I am all for attachment parenting and do believe that we have too much equipment for babies these days. Entire households seem to be focused on items that allow a parent to get away with little or no physical contact with their little ones. But, at the other end of the spectrum, we have parents (especially Mothers) who are so tired they are ready to drop. There has to be a happy middle path between the two.
One mother stated things very well:
“When my second baby came along, I was totally enthralled with attachment parenting. I would carry her around myself and she even slept with us. By the time she was 6 months old, she had made up her mind to be carried around ALL day. And she was such an alert baby that she hardly slept at all. So, much as I hated having to use a piece of equipment to take care of my long-awaited baby, I succumbed due to sheer, bone-deep exhaustion.”
“I selected a vibrating chair after a lot of research. I had read a whole lot of reviews - some chairs were too ‘bouncy’, and many were battery-hogs. I finally went for a beautiful, blue vibrating chair that also converts to a toddler chair. And it was a surprise: the moment I turned it on and adjusted the position, her eyes sort of half-closed, and in a moment, she was sleeping quietly and peacefully! Because she was getting bigger, I was finding it difficult to carry her around, especially when I had to cook, and do my laundry. I could now safely leave her in her vibrating chair while I carried on with my work. I selected a type of chair that has a strap in the front, much like car seats do. This keeps her safe and I don’t have to worry about her opening the buckle, or wriggling out. I think what makes this product useful is that it’s a rocker, a sleeper, and an extra hand - all rolled into one.”
The main reason why babies like vibrating chairs is that it gives them an indescribable feeling of safety and familiarity. Babies like movement. This is mostly because they have been moving about in a swimming pool until they came out into the world- a very noisy swimming pool at that! Everything that the mother says and does creates a vibration; such as the sound of her voice, her heartbeat, even her breathing. When the baby comes out, he or she enters a silent, stationary world where things are not very familiar. Recreating that familiar world by moving, rocking or vibrating, calms the baby.
The biggest downside to a vibrating chair is the number of batteries it uses – especially if you’re using the chair every day. Consider using rechargeable batteries. They’ll cost you less money and are a better choice for the environment.
A vibrating baby chair can never take the place of the love and warmth of a baby’s parents, but it can help on those days nothing else seems to calm or soothe your baby or when Mom needs some time to cook a meal or take a well deserved break.
