How To Use A Dock A Tot

The DockATot is one of the hottest baby products, but is information technology safety for your baby to slumber in? Learn almost DockATot rubber all-time practices and why you shouldn't permit your babe slumber in a DockATot.

New parents volition practice anything to get a goodnight sleep, including spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on expensive infant products that promise a goodnight's rest.

In that location are plenty of baby registry must haves including baby nursery must haves and feeding essentials. And some new moms will tell you that the DockATot is one detail you need on your infant registry.

The DockATot is an babe through toddler lounger that is designed for babies to accept a safe and comfortable place to lounge while parents are nearby.

Simply is the DockaTot really necessary for sleep? And more importantly: is the DockATot prophylactic?

The DockATot is fine for an infant who is awake and being supervised. The problem comes when parents use their DockATots for bed sharing or put the DockATot inside a baby's crib or bassinet to create a cozy sleep environment.

Is the DockATot Prophylactic for Sleeping?

If you're unfamiliar with the DockATot, it's marketed every bit a comfortable surface to "dock" your infant. It is a cushion with elevated sides designed to hug around your child's torso. It also has stylish null covers that you lot can remove for washing.

The DockATot comes in two sizes: the Deluxe+ is for infants upwards to ix months, and the larger Grand size is for 9+ months.

Most of the pictures yous'll see of information technology on social media portray immature babies nestled in the DockATot, fully comatose. You might fifty-fifty see pictures of babies asleep in their DockATots in their cribs, or pictures of the dock being used in co-sleeping.

These are disruptive and misleading portrayals of the product's intended use.

When it comes to DockATot safe for infants, you shouldn't utilise this product for sleep of any kind, particularly not in a crib or for co-sleeping.

Tin can Baby Sleep in a DockATot?

No, the DockATot is not condom for infant sleep.

The warning label on the DockATot at present says to non use it in a crib, bassinet, or other contained area. They too changed their guidelines in the fall of 2020 to no longer promote their Docks for bed sharing.

The Deluxe+ docks are specifically "not intended for overnight sleep," co-ordinate to the DockATot website FAQ's. In order to follow the abcs of safe sleep, a babe should always be placed in a firm, apartment surface for sleep.

If your baby seems tired or they are nearing the end of their wake window, avoid using the DockATot. That style yous won't discover yourself having to transition your baby into their crib after they've drifted off.

Your infant is more probable to develop sustainable sleep habits if you fix them downwards for sleep awake, not asleep. If they fall asleep in one place and then wake up in another, it tin be disorienting. It likewise makes it harder for them to learn how to self-soothe.

Why is the DockATot Unsafe?

The DockATot has elevated sides that could hands cause a animate obstacle if your baby rolls in their sleep or turns their head towards the side. The sides of the DockATot are pillow-like, and are therefore a suffocation take chances.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends fugitive pillows, bumpers, or whatsoever other soft elevated edges in a babe's sleep infinite due to increased danger of suffocation. According to the AAP's sleeping surface guidelines, the DockATot is unsafe for sleep.

Babies can't fifty-fifty slumber with a blanket until afterward their kickoff birthday.

Although marketing says the DockATot is fabricated from breathable material, it has not been tested confronting the adventure of Sudden Babe Death Syndrome.

When information technology comes to safe slumber practices for your babe, it is better to be cautious than face up avoidable tragedy.

How to Utilise the DockATot Safely

The DockATot is not a prophylactic sleep surface, merely it can be helpful in other ways. The cardinal to using the DockATot is supervising your baby in it at all times.

Supervised DockATot fourth dimension can exist fun for both yous and baby. Using the DockATot with an alarm, wakeful baby during your infant'southward wake fourth dimension can be a comfortable alter of footstep from a play mat on the ground.

Additionally, in that location are plenty of times as a new parent when you'll face tasks that are incommunicable to do ane-handed or with a baby strapped to your trunk.

When you need to set your newborn down for a few minutes, the DockATot tin come in handy. To ensure DockATot safety, fix the dock on a solid, non-elevated surface that is gratuitous from hazards.

You should never set your baby down in the DockATot and walk abroad. Keep an eye on them at all times, making sure they don't roll or plow their head into the side.

If yous set your baby in the DockATot and notice they're yawning or showing sleep cues, it's time to pick them upwards and transition them to their crib.

How Long Tin My Baby Sleep in a DockATot?

If you are using the DockATot in a safe way for its intended purpose, and then your infant won't be spending whatsoever time sleeping in it. If they migrate off, they should be fully supervised and y'all shouldn't allow them sleep for longer than a couple minutes.

DockATot G and Toddler Slumber

Once your child reaches 18 months, the AAP allows utilise of pillows and other soft items in your kid's bed. As a toddler, your lilliputian one should be fully mobile and capable of moving themselves in bed to avoid suffocation risks.

Items like pillows, blankets, and loveys may provide added comfort to your toddler during bedtime.

At eighteen+ months, y'all could choose to use the DockATot Yard to help transition to a toddler bed. The raised sides of the dock can assist your toddler avoid rolling out of bed. The pillow-like edges tin also be comforting.

If you plan to use the DockATot Grand with your toddler, make sure they can independently climb safely in and out of the dock on their bed. Test and practice this before using the dock overnight for the first time.

dockatot safety - baby sleeping in a crib is the safest sleep space

Safe Alternatives to DockATot

When following condom sleep practices, the best and safest alternative to the DockATot for your babe is their crib.

Maybe the appeal of the DockATot is that it's mobile and you can move information technology from room to room. If you like that flexibility, consider using a pack and play or Stone North Play alternative instead. Many of these mobile cribs are lightweight and yous can easily compact them with the pull of ane strap.

If you were eyeing the DockATot because you were hoping to co-sleep, recollect that bed sharing tin can exist dangerous and the AAP doesn't recommend it. Instead, yous might try setting up a bassinet for your infant in your room.

Y'all can larn more about how long a baby can sleep in a bassinet, using a bassinet vs a crib as well equally come across some good options if you lot demand a bassinet for a small infinite.

I know it's like shooting fish in a barrel to get defenseless upward in baby product recommendations, especially when they're as ubiquitous and attractive as the DockATots. Just keep in mind that our number one priority in getting your babe to sleep is their rubber.

You might exist surprised to hear that the secret to reliable sleep for your baby has nothing to do with things you can buy. It has everything to practice with your noesis, the methods you utilize to set your baby's schedule, and consistency.

I'm here to aid you larn those things and guide you lot through the bumps in the road!

My Newborn Sleep Programme is designed to assistance you lot setup good sleep habits from the showtime! Enroll now and gain confidence as you lot start establishing a adept sleep foundations with your babe! Acquire more than here.

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I'm Amy and I'm so glad yous've stopped by! As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, my goal is to walk you lot through the process of getting your baby to sleep, and then your whole family gets the residue they need!

My weblog is full of things to aid you celebrate motherhood including babe plant nursery ideas, sleep schedules and slumber tips, fun printables, babe registry must-haves, and so much more.