I Splurged on This $175 Baby Lounger, and It Saved Me Hours Each Day

I wanted to find out why so many moms loved it, and why there were just as many experts advising against using it. The distinction to me seemed to be in how it was being used. As a co-sleeper, I could see why parents were being cautious about bringing it into their beds. But the product passed numerous safety tests and has clear warnings indicating how misuse can potentially lead to suffocation. I didn't plan on misusing it.

I wasn't going to put it in the crib, or rely on it as a main sleeping device. I wanted to "dock" my daughter in it so that I could get things done. I wanted a place where she could fall asleep (under supervision) that would be easy to move her around so that I had the freedom to move around too.

I made a rule that I'd never fall asleep if she was in it.

From day 1, my baby loved being in the soft, cushiony DockaTot. I think something about the pillowy sides created a womb-like environment. She napped in it safely, and I always kept an eye on her to keep her face out of the side structures. Sometimes she'd nestle her head too close for my comfort and I'd rotate her face away so that I could see her nose or mouth easily. Hardly an inconvenience. She was happy. I was happy.

I used it every day for four months until she outgrew it, and am now one of those moms who insist it's a non-negotiable. The DockaTot was the only way I got anything done. When she fell asleep in it, I brought it to the bathroom with me and set it on the floor so I could brush my hair and teeth, or to just pee (I have no shame), and I brought it into the kitchen to make coffee or throw a sad meal together. When we traveled, it was as critical an item as were the diapers. I'd take her out of the car seat and put her in her DockaTot so that she could play or lounge.

Because the side handles were so easy to grab, I could just pick her up and place her somewhere else, almost always on the floor. It was such a relief to just have somewhere soft to put her so that I could take a time out.

I owe the small moments of sanity I experienced during the first few months of her life to the DockaTot. And to coffee. Always to coffee.

The DockaTot Diamond Diva Deluxe+ Stage 1 Dock ($138, originally $185) is currently on sale!

The DockaTot Deluxe+ Stage 1 Dock | Nordstrom ($138, originally $185) is also on sale.