Before I share my experience, it is important for all mothers to read DockATot’s disclaimer:
Health Canada has recently taken the position that all products which may be used in relation to child sleep in Canada must comply with the Canadian regulations for cribs, cradles, or bassinets, regardless of whether the products are actually intended to be cribs, cradles or bassinets.
The [DockATot / Sleepyhead] is neither a bassinet, crib nor cradle and was not designed to be used as so. In order to be a bassinet, the Canadian regulations require that the product have the following characteristics:
(a) sides that are high;
(b) rigid base
The [DockATot / Sleepyhead] is intended for supervised lounging, cuddling and playtime. Our product is designed to allow the baby a wide field of vision and to facilitate parent/child interaction, which a bassinet does not offer.We are continuing to work toward a resolution with Health Canada.
When I had Tristan and spent hours going through forums researching the best ‘sleep aid’, DockATot always popped up and mothers shared stories of how the DockATot changed their life. The price point for DockATot is definitely high, but everyone who uses it says its worth every penny. After doing more research, I realized the DockATot wasn’t recommended as a sleep aid, so I abandoned their idea of getting one.
When I had Amber, there were moments (way too often) when I had to hold both Amber AND Tristan in my arms. Tristan is usually very independent, but when he sees me holding Amber for extended periods of time, he get jealous and wants to be held too. The first few minutes were usually pretty fun… cuddling and smiling, but once one starts being fussy and the other starts crying, it honestly feels like a living nightmare. One day when we were over at Evanna’s house for Ariya’s 1 year old birthday party, she had a DockATot in her living room and I decided to put Amber in it. She was a little less than 5 months old so her neck and back were sturdy but by no means strong enough to sit up. We placed her in the DockATot and she was very happy in it. Because she was somewhat cradled, she was able to lie in it for extended period of time without feeling insecure. I was able to watch her from the sofa where my hands were free to eat (SUPER IMPORTANT). At that moment, I knew I had to get a DockATot to gain back some freedom throughout the day.
Because of the recent Health Canada ‘disclaimer’, I couldn’t find any DockATot’s in-store or online that would ship to Canada so I had to make a trip across the borders to pick one up. Now that we’ve been using it for about 2 months, I gotta say it did make our lives a lot easier. Amber is a bit on the bigger side, so she quickly outgrown the Bumbo and her bouncy chairs flip forward when she leans. The DockATot Grand is able to give her the support to sit up (or cushions her when she falls), and gives me the reassurance that she’s not going to do another face plant on the floor. The DockATot Grand is also very spacious so Tristan could hang out with his sister in this lounger.
During this time, we’ve made an overnight road trip and several visits to the inlaws for dinner. The carrying bag that came with the DockATot made it easy to travel with, but the size is still quite big so we probably won’t be taking it with us if the trip involved flights. Although Amber doesn’t sleep in the DockATot, we let her spend about 20 minutes in it to wind-down before going bed when we are away from home. We found the DockATot gave her the sense of familiarity and security that she needed to prep her for a good night sleep in a foreign place. In addition, Amber and Tristan really enjoy spending time together in the DockATot… not sure what the magic is. Overall, I highly recommend this product and hope they will be available in Canada again soon.
*This is a sponsored post but the review is all my opinion
If you want to learn more about the DockATot, please visit their WEBSITE.
If you want to read about Ev’s full review on the DockATot Delux, please visit HERE
If you have a DockATot and want to share your experience, please leave us a comment!
Thank you for reading.
