Seeking Suggestions on Baby Swings

D.,

My son was very small and a preemie at that. He liked to be swaddled and move all the time. We had a few swings, but the one he liked the most was the papason style - it is round and craddle like rather than like a seat. I think it was Graco and it went front to back and side by side. He preferred the side by side until he was about 6 months old. It also have 5 points of adjustment so he could be almost flat and then sitting up straight. I could also adjust his body so that he wasn't flat on his back all the time and could be somewhat on his side.

Good luck!

I had the graco loving hug swing. it is able to hold children as they get bigger too. my 3 year old nephew loved it while my daughter was still too small for it. (she was premie, so i waited to put her in it, but when i did, she loved it!)

most swings, unless it is a convertable like 3in1 swing, say that once the infant is able to sit up on their own you should stop using them, because then the risk is that they will pull themselves out. I would suggest looking into a consignment shop-they usually have good deals on swings

I loved my Papasan swing. Its like a big egg, swings in two directions and it lays flatter for smaller/sleeping babies. If I had it to do again, I would invest in the one that plugs into the wall. Batteries get really expensive with these. We were spending about 10 a week to replace them.

Hey D.,

Swings have always been an absolute blessing. But my daughter is almost 7 months old and is way too big for it. I don't mean size either (she is 17 pounds). With it lying back as far it will go, she uses her elbows and sits herself up and almost tips out of it. Ever since she started to sit up and starting to crawl/squirm on the floor she became too big for it. Now my nephew had to have heart surgery when he was born and because he is a little behind and a month younger it still works well for him and will work for a few more months. It will be a great investment for a month, two or even longer depending on your child. Hope that helps!!

Beth

We had a Graco and it died all the time. It was terrible because it would die in the middle of my daughter's nap, and then she'd wake up and nap time was over. We always felt cheated! :-)

So we got the Fisher Price one - it plugs in so it saves you a ton of money on batteries. We loved it. Our daughter used it up until about 6 months, when she no longer wanted to be in the swing.

How great that you have found this solution to what must be quite a problem for you!
I would imagine that how long the swing can be tolerated is pretty individual. Her body will let you know when & if you go beyond her limits.
You are right it will not be long and she will outgrow it but it will give you awhule & she may get into the napping habit during that time. I'm tryubg tio think of alternatives for when she does outgrow it.
Some kids really love to sleep in a moving car. You might think of doing an outdoor ot jungle theme in her room or another and adding a hammock. If you Husband id mechanically savve opr you know someone who is they may be able to come up w/ something that will rock that hammock.

S.

My daughter is now 33 yrs old so I don't remember the brand of swing i had for her but it was a life saver! It ran on batteries and would swing quite awhile on it's own. She used it up until she started to walk and could try and climb out of it. She was a preemie so i would say about 20 lbs or so when i stopped using it. But she would fall asleep in it for hours. She would talk to herself and sort of sing to the sound of the swing creaking and i think it played music if you turned that part on.Seems like it had a crank handle too .

Hi D.,

Yes, the FP swing is great (Papsan Cradle or something)! We used it quite a bit when our one year old was a few weeks old until maybe 6 months old. It is great because it has music and moves side to side and front to back. There was really no speed control...I mean I think you need to put it all the way up otherwise it barely moves.

Although he is not at 25 lbs even at 1 year old, he was tall, but more importantly, he lost interest in the swing by around 6 months...once he started rolling all over and crawling and pulling up and such, I think he found it restricting. He wanted to just be on the floor instead of in the swing. I thought he's still nap in it, but he just wasn't into it nearly as much after he became more mobile. Also, he started pulling down on the mobile toys and such (not good for the motor) and I knew it was time to retire the swing.

I guess you must decide if it is worth it to you considering she's already 4.5 months old, but if it helps her nap, it may be a good pick. Let me know if I can tell you anything else about it.

Hello D.,
Yes, I had a swing chair for my little boy too, they are great for some children, My son loved it too, just keep an eye on her when she's in it. And it's okay if she outgrows it, at least you will have gotten your moneys worth if she is napping, that's the important part, it works! She finally naps, if it were me I would Buy it, use it until you can't anymore, then garage sale it!
Many blessings with your baby girl hon! Have a great week..

We also used a Fisher Price swing with our boys. It was great. However, I feel that your little one may be too big for the swing before you know it. They are pricey--you may not get your money's worth by the time she outgrows it. How about a rocker. We have the Fisher Price Calming Vibrations. It holds more weight longer. In fact, my three-year-old can still sit in, while my 9-month old is calmed by it. I would suggest looking at your options online before purchasing. I like to read reviews of products on the Babies-R-Us website.

Good luck.

Hi D.,

My friend just bought one of these hammocks. It is a bit pricey but it is a very good quality item and will last for up to 66lbs.

http://www.novanatural.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1754/.f?sc=2&...

My son didn't nap much to begin with (now 9 months old) but rest assured the older he got the longer his naps are getting, so hang in there.
Good luck,
E..

I have a Fisher-Price Nature Cradle one...it is earthy colors with a very cozy papasan styled chair. I used it when my daughter was a baby (now 3) and now with my 5 mo old and LOVE this swing. It swings both directions, multiple speeds, music and mobile. I am sure it holds the standard weights, but when each child is ready to be done with the swing is very individual (besides weight). SOme kids are more physically active sooner, making it unsafe. My daughter used the swing till she was much older, probably 9 months(?) because she was very light and small and didn't have an interest in trying to get out. My son now is 18+ pounds and is very physical, he will likely be done by 7 mo I would guess.

The swing has been AWESOME for us. He is a very sensitive baby and likes to feel cuddled and close all the time. During the day a sling and/or carrier has been great for closeness (and hands free for me!) but when we want to sleep at night, he starts in the swing and sleeps wonderfully. At first we had to be aware on his head not flopping nor letting his chin rest on his chest- and the chiropractor advised us not to let him slouch or let his head cock to a side for long periods- but other than that, he prefers the swing and sleeps better at the start of each night.

You may find one like this on craigslist or a consignment shop...you can just was the seat cover! I ahve tried other less expensive one and they didn't seem to like them as much...less cozy, less comfy and not as many features that the babies love...

She can stay in the swing until she tries to pull herself out of it. I would get one that has a plug for an outlet (I have the Fisher-Price rainforest swing)otherwise you will be replacing batteries all the time.

I love the FP swings. I had one for both of my girls. Her weight will slow down. For example, my daughter is 17 mos old and does not weight 25 lbs yet, however, she was over the swing months ago. Chances are she too will be over the swing before she is actually too big:) Go to Babies R Us, Target or wherever and check 'em out. You can always go to consignment stores. Believe it or not they have great things and lots of times they look brand new. I wish I would have thought to look in consignment stores before my second child was born!

Good luck!!

We had a FP swing that was a lifesaver. It swung from side to side, had music, heartbeat sounds, and an aquarium mobile. Our son is 5 now, so I think that they make a similar one with a different theme. It was the most expensive at the time, but we agreed with the reviews that it was worth every penny. Our son loved it, especially on high speed with heartbeat. I hate to admit it, but sometimes it was the only way he would sleep again when he woke in the middle of the night. At times he would sleep in it for four hours. Of course, we'd turn it off after he was sleeping soundly. We found that it could handle a bit more than 25 pds, but we didn't need it when he got to that size. By the way, we had a vibrating bouncy seat that worked well for an occasional nap too. Good luck!

Truthfully, babies can really only use a swing for a short time. By the time they outgrow it they are don't need it or are not interested in it. So my suggestion is to borrow one from a friend or go to a consignment shop. If you do purchase a new one; the basic models are sufficient. I borrowed a basic model(with a hand crank) from a friend.(Didn't need one for my older son.) My fussy daughter needed something and the swing was the answer. She was content and would nap. And I was actually able to eat dinner with my son and husband!

I really liked the FP plug in swing. I never worried about batteries. However I had to put it away at 4 months because she would sit up in it and stop it from moving. She is a very strong child.

Hi D.,
Both my grandaughter's were poor sleepers and my daughter was exhausted most of the time wishing and hoping for MORE than 1-2 hours sleep. They BOTH would wake up...and did NOT want anything to do with a cradle or a crib. HOWEVER...with the second little girl we noticed how the motion of the swing zonked her right out and we thought....how bout having her NAP in the swing! And eventually my daughter put her "down for the night' ....in the SWING. She would sleep until it was time to nurse and my daughter was getting 3-4 hours of continued sleep herself. Many times she would sleep as long as 5 hours, would wake, be nursed, and than go back in the swing. The swing was set up in their master bedroom. We all soon LOVED that swing! The baby was in the swing for about 5 months and we wished we had discovered the miracle of the SWING with baby number one. Also....you mentioned the size of your child. She is very small compared to my little chunk and i think yours could safely swing for many months. You'll know when she doesn't fit.
I hope this helps. Nana J.

Hello D., my swing was the greatest baby shower item I've received. Make sure you'll get one with a plug option (not the batteries only) Even if your daughter will the swing for few months its definitelly a must. If you want to save some money, check out consignment places for half of the price.

My daughter is 8 1/2 mo. and although not over 25 lbs, is basically too big for the swing. We have the Fisher Price Rainforest one (tan). I have put her in it recently (for fussy time) and her feet stick out of it. Also, she can reach and grab the overhead leaves & butterflies.
I think not only has she outgrown the swing size-wise, also age-wise. It served its purpose and will go in the attic soon.
It was well worth it when she was younger! Oh, and she liked the front to back swinging best (so any swing would have worked), but have heard some babies only like side to side so getting a dual direction one is best???

When I was raising my babies, I was only able to use the swing until 8-9 months...but now I am working in the church nursery and we are still using swings for babies up to about 12-13 months. These swings are almost like a papason (sp?) chair that an adult would use. They conform to the baby's body and almost "snuggle" them. I am not sure what company makes them, but they are great!

You've already got some great responses, I used teh papasan swing for my daughter too and while she is in the 97 percentile for size and only used the swing mayeb 4 months, it dont know how i woulve gotten through those 4 months without it.

Also, babies dont use ANYTHING long, not jsut swings. Check out your local "Once Upon a Child" or used baby item store who will sell you a used one that looks new (as most baby stuff does becuase it is not used for long) for less than 1/2 price of a new one usually. Then when you are done, take it back and sell it back to them!!

@}~>~~

I love the swing that we bought for our first child. It is the Fisher Price Power Plus swing. It first was introduced shortly after he was born. I love it because it runs on electricity, but you could put batteries in it too if you want to take it somewhere. It folds up fairly small for storage. I am expecting my second baby and am looking forward to using it again!

Check out the 3 in 1 Fisher Price swing! It has the advantage of holding up to 30+ pounds. My 2 year old still swings in it (for fun)...but my daughter was very big & she weighs 26 pounds at 10 months & is still great in it. It starts out as a "seat", then can be used in the swing frame & finally as a toddler rocker. It is a fabulous buy!

D....my baby girl sleeps in her swing ALOT during the day...Most likely by the time she is to heavy for the swing she wont need it anyways..There great for naps...

I was lucky enough that my son would go to sleep without a swing, but I had a swing and a bouncy seat with vibrations on it. Both would help him fall asleep, but he would wake up 5-10 minutes after the vibrations or swinging stopped. I had a friend that had the rainforest swing. It changes direction and also can run on batteries or plug into the wall. That is a BIG deal. Also, my son is 1 yr now and only weighs 19lbs. so he could still use the swing if it was needed.
When my son was in daycare they would put the kids in the swings for naps and it seemed to work really well.
Good luck!