Parents are divided over whether a cot that rocks by itself is a win for parents, or something that takes away an opportunity to bond with their baby.
A video of a self-rocking crib was posted by In The Know in late 2017, but it has recently been shared on Facebook and prompted discussion from mums and dads.
The cot - made by Happiest Baby - is for newborns up to six months old. You wrap your baby in a swaddle blanket that zips up and attaches to the cot, to prevent them from rolling over. Parents then press a button on the side of the cot to get it rocking, helping to guide their baby to sleep.
“Why would you buy something to assist you in neglecting and shaking your baby?” one dad commented on the video. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
Some felt that the baby looked uncomfortable swaddled in the crib, arguing that restricting them and leaving them to be rocked is not “good parenting”.
One mum wrote: “Babies cry for a reason. Hungry, tired, lonely. It’s just lazy to have a device that does the job we as parents are meant to do which is to see to your child.”
And others addressed the fact that it takes away bonding time between a parent and a child. “Nothing will ever replace a rocking chair and snuggling your baby even when you’re tired,” one mum wrote. “Those days don’t last forever coming from a mum of three grown boys!”
However others understood where the logic of the crib came from. “I sort of get it, we are so tired all the time, sometimes we just need a break,” one person wrote.
Another agreed, adding: “I wouldn’t use it all the time, what if you just want to eat your lunch while they are being rocked? Sounds good if you ask me.”
“A baby who relies on being rocked, whether it be by someone or this, can lead to sleep issues."”
- Maryanne Taylor, a sleep consultant for babies and children
Maryanne Taylor, a sleep consultant for babies and children at The Sleep Works says while she feels the concept of the crib may have some positive elements to it, such as allowing a parent some respite, there is a downside. “A baby who relies on being rocked, whether it be by someone or this, can lead to sleep issues as this becomes their association for sleep,” she tells HuffPost UK.
“This means that a baby assumes this is what they need to get to sleep or to resettle if they wake at night. Parents need to be wary about using something like this constantly as a means of getting a baby to sleep as ultimately it may lead to them using it frequently at night, each time the baby wakes in between sleep cycles.”
The crib is a ‘Snoo Smart Sleeper’ and was developed by Dr Harvey Karp, a US paediatrician. The product has met safety standards by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The crib even reacts to when a baby is getting restless, as the website states: “When a baby fusses, Snoo ‘hears’ the crying and chooses just the right amount of shushing sound and jiggly motion to help lull the baby back to sleep.”
The crib costs a pretty hefty $1,160 (£840) so whether you like it or not, it’s perhaps not one that’s going at the top of your baby shopping list.