DockATot: Beyond Co-Sleeping

Before our first son was born, my husband and I had some strong feelings about a few things that we would/wouldn’t do as new parents. One of them was co-sleeping. There were a lot of reasons that we decided we wouldn’t co-sleep, and we both agreed on each of them, so for us it was a no-brainer. I should add that while we had made this determination for ourselves, it wasn’t paired with judgment for those parents who do co-sleep. At the time we had plenty of friends and relatives who were co-sleeping and we love and admire each of them. It just wasn’t the choice we made for ourselves, mainly out of fear that it wouldn’t be safe for our baby given our sleep environment.Of course, we had no idea that our baby boy would be colicky, and that the seemingly endless months of struggle we would face learning to do life with a colicky child would make us question everything we thought we knew about parenting. We learned a lot during those early months as first time parents. One of the things we learned was that we often have to flex our expectations in order to meet our baby’s unexpected needs. There were several times in that sea of long sleepless nights filled with inconsolable screaming that I nursed Lincoln for hours upon hours in a half-asleep fog in bed, while Mitchell sat awake in the bedside chair because we were both so afraid of falling asleep with him there. In retrospect, if we’d had a safe co-sleeper like the DockATot, we likely would have used it, and maybe... just maybe, would have gotten a little sleep.

Heading into baby number two, our motto was “no expectations.” We would roll with the punches, we would take each day one at a time, and we would make decisions as we went based on our baby’s needs. I wanted to be prepared for anything, and that’s how the DockATot found its way into our home.

This product has been a staple since the day we brought our dear Holden home from the hospital. Those first few weeks he slept in it exclusively, and still sleeps there most of the time at 8 weeks old. The shape and design creates a comfortable transition from womb to world, subtly hugging baby and creating a safe feeling space. The fabric is all natural, 100% cotton and tested for breathability, giving me more peace of mind about having Holden rest there.

But the DockATot isn’t just a place your baby can rest his or her sleepy head. We use it as a daytime lounger and play mat, too. Because of it’s raised-edge design, I feel comfortable placing Holden there knowing he won’t be rolling out into a less safe situation, and with a busy two year old, I feel like it creates just enough of a boundary to protect Holden from accidental bumps and jabs that big brother may unknowingly deliver. You can check out some of the toy arch and accessories from DockATot here.

This attachable arch is so easy to take on and off, making it convenient to go from sleeper to play mat. I also LOVE the DockATot for tummy time. It provides the perfect amount of support yet encouragement for Holden to strengthen his little muscles.

I appreciate that the cover can be removed and washed easily. My cover is Pristine White, (goes with everything!) but they have so many beautiful covers with modern, trendy designs that you can choose from.

What is possibly my favorite thing about the DockATot is it’s mobility. We travel frequently and packing light is important to us. That is easier said than done with two small children, however! The DockATot is small enough to pack in a suitcase and allows me to omit bringing a second pack-n-play or other sleeper for him since we can simply have him sleep in the DockATot next to us in bed. This is a HUGE plus for us! DockATot also has these convenient travel bags made to safely transport your Dock when you're on the go.  Now if only we had space to pack Oliver, too...

Whether or not you intend to co-sleep, the DockATot is a product that new parents can get a LOT of mileage from. Just whatever you do, don’t tell my toddler they make a Grande size (ages 9-36 months)  - I can barely keep him out of Holden’s!

I received this product from DockATot in exchange for my honest review. All of the words and opinions stated here are my own.