elsie's weight at the Dr. on May 1st was 14 lbs 4 oz.  That was two whole weeks ago and when I weighed her at home she was close to 15 lbs.  So we will go with that-15 lbs.  She is eating pretty good-still milk only, no solids yet.  5-6 bottles with 5-6 oz each feeding.  More on the higher end than the lower end.  I think she is probably getting close to starting solids.  Our pediatrician said anytime from 4-6 months but I know that exclusively breastfeed/formula until 6 months is ideal since that is still where they get the most nutrients from.  We will probably start them soon though in the next week or so.  She is still getting about a 50/50 ratio of breastmilk to formula.  My goal is to keep pumping until 6 months so that is only one month left to go.

Sleeping has been a little off this month.  The first half of the month she did great!  Sleeping from 8pm-6pm.  Well then a few weeks ago she got sick with a cold/ear infection/hand foot mouth or whatever it was she ended up being sick with and that threw her whole sleep routine out the window. It was a challenging few nights for us.  She was would sleep until about midnight and then wake up and have a hard time falling back to sleep.  Then she was up almost every hour after that.  We would pick her up, she would fall back to sleep in a few minutes and then do it all over again and hour later.  A couple of days later when she was starting feel better she wouldn't do the whole hour thing but she would wake up in the middle of the night and want to eat.  One night she was in such a good mood when she woke up.  She wouldn't go back to sleep so we went to her room to rock.  She was looking up at me just smiling.  Then she kept putting her hand near my mouth to play with me and then she would giggle.  I tried to tell her it was night time but not play time but I don't think she got the message :).  I think she is getting back into her sleep routine since the past three nights she has slept through the night again.  For our night routine we still just change her diaper, change her into her pj's and give her a bottle.  We start this around 7:45 pm.  Since she has been feeling better we have been able to lay her down awake again and she falls asleep on her own after about 5-10 minutes.  We have started using the video monitor the past couple of nights when she goes to bed and we are still awake.  There have also been a couple of times that I have woken up to her on her belly moving her arms and legs like crazy.

Well Elsie is still mainly wearing 3-6 month clothes but last night I had to put her in a 6-9 month sleeper for bed.  Sleepers are always the first thing that she outgrows.  I am having fun (maybe a little too much fun) shopping for her!  There are some outfits that are too irresistible to pass up.  We have been trying to get her to wear sunglasses and hat when she is outside, gotta get her started on good habits.  :)

Elsie's health up til this month has been pretty good.  No major issues.  Then she hit 4 months old and it all changed.  She first started out with a cold.  I kind of expected that since I had been battling a cold, then John, so it was only natural that Elsie would get one too.  Then as I describe in this post __________ she was first diagnosed with and ear infection and then hand foot and mouth disease.  It appears that he cold is pretty much over.  We helped ease her symptoms by using saline drops, the bulb syringe, raising the head of her bed up an inch or so, and using an humdifier when she sleeps.  She has been such a trooper.  Now this past week we noticed a few dry patches of skin on her body and First Nurse originally told us over the phone that it was ringworm but after talking with the pediatricians office they think it is most likely baby eczema.  We are treating it with CJ's BUTTer and it is really helping (this is also what we use for diaper rash).  So I think she is finally on the mend.  Let's hope she stays healthy now for awhile.

Elsie is still quite the mover.  She just kicks and kicks and kicks.  She spends most of her time playing on her belly now.  She has been playing a lot in her exersaucer and then just on the blanket with some of her toys.  I start by laying her on her back but in no time she is one her belly.  She still needs support when she sits up.  She is starting to have fun with bathtime kicking her legs and splashing in the water.  One of her most favorite things to do is be "Super Elsie" and we fly her around the house.  She just laughs and giggles.  I cannot get enough of that giggle!!!!  We go for lots of walks and for the most part does pretty good in the stroller.  We have transitions out of the carseat in the stroller and just her strapped in.  I think she stays a lot cooler.She is

"Super Elsie"

Here are some photos taken throughout the month from my phone.

Hanging out in her stroller in Pella

Sporting her new sunglasses

Shows how happy my little girl is when she wakes
up.  This must have been after falling back to
sleep after her breakfast since she has a bib on.  

Elsie and Aubrey on the way to book club.  My back seat has looked like
this quite a bit lately :)

Elsie also loves her feet.   She is always finding them and sticking them in her mouth.  Here are just a few snapshots of time I have caught of her.

We have had a pretty busy month!  We have spent a lot of time out shopping on my days off which means that there hasn't been a lot of time at home. We had a great lunch with all the mamas and kiddos who are off on maternity leave.  Elsie has two new friends that arrived into this world on the same day:  Greta Elizabeth and Wyatt James born on Sunday April 29th.  She got to celebrate her first Mother's day with me and spent a weekend with her Grandma and Grandpa Fenstra when they came down for a visit.  She went to emergency room for the first time, visited her daddy in the hospital, and had her very first fever.

Wyatt James Leonard

Greta Elizabeth Rodgers