[brainysinglemom]

Hello! I'm a single-mom-to-be who does non-profit work mostly from home. I hope to hold and wear my baby a ton, but I also want to be realistic and I know that doing this on my own, and needing to work some of the day, and hoping to shower and eat every once in a while, I have been feeling like -- much as I hate to get two big heaps of plastic -- that a really good swing, and possibly a bouncer might really save the day (or the 3 a.m.) for me -- especially if I wind up with a colicky/colicky-ish baby. To that end, I would LOVE any and all suggestions about the either/or question (swing and bouncer or just one or the other) and specific recommendations for each.<br><br>
I know so many people have had success with Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block. Do you know if he recommends any specific swing, and/or if Karp followers prefer one swing? This is the swing that looked best to me, but seriously, what do I know? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FGraco-Sweetpeace-Newborn-Soothing-Center%2Fdp%2FB000WIEH2C%2Fref%3Dwl_it_dp_v%3Fie%3DUTF8%26coliid%3DI1KOF5O5RFXH3Z%26colid%3D2HXP6Z13ZFDNF" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Sweetpea...=2HXP6Z13ZFDNF</a><br><br>
I have read that bouncers are best for more active states, when the baby is active but you need to cook, or shower, etc, and swings are better for fussy states or trying to get to or stay asleep. This led me to believe that having both could be very good in my situation. What do y'all think? If so, which bouncer? This seemed like a good one:<br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FFisher-Price-K2564-Rainforest-Bouncer%2Fdp%2FB000I2WB6G%2Fref%3Dsr_1_3%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbaby-products%26qid%3D1251390917%26sr%3D1-3" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-K...1390917&sr=1-3</a><br><br>
I cannot thank you enough for any help or ideas you have!<br><br>
Best,<br>
Julie

 

[~Christina~]

Only one of my kids liked the swing but they all loved the bouncy seat, so for baby #3 we bought the Graco Swing and Bounce. It's a bouncy seat that is removeable from the swing stand. It was nice b/c I didn't have to make room for two separate baby items. DS ended up hating the swing like my youngest DD so we just put the swing frame in the basement after a couple months of it sitting in the living room. All of mine also loved sleeping in the bouncy seat, not just playing in it.

 

[SunShineSally]

My cousin has that bouncy seat and her DD LOVES it! my Ds loved both at different times when tired and crabby he loved the swing it was no fail when I needed a shower and loved the bouncy when he was in a good mood and I needed to eat or dry my hair.<br><br>
Now what I have heard about that swing is that they grow out of it really really fast I researched it because I wanted it also. I bought one of the cradle swings that goes front to back and left to right.

 

[akat]

we had this and it was such a life saver, we got a second one for upstairs. [it was heavy to carry up and down, and i had a c-section] it was the only way i could eat, shower, or, a few desperate times, sleep for a little while.<br><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FFisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Aquarium-Cradle%2Fdp%2FB0006FHFYS" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-O.../dp/B0006FHFYS</a>

 

[StrawberryFields]

I really like the "bouncy seats" that rock and also lay down, like this:<br><br><a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3247576&CAWELAID=295950578" target="_blank">http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...LAID=295950578</a>

 

[Norasmomma]

With DD we just had a cheapie bouncy seat, and never used a swing. She was content with that. I think the thing cost like $20 a Walmart, one of my friends got it for me. I gave it away, but I just got almost the same exact one for free at our local family resource center.

 

[abigail_b]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>akat</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/14296117"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">we had this and it was such a life saver, we got a second one for upstairs. [it was heavy to carry up and down, and i had a c-section] it was the only way i could eat, shower, or, a few desperate times, sleep for a little while.<br><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FFisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Aquarium-Cradle%2Fdp%2FB0006FHFYS" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-O.../dp/B0006FHFYS</a></div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
This is the same one we had for my son. I hadn't planned on using the swing much, but he couldn't nurse to sleep in the beginning (I had overactive letdown and I had to nurse him just as he was waking up - any other time and he would scream)...anyway, he LOVED the swing. It meant instant sleep. Wearing him in a sling or carrier would also put him right to sleep, but he wouldn't stay asleep for long that way. In the swing he would easily sleep for 2 hours (we would turn the swinging off once he was asleep). We actually used it until he was about 6 mos. At first I felt guilty because we are basically very AP-- we co-sleep, lots of babywearing, extended BFing etc, and the swing doesn't seem to fit with all of that. But then I realized that it was in no way interfering with our attachment, it made him happy and me happy, so I stopped worrying about it!

 

[murphysaangel]

I definitely recommend getting both. The swings are awesome for putting baby to sleep as others have said. Whichever you decide, I would recommend geting one that can switch from moving side-to-side to back-and-forth, because some babies prefer one over the other. I think most of the FP ones do that. And the boucy seats are great too - and portable - so you can take them with you to the grandparents' house etc. We even got an extra as a hand-me-down that we took everywhere with us - and as just *one more place* we could set the baby down. It was worth it so that we didn't have to keep moving it from the living room to the computer room, etc.

 

[NekeT]

The bouncer was great for my DD as well. She absolutely loved it and would squeal with delight, so I had no guilt about it. The swing......not so much. She screamed bloody murder everytime we put her in it, but I have friends whose babies loved their swings. You just never know what these babies will like. So you could try both, because I do believe they both serve different purposes, but keep in mind your baby may not necessarily like it. You never know.