

#Dock a tot cover free#
Their bed should also be free of blankets, pillow, bumpers, etc.


This means not co-sleeping with adults or in baby nests like the DockATot. The safest way for your baby to sleep according to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), you’ll also find similar recommendations in other countries, is flat on their back on a firm surface in their own sleep space. If you make a purchase after clicking one of my links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. What should you use instead? – Dockatot alternatives While the company website claims the item has passed many safety regulations, none of those regulations have anything to do with being a safe place for an infant to sleep! Baby Bargains did a great post that talks more about these safety guidelines it passes. Until they decide otherwise they have banned the sale of such items. The Canadian government is reviewing such products and has released a warning about their use. If you’re in Canada you are actually unable to purchase a DockATot currently. The phrase breathability actually just means that water vapor can pass through, not that you can breathe well through it. I can easily imagine that it would be quite difficult to breathe with one’s face pressed into such fabrics. These products are made of a thicker fabric than that and your baby has a much smaller mouth, nose, and windpipe. I’m guessing you’ll find it makes breathing harder and a bit uncomfortable. Put a thin blanket over your face and try to breathe. Often baby nests and positioners are promoted as being made of “breathable” fabric. If being used to co-sleep (used on an adult bed where parents or other caregivers are also sleeping) an adult could roll onto the side or put their arm on the side causing the “nest” to tilt and the baby to roll into the sides. Your child could roll or turn their head into those soft sides and suffocate.īabies don’t have a lot of head control and can easily get stuck in a position. The danger of the DockATot, and other products similar to the DockATot, often referred to as baby nests, is due to a risk of possible suffocation. Is the DockATot safe?ĭockATot safety issues, as I said, is the main thing that compelled me to write this post. While DockATot is the official product name you will more likely see it online as dockatot, dock a tot, or even baby nest which refers to the larger category of products it’s similar to. They do say not to use the product in a crib, I’m not sure why they think it’s safe to use on an adult bed while co-sleeping but not in their own crib, but these are the warnings the manufacturer gives.

Using this product for sleeping or co-sleeping is where the problems lie. The item is promoted as being for “lounging, supervised napping and tummy time, co-sleeping, changing diapers, cuddling and playing” according to the company website. It has a flat but soft center with large rounded sides. My goal is simply to ensure that you are making an educated decision about what’s best for your family.įor those who are not familiar, a DockATot is a product that resembles an inflatable pool bed. That’s why I’m always compelled to comment and share facts about the risks when I see someone suggesting the use of this and other unsafe products. I don’t want to see someone suffer a tragedy or near-tragedy and not even know that they were taking a risk. Unfortunately, there are moms who are in that small percentage that suffer terrible tragedies. Often, the risk, percentage-wise, is quite low and it’s up to each mom to decide what risks they are willing to take. Yet we often put our children to sleep in unsafe ways. Our parents rode in cars without car seats but most of us wouldn’t consider letting our own children ride in cars this way. There’s a term for it “survival bias”, which occurs when you ignore those that suffered because you personally, or a vast majority did not suffer from a certain behavior. This sort of anecdotal science is however NOT evidence that a product or practice is safe. I’m in a lot of mom groups online and I frequently see people say we did it and my child is fine, which they apparently think is evidence that a product, practice, etc. I’m no fan of mommy shaming but I am a fan of education and the phrase “know better, do better”. Jump to the Frequently Asked Questions section.
