I won't ever recommend a product to you unless I actually use it myself and love it!  And after having four babies, the Dock-A-Tot is seriously a new mom game-changer!

Let me tell you a little story: While I was pregnant with my first baby, I bought a gorgeous white iron oval-shaped cradle with white lacy bedding that I was so excited to use.  Not long after bringing my sweet baby home, I started to really loathe that cradle... I can't tell you how many nights I battled sleeplessness because I had to rock that heavy cradle to try and keep her asleep.  I felt like a zombie trying to rock it with one arm, then the other arm, and finally my foot, once my arms would fall asleep. And then I would hear her binky fall out of her mouth and land on the mattress or else on the ground... ugh. Get up, get the binky, start all over again. Also, nursing at night was so stressful because I had to stay awake to keep her safe and then when she was done eating, I had to muster up enough energy to get up and take her back to the cradle, then rock her to sleep. 

Newborn life is hard.  Of course it is beautiful and amazing and all of those wonderful feelings but it is really hard too!  And if there is anything out there that exists to ease the transition into "newborn-hood," you better believe I want to tell all the moms out there about it! 

Let me tell you about the Dock-A-Tot. It is a little baby bed that can go right next to you in your bed! It keeps your baby safe and as close to you as possible.  What I wouldn't give to have had a Dock-A-Tot for my other kids!  I started seeing them all over Instagram a few months ago and I was really curious so I did some research - mostly talking to people who had them and why they loved them.  And let me tell you - people are crazy about these things! And now after trying one, I am definitely one of those people!  I received a Dock-A-Tot Deluxe from Dock-A-Tot and I have been so happy with it!  Here are some reasons why I love it:

• I can sleep with my baby safely right next to me.

• Nighttime nursing it soooo much easier! I just feed herm swaddle her in the Ollie World Smarter Swaddler and put her back in the Dock-A-Tot.

• I can comfortably hold her hand or her little binky in until she falls asleep.

• It's always scary with newborns to make sure they are breathing - but with this co-sleeper bed, I can easily check on her anytime throughout the night.

• It has been tested for breathability so our babies are safe.

• It's perfect for supervised "tummy time" - which my kids usually loathe because they have to be flat on the ground but this makes it so much easier!

• I used to have to roll up blankets to prop on the sides of my swaddled babies to make them feel more secure but with the design of the Dock-A-Tot, I don't need to do that anymore. It just cradles their perfect little bodies. And it works a lot better!

And just so you know, they make two different sizes.  The Deluxe is designed for babies ages 0-8 months.  I would highly recommend this size for a newborn - especially if you are going to use it in your bed. My husband and I have a king-size bed and we have the Dock-A-Tot right between us by our heads and it is the perfect size for that. 

The Grand is designed for babies from 9-36 months and is larger than the Deluxe.  It is designed to help babies transition into a toddler bed.  I haven't used this size yet but I am excited to try it when my little girl gets bigger. 

I have yet to ever talk to someone who hasn't had amazing success with the DAT.  I was a little skeptical at first but it is now one of my very favorite items for my baby! I am definitely a believer!

You can learn more about them here.