Pros and Cons of a Baby Swing

Before having our first baby, my sister-in-law said that one of the only things she bought new was a baby swing for her little girl. I was impressed and a little intrigued that she would spend money to buy a new swing when she does not tend to spend money. Most new moms will list a baby swing as something they need on their registry. After borrowing one, being given one, and buying one, I feel like I have had a lot of pros and cons of having different baby swings for my little ones.

Pros of a Baby Swing

1. You have a place to put your baby down that is safe. The worst time of day is around dinner! With a swing near the kitchen, the baby does better sitting in the swing, rocking back and forth, than being near a hot stove!
2. The swing becomes an extra pair of arms. Even though your baby usually weighs only a couple of pounds, your arms start hurting.  
3. They can soothe your baby. More often than not, when my babies were super fussy, a rocking motion would calm them down. If your little one falls asleep in the car, they probably will love a swing.
4.  If your baby is sick with a cold, a swing helps elevate them so they can breathe. It is not recommended that your baby sleeps in the swing without supervision. But it is very nice to have somewhere to put a child who cannot breathe when laid flat. My second baby came down with a terrible cough and cold. There was nothing I could do for him. I quickly discovered that the swing was one of the only places that soothed him to sleep. It was a lifesaver.
5. A swing can be perfect entertainment for yard work. There have been many days when it would be dangerous for my baby to be in a baby backpack. Lifting heavy objects and working with power tools is not a good idea when a baby is attached to you. The swing plugged in outside while I work; has been the best thing.

Cons of a Baby Swing

1. Some babies hate swinging. My oldest two kids loved falling asleep in their swing, but my third child hates it! Is it worth the money to find out that your little one dislikes it?
2. Even the small swings take up a lot of room. The size of the swing can be as big as a recliner as far as taking up the floor space. The one I have now still takes up more room than two kitchen chairs would take up on the floor. Keep in mind babies can take up a lot of space.
3. The swing itself gets dirty. No matter how clean your baby is, they still spit up and blow out of diapers. Which makes a big mess. Washing the swing cover is kind of a pain!
4. The mobile gets in the way. With your baby being so young, they can barely see the mobile. It is more for decorating than the baby. They are cute until you try and get the baby in and out of the swing, and it keeps smacking them in the face. Maybe it is just me. But when your baby is crying, and you try to pick them up to soothe them. Getting tangled with a face full of monkeys and hedgehogs does not help the situation.
5. All of the music is annoying. Do you know the annoying robot-sounding songs? Yes! Most swings only play them. They sound as though the batteries are running low. Then what makes it worse is it plays the same three songs over and over! No sleep and off-tone music. The joys! Haha
6. If you leave your baby swinging too long every day, they can develop Plagiocephaly.  My second baby was diagnosed with plagiocephaly when he was two months old. I did not know that he became worse the longer we left him in the swing. This is something to consider when keeping your little one in the same spot for longer than an hour.
7. The swing becomes a big toy for the older kids. If you have older kids, the swing becomes a main attraction. They do not want to miss out on having an indoor swing. I often find my two-year-old trying to sit in the swing. Or give our six-week-old an underdog. It is hard to help them understand it is not like the park swing. Multiple moms have told me they have the same problem. The hard part is it is not meant for a 40-pound child to sit in the swing, so I often worry it will break.
8. The swings we have had do not support the baby's head. The three swings we have had in the past do not support a newborn's head at all. Our portable ones look so awkward unless we prop them up. The frustrating part is by the time my baby has enough strength in their neck to hold up their head. They can roll out of the swing.
9. They grow out of them fast! Like a bassinet, you can only use a swing until the baby weighs too much before it is unsafe. If your babies are like mine, it does not take long before the swing will not swing because the child is too heavy.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah