Tucker Wedge / Tucker Sling

Reflux wedge/sling

DISCLAIMER:  The following is an account of my personal experience with this product.  It is not intended to be a recommendation or an endorsement.  No guarantees are made that you will have the same experience or results with this product.  Please read the "Product Disclaimer" section of the Terms of Use for more information.

From the Manufacturer:

The Tucker Sling (U.S. Patent #4,989,286 Re 34,763) is a one-piece positioning system used to support babies in an elevated position. The Tucker Sling attaches to a mattress like a fitted sheet. The baby is held firmly in place with adjustable Velcro straps, which allow for easy access.

Note from InfantReflux.Org:  There is also a reflux wedge/sling combo in addition to the crib mattress sling.

When Riley's untreated reflux was at its peak, he would scream for hours on end at night.  When I first started doing research on the Internet for infant reflux, I kept running across information on the Tucker Reflux Wedge/Sling.  I was so desperate for answers and solutions that I was very interested in the idea of the wedge/sling, but I was hesitant to spend the money.  The Tucker Sling was more expensive than the positioning systems I could buy from my local baby store.

So I decided to give the cheaper options a try.  I first tried the positioner to keep Riley on his side.  Even though he was still little and not rolling over yet, somehow he would manage to end up on his back.  Next I tried a crib wedge.  Riley would just roll off of it into an unnatural and unsafe position.  I really wasted my money on these products.

In the meantime, we were starting the trial and error process for medicines.  We were starting to see a happier baby during the day, but the nighttime was still a struggle.  Even if Riley did sleep during the night, he would wake up in a pool of spit-up.

When Riley was almost 3 months old, he woke up in the bassinet and was laying in spit-up.  Every morning he would wake up wheezing.  He was wheezing particularly hard this morning.  It was the final straw.  I knew I just had to get the Tucker Sling and give it a try.  I was willing to take a chance on anything at this point, regardless of the cost.  I immediately found the information and ordered the sling and the wedge.  I decided to order the wedge because we could keep Riley in our room on the wedge and we could also take it with us if we spent the night away from home.

The sling arrived and it was so easy to start using.  All we had to do was slip the sling over the wedge and we were ready to go.  The wedge and the sling were all made of very durable, but very soft materials.  The heavy-duty velcro and the safety strap easily kept Riley in place.  Here is a picture of Riley on the wedge the first night:

Ah! - Peace!

Riley wasn't sure what to make of it at first.  I don't think he was too sure about being wrapped up, but it wasn't long before he fell in love with it and would fall asleep as soon as we put him on the wedge. 

Just a couple of weeks later, I have in my journal that he slept from 10 PM to 4 AM.  This was a huge deal considering he was screaming all night just a few weeks before.

The wedge was too big for our bassinet, but luckily we have a King-size bed and the wedge fit between me and my husband.  Yes, we slept like a sardines for several months, but believe me, it was worth it!

Notice that Riley is sleeping on his stomach.  What this picture doesn't show is that Riley had been sleeping with an apnea monitor since he was 2 months old for the purpose of allowing him to sleep on his stomach.  DO NOT put your child to sleep on their stomach without consulting your doctor.  This was the only way Riley would sleep and because he was a preemie, I was able to get the monitor approved pretty easily.  Now, Garrett was another story....( keep reading ).

Riley slept on the wedge, with the apnea monitor, in our bed until he was almost 6 months old!  When he was 6 months old, we moved him, the monitor and the wedge into his crib.  Here is Riley is in crib:

What a big boy!

As you can see, he was really starting to outgrow the wedge at this point.  ( You can also see the cord for the apnea monitor in this picture. )  We kept him on the wedge for a few days to get him used to the crib.  We then took him off the wedge and had him sleep on his stomach with the apnea monitor.  When he was almost 7 months old, Riley's doctor took him off the monitor and we put him on his back to sleep.  I was terrified!  I got up many times to check on him for the first few nights.  I had gotten used to sleeping soundly knowing the monitor would alarm if anything was wrong.  Now I was back to sleepless nights worried sick!  But that didn't last long.  I finally realized he was going to be fine. 

When we needed it most, the Tucker Wedge/Sling was a life-saver.  We were so grateful to have found this product.  Even though Riley was being treated with Prilosec, it still didn't address the fact that he was still spitting up at night.  The wedge put him at the perfect angle so that if he did spit up during the night, it didn't come up into the back of his throat to disturb him.  The sling mechanism held him in place so that he did not roll off into an unsafe position.  And it came in SO handy when we got brave enough to go out of town.  We took the wedge with us and there was no need for a crib or a playyard.

So I mentioned above that Garrett was another story.  When Garrett came along, he did not seem to have reflux as severely as Riley did.  But when Garrett was a month old, we finally reached a point one night that he did not sleep a wink and screamed all night.  We took him to the doctor the next day and we were told there really wasn't anything else that could be done.  I told the doctor the only way Garrett would sleep was on his stomach.  She said that sleeping on his stomach was not the right way for him to sleep.  I broke down in tears.  My mom asked about using the monitor you can buy at the baby store.  I guess between my breakdown and the doctor's fear that we would use the store-bought product, she agreed to see if the insurance company would cover the monitor.  Fortunately for us, they did.

Garrett's monitor was delivered that afternoon and that night he slept *5* hours straight!  So he too started the routine of sleeping on an apnea monitor, on the Tucker Wedge/Sling, in our bed!  He was only in our room for a few nights when we moved him from our bed to his crib.  ( We knew this time around that he'd be fine! )  He slept in his crib, on the apnea monitor and the Tucker Wedge/Sling until he was 4 months old.  Here is Garrett on his wedge ( he's signing his Daddy's Father's Day card... ):

Garrett loved the Tucker Wedge/Sling too!

Notice in this picture that Garrett is on his back.  We put him on his back on some occasions and he did well with it.  But for the most part, we kept him on his stomach on the monitor.  Also note that I only have experience with the Wedge/Sling combo.  I have not tried out the sling that fits over a crib mattress.  But the concept of the sling is the same, so I feel like it should work equally as well and you could possibly use it for a longer period of time.  Both of my boys eventually outgrew the wedge in their length ( and weight for Garrett ), but this happened about the time we were ready to transition them off the wedge anyways.  My doctor wanted Riley off the wedge and the monitor at 6 months so he could start rolling over. 

I also do not have experience with my boys sleeping on their side with the sling, but it is possible to position them in the sling in a side-sleeping position.  Some parents have written to me that they did not have luck with the sling and side-sleepers, but I spoke to the manufacturer and they would be glad to help you with instructions on this position.

I know how hesitant I was to buy a product over the Internet without being able to return it, especially considering the cost.  Tucker's website now suggests that their product might be covered by your insurance.  But I know for us, it was worth every penny considering what it did for Riley and the fact that we were able to use it with Garrett as well made it an even sweeter deal.

Ready to order a Tucker Wedge/Sling or want to learn more?  Just click on the banner below and it will take you to the Tucker Designs, Ltd. homepage.  Or click here to fill out a request for more information from Tucker Designs.

NOTICE:  The wedge and sling are non-returnable.   You should also check with your doctor to determine the best and safest position for your child.

Tell them you saw it on InfantReflux.Org! 

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This site was last updated June 20, 2009.  All contents copyright © 2007 InfantReflux.Org.  All rights reserved.