You guys, I am SO excited to share with you all this blog post!
Motherhood has taught me so much, and probably the biggest eye opener was to expect the unexpected! We all have these ideals and fantasies when we picture having babies of how things will go and sometimes it just isn’t so. For example, I always thought my baby would take a bottle and breastfeed. Well two months into her life she decided that’s enough bottles for her and has refused one ever since. Another thing I swore I’d NEVER do was co sleep. And here we are co sleeping. For the first 5 or so months of her life she slept in a bassinet that allowed me to swivel it on top of the bed next to me. Once she outgrew that I created a safe sleep environment on the bed beside me. But the older and more aware she became of her surroundings I found myself not being able to get up or move without disturbing her as we were usually glued to one another. She started waking up more throughout the night because of my movements and something needed to change. I started following Dockatot’s Instagram page and asking my girlfriends who had already bought one if it worked for them. They all raved about how it was a life saver. One night I saw a friend of mine post a picture on Facebook of her sharing a movie night and wine with her husband while their son slept away in his Dockatot. At that moment I knew I had to try it.
Sizes: Dockatot’s come in two sizes. The Deluxe is for 0-8 months and the Grand is for 9-36 months. Luckily our daughter is 9 months old so we were able to start with the Grand! The Dockatot arrived super quick and came very well packaged, so immediately it was a great first impression. There was nothing difficult about unboxing it or confusing. One thing to note however is there is a strap at the bottom that comes done up, which should always be undone when it is in use by your child. But there are clear and obvious instructions stating that of course.
The design: I am a super paranoid person when it comes to children sleeping, hence why I keep my daughter so close to me. One worry I honestly had about Dockatot was the how breathable it was even though it is advertised as totally safe. My friends had reassured me that they stuck their face up right against their docks to test it and it was fine, so of course as soon as I got ours I had to try it out for myself. And yes, it’s totally breathable fabric. It’s also an ideal micro-climate for babies and tots. Handmade in Europe, designed in Sweden the Dockatot is made out of all natural 100 % cotton which I absolutely love. I also found out it’s OEKO-TEX certified which I honestly had no idea what that meant, but essentially it’s a independent company that tests and certifies the end to end process for textile products. Bonus!
Is it worth the cost?: I would say simply, YES. While I understand they can be pricey I guess it comes down to if you need one or if your current sleep situation is working. Looking back, I definitely wish I had started my daughter with the Dockatot Deluxe and immediately transitioned her to the Dockatot Grand. In my opinion, my sleep is invaluable so the price is worth every penny. Because my daughter had gotten used to my body warmth all night and nursing on demand there were a few times each night in the beginning where she would startle sleeping alone in the dock, but because the sides are high like a little nest it gave her that sense of comfort that mamas still there. When she would startle and search for me she would just hug the side thinking it was me.
Now that she’s gotten used to it she wakes up far less because she’s in her own little environment in our bed, and an even safer environment I might add. I love knowing that when we are ready (more like when I am ready) to move her to her bedroom, her dock will just transition with her creating a safe little comfortable toddler bed that she’s already used too.
Another justification for the price I found is that it’s not only a co sleeper but a playtime lounger for when she’s just hanging out or watching TV on the floor. She loves to cuddle in it! And of course the fact that she can sleep in this lounger anywhere. She’s able to transition to new sleeping environments when we travel easier because her bed theoretically doesn’t change. She even has a better bed than us for when we go camping now! Hmm, can we get these in adult size? But seriously, imagine having one of these pregnant?! It would be the best thing ever being able to spoon the sides. Anyways, back to the review. Oh, I should add if you plan to have more than one child too then the price definitely justifies itself. I see so many mamas using the Dockatot Deluxe for tummy time. My daughter absolutely hated tummy time so I wish I could go back and try the dock for that too.
All in all, the reviews and hype you’ve heard from everyone else about Dockatot is pretty accurate in my opinion! I am glad to have finally joined the Dockatot family and if you decide to give it a go you can use the following link to receive 10$ off your purchase.
*Note, I may be compensated for purchases made through this affiliate link*.
Do you own a Dockatot in your home?! Does anyone else out there co sleep? I would love to hear your thoughts!
