Review: Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Portable Rocker

Before giving birth to Baby V, our baby shopping list consisted of a bouncer. From my understanding, babies from a few weeks old like to lie at a slightly inclined angle to observe things around them and interact with their family. However, a bouncer would only serve its purpose until the baby starts to roll over at a few months old, so I was hesitant to get one.

A few hours of surfing the Internet led me to the Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Portable Rocker, which could serve as a rocker (similar to a bouncer) and a chair. Bravo! When it was on sale, we grabbed one (cannot recall the price though) before it flew off the shelf.

For Play

When Baby V was about three weeks old, I placed him in the rocker for an hour of interactive play during the day. This helped to keep him awake for a while so that he can reserve more sleeping time for the night.

For Freeing Hands

In the early months, the rocker was a good place to keep Baby V entertained (with the toy bar) while being securely strapped up. This freed my hands to take a quick shower with him in sight, since the lightweight rocker could be placed just outside the bathroom. In such situations, I convert it into a chair so that it is more stable.

For Cosy Naps

Initially, Baby V slept in his cot — with natural light and household noise going on during the day. Then, he became as stubborn as a bull (suits his Chinese horoscope exactly) and INSISTED on being carried and rocked to sleep for every nap and at night.

From 10 weeks old, he became very alert and interested in EVERYTHING in the bedroom and started resisting naps (even though he was obviously tired) to the extent that I spent more than five hours coaxing him until he finally closed his peepers. It was extremely tiring carrying a fussy, screaming 5kg baby for that long since I was his sole caregiver. At times, I felt like going mad! After spending all those hours putting the Baby Bull to sleep, he woke up after about 45 minutes.

The No Cry-Nap Solution assured me that it was fine to rock as baby to sleep, as long as he (and I) rested. Therefore, I started rocking Baby V to sleep in the rocker (without the toy bar) for one nap a day. When he stirred during sleep cycle changes, I rocked him gently (using my feet while I read or surfed the Internet) or switched on the vibrator for a few minutes and he could nap for up to 2 hours! I finally had some freedom back.

Kept Away Until Baby Becomes A Toddler

After Baby V could roll over at five months old, he preferred freedom over being strapped up in the rocker. Thus, we kept it away; it’s foldable for easy storage. When the boy grows older, he could still use it as a recliner chair for reading. No wonder this rocker is so popular among parents!

Update on 27 Oct 2011: I took this rocker out before baby #2 arrives. Now, Vee loves to strap himself onto this “special chair” for his flashcards session. I certainly hope he’d share this chair with his baby brother!

Pros:

  • Long usage span: up to 18kg (40lbs) toddler
  • Vibration function helps fussy newborn baby take long cosy naps
  • Easy to wash: fabric is machine-washable
  • Foldable for storage and portability

Cons:

  • Legs of the chair may fold inwards easily when pulling it
  • Cannot be used when babies start rolling over and prefer to sit upright over a reclined position (at about 5 months old)
  • Battery for one of the toys in the toy bar cannot be replaced (Duh!)

Get Your Own

Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Portable Rocker is available in major departmental and baby stores.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Fisher-Price Newborn-To-Toddler Portable Rocker*

*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

13 thoughts on “Review: Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Portable Rocker”

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  4. Hi, i want to wash the cover but i found out that i cannot take out the hard board that is inside the cover. then how u going to put the whole cover including the hard board in the washing machine? thanks.

      1. Thanks for your reply. I will do the washing now then 🙂 Congratulation on your pregnancy! I’m 15 weeks pregnant now and it’s my 2nd bb too. My first daughter is only 18 months old. I’m looking for someone who can help to bath my daughter as i’m a sahm but just have to do them all myself..no choice.. hehe..

      2. Congratulations to you too, Tity! I simply let hubby bath together with Vee after his work. If he’s outstation or works too late, then I got to do it. Quite squashed to have a preggie mum and toddler in bath tub in the bathroom.

  5. Hi! My girl is exactly the same — She is 12 weeks now and insists on being carried or rocked to sleep. Some days it’s impossible for me to put her down for a nap because my arms get so tired of carrying her. I wanted to ask, how did you manage to get your baby to nap once he outgrew the bouncy chair? I’m worried that if I start her on the bouncy chair, she won’t be able to fall asleep once she outgrows it.

    1. Hi JH, I used various ways to let my fussy baby Vee nap. Morning nap with me in bed (suckled whenever needed), 1 nap in rocking chair or hammock (aka sarong), 1 nap in sarong sling. This way, he didn’t got “addicted” to only 1 sleeping method. When he grew older, I managed to carry and bounce him till asleep, then place on bed.

      If he tried to wake up after 30-45 min, I quickly helped him go back to sleep (carry / nurse / pat, whatever works). Eventually, he started falling asleep by himself and sleeping through his 2-hour nap, at 18 months old. Better late than never. He’s a rare case of fussy sleeper.

      You may get more ideas from Elizabeth Pantley’s books because every baby is different.
      https://www.mummysreviews.com/tag/elizabeth-pantley

      Also my article that summaries some ideas:
      https://www.mummysreviews.com/2010/05/31/sleep-solutions-for-my-fussy-baby/

  6. Hi thank you for this review my baby is 4 months old now, I didn’t buy rocker for my baby she has a nanny but then I realize I need to buy this so because she is already heavy but as I have read your review I’m starting to doubt it. I’m confused now.

    1. This rocker is good until my boys start learning to sit up at about 5-6 months old. Then I need to store it away until they are at least a toddler who can climb in and out of it safely.

      4 months old may be a bit late to buy this rocker. Try letting baby nap in the cot or a mattress. When awake, baby can play under a baby play-gym, both on back and on tummy. She’ll also be rolling and crawling very soon.

  7. i love my rocker it’s so handy and the way it folds i take it everywhere for my two sons but I’ve lost my toy gym off the front during a shift does anyone know where i can get a new one

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