Living / 4 October, 2019 / Ellie Thompson
Often described as a non-essential baby item, with two reflux babies, I have to personally disagree. We’ve found having a rocker to be an invaluable tool in soothing both of our babies, who were often very uncomfortable due to reflux and teething.
What’s great about a baby rocker is that the motions resemble the same reassuring sensations your baby would have felt in the womb, which helps to soothe and calm them. Our rocker was a life saver after our daughter’s third lot of vaccines, she was completely inconsolable up until she got plonked in her favourite seat. There’s something about a rocker that’s mesmerising and kind of hypnotic for a baby.
It’s also thought that rockers have developmental benefits, helping baby find and develop their sense of balance.
Arriving in one large box, the brand new Graco All Ways Soother takes a little time to put together, but it’s very straight forward. The seat and inserts are plush and comfy, the base is study, and overall, the product is an attractive one, in neutral colours that won’t look out of place in any room in the house.
The All Ways Soother takes baby rocking to the next level. It’s a flexible, multi-use baby soother, offering eight ways to swing in two directions, giving baby a grand total of 16 different soothing motions. The rocker can move from side to side AND up and down, in a mode that replicates the motions parents use to calm their babies.
There are different buttons on the base to press for the different swing directions – arch, swing, bounce, figure 8, circle, wave, zig-zag and sway. The soother even offers three recline positions depending on baby’s mood. The seat is multi-directional, so baby can see you wherever you are in the room.
The seat rocker is portable, removing easily from the base for use throughout the home.
The All Ways Soother is an attractive product that doesn’t take up too much space, the rocker has been a permanent fixture in our living room since our son was born back in April. We use it daily. Our downstairs living space is open plan, so the rocker is often used as a safe spot to leave baby while washing is pulled out of the machine, dishes are done, or bottles washed and sterilised. Billy is now almost 6 months old, so leaving him anywhere at the moment is fairly tricky, he needs to be strapped in for safety and the Graco soother presents the most ideal solution.
The All Ways Soother is suitable for newborn babies right up to approximately 9 months, or more specifically, 9kg. Billy is still enjoying his rocker at 6 months old, but I think in a couple of months he’ll be on the move, and obsessed with crawling and bouncing, so then it’ll be time swap the rocker for the jumperoo. It’ll be a sad day when we have to say ‘goodbye’ – the end of an era. We’ve found the rocker to be a real investment for both kids, a lifesaver for the first six months to help deal with the stress that reflux pain has brought to the lives of both of our babies.
Highly recommend. You can buy your Graco All Ways Soother from Boots for £200.
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