Why You Absolutely Need The SNOO
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If you’ve never heard of the The SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet, you’re probably not a parent or an expecting parent. Lovingly referred to as simply, “The SNOO” - it is the greatest baby invention since the pacifier (except about 400X more expensive). It has been hailed as a game-changer in the world of baby sleep products, and for good reason.
I was lucky enough to receive The SNOO from my business partners as a baby shower gift (what a gift!). I had been scouring the internet for lower cost options because I couldn’t afford a nearly $1,700 bassinet and I thought the chances of someone gifting one to me were slim to none.
The SNOO can commonly be found on places like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp because of the high resale value. It serves it’s purpose but then you’re done with it and some other new parent is absolutely DYING for one. I had been hunting one down and almost purchased one for ~$800 on Facebook Marketplace. Luck should have it that the gift from my partners arrived the day before I was about to jump on the used Facebook one.
The SNOO is a product from the company; Happiest Baby. The company was started by the author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, Harvey Karp, MD. I talk LOTS about this book in other articles because I LOVE this book and I found it to be the most beneficial reading material a newly expectant parent could consume during their pregnancy. It was life changing for knowing how to handle our daughter when she was born. I like gifting it to every newly expectant parent I know so they can feel as well equipped as we did.
As another option, aside from buying it new or buying it second-hand is renting it! The Happiest Baby offers a somewhat reasonably priced rental option for The SNOO, that allows you to pay on a monthly basis. I would have jumped on the rental option (if I hadn’t been gifted it) if we only planned to have one child. But since we knew we were going for the family-of-4, the rental didn’t seem to make financial sense. At around $160/month and presumably using The SNOO for 5-6 months per baby, we’d be looking at forking out nearly $2,000 across the 2 children. That seemed silly since the cost to buy is less than $2k. But if you’re only planning on one child or if you discovered The SNOO after already having your first baby (or babies) and there’s only 1 baby left to go then renting one totally makes sense. You’d likely be spending around $800-$1,000 depending on how long you use it.
Mila in the SNOO at 2 months old
The beauty of The SNOO is that it gives your baby a mix of 3 of the 5 S’s (gotta read The Happiest Baby on the Block to fully understand this) because it swaddles, swings, and shush’s baby. Even better, it reacts to your babies cries and attempts to send them back to sleep by automatically adjusting the volume of the white noise and the speed of the swaying motion.
I remember thinking it seemed a little aggressive when The SNOO went into reactionary mode and attempted to put Mila back to sleep. The louder she cried, the louder it got and the more violently it rocked her. But when I recalled what comforts babies, based on The Happiest Baby on the Block it all made sense! Not only did it make sense, but it worked! Time after time, she was rocked back to sleep and as she drifted back off to sleep, it would slow and quiet with her and back to its standard level.
The other huge benefit of The SNOO is that it keeps baby on their back, which is the recommended sleep position by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to prevent SIDS. Their custom swaddles are made to secure your baby to the bassinet in a back lying position and prevents the ability for them to roll over onto their stomach.
Photo: Happiest Baby
Additionally, The SNOO connects to an app on your smartphone allowing you to control the volume and movement right from your device without ever entering the room! When we would enter the room and she would see us, it always ruined our chances of getting her back to sleep. When she saw us, she wanted us and got more upset. But allowing The SNOO to do its thing and trusting in the method, she almost always fell back asleep.
Some amazing recent news states that The SNOO just received FDA approval as a medical device that keeps babies on their backs, meaning it “may now spur insurance companies to cover the device as a benefit” (similar to that of a breast pump) which will allow it to be more widely accessible by making it more affordable. The back-lying, secured position was the original intention when they invented The SNOO in hopes of reducing SIDS and is the primary reason the FDA is considering it a medical device and not just a luxury bassinet.
If you have the opportunity, get yourself The SNOO. Not only will it lead to better nights sleep but it wa also provide you the peace of mind that your child is sleeping safely and securely.
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Set your little newborn up with a solid sleep foundation from the get-go!
