Want to calm baby on the go? Check out the Lullabuddy, created in Birmingham

I’ll admit it–I’ve been facing a conundrum lately. My 14-month-old is going into a full-on revolt when I put him in his carseat. I’m sure other parents can relate. So when I heard about a potential portable soothing option for baby, the Lullabuddy, I had to investigate. Here’s more about this musical gadget and the Birmingham resident who created it, Mae Robertson.

The Background: Why I Tried the Lullabuddy

As I mentioned above, my toddler has developed a severe aversion to his car seat. My guess is he’d rather be running around than be strapped into a seat in the back of my car–how boring that must be. 

My son’s relationship with the car seat used to be hunky-dory. The car seat meant a nap for him and quiet time for momma. These days, however, it’s as though the car seat has turned into some sort of medieval torture device in his mind. Once he realizes it’s time to go for a ride, screaming, kicking, writhing and crying ensue.

How can I solve this? Unfortunately for me, my car is old, the CD player is broken and there’s no option to connect a phone to the speakers. Once I wrangle my son into the seat, I typically start belting out my go-to: “Baby Shark.” This may work for a few minutes, but after the sixth or seventh serenade, little man is over it. Maybe it’s my singing voice, but I don’t know what to do. (Do do do do do do.) 

This is where the Lullabuddy comes in.

The Lullabuddy: How It Works

The Lullabuddy is a small musical device that is preloaded with beautiful lullabies. It’s super easy to use–all you have to do is turn it on, and the music starts playing. You can set a timer for an hour or play it as long as you want (or until it needs a charge). It’s also a Bluetooth speaker, so you can play your favorites (Baby Shark?!) too. You can use it on the go or for nap time and bedtime at home. 

Mae Robertson & The Idea of The Lullabuddy

The songs are all recorded by Mae Robertson, who is an impressive singer to say the least (she has the awards to show for it). Her voice is so soothing, y’all. Mae also happens to be a Birmingham native. After living in New York City and its suburbs, where she pursued a singing career and opened a children’s store, Mae and her husband moved back home to Bham.

The idea for the Lullabuddy came to Mae after her second grandchild was born.

“When my second grandbaby was hospitalized, we set up an iPad and speaker to mute the noises in the hospital. The nurses were all saying they wished they could have music like this. I thought, ‘It shouldn’t be hard to make a speaker with lullabies preloaded.’”

The Songs

You’ll recognize classic lullabies, notable singer-songwriter tunes and more on the Lullabuddy. The songs are from albums Mae has recorded over the years. My personal fave is “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” It reminds me of my childhood watching Disney’s “Cinderella.” 

Putting the Lullabuddy to the Test 

When I picked my son up from daycare earlier this week, I brought the Lullabuddy with me. Per usual, my son was not cool with the car seat at first. But then I turned on the Lullabuddy, and Mae’s rendition of “What a Wonderful World” stopped him in his tracks. I think he was just as intrigued by the tiny silver speaker as Mae’s lovely voice. We both enjoyed our car ride home. I’m sure other battles over the car seat are on the horizon, but I think I won this one. 

The Benefits of Lullabies

As it turns out, there are a host of benefits to lullabies even beyond calming baby down. These include:

• Decreasing stress
• Stimulating language development
• Improving memory and attention span

Mae is most proud of the fact that Lullabuddy’s can now be found in NICUs across the country, including at Children’s of Alabama right here at home! 

Sing Those Tunes

Even if you don’t have an award-winning voice like Mae, you should still be singing those lullabies, too.

“It’s important for parents to sing to their kids and for babies to hear music. If they can learn lullabies from me or sing along with the Lullabuddy, and if I can make that easy, that’s great.”

Mae Robertson

Where to Find It

If you’d like to try a Lullabuddy for yourself, head over to A’Mano in Mountain Brook or Once Upon a Time in Homewood and Crestline. You can also purchase it on the Lullabuddy website or on Amazon. It might take a little bit of stress out of this holiday season for both you and baby.

Happy singing, Birmingham!