Baby Hammocks # 2

[hissychick]

...can it be done?

Hi there, I'm a long time lurker and first time poster who is having lots of fun and games getting DD#2- a very alert, light sleeping bub- to go to sleep and stay asleep during the day. We're talking 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, followed up with hysteria from overtiredness at the end of the day. You know the drill.

Anyway her preferred method of falling asleep is wrapped and upright against me whilst being patted on her bottom. Which I am quite happy to do...except I have DD#1 who is 2 and a half and needs her mummy's attention and hands to be free too.

So I have pulled out my Amby hammock, which unfortunately hadn't been a success with DD#1. To cut a long story short, this morning I popped DD#2 in and gently bounced her. She grew hysterical until I picked her up and patted her to sleep before popping her back in.

My questions are:
1. Do you think it is possible to make the transition to the hammock at twelve weeks or am I too late? How long should I persist?

2. Should I try both day and nighttime sleeps in the hammock at once or daytime only?

3. During the day when you hear your bubs stirring do you go in and give the hammock a bounce before they wake up, or do you allow bubs to attempt to resettle themselves first?

Thanks in advance for you help.

ETA: Awake after twenty minutes and grizzling....

[~Trish~]

Hi hissychick, I know what it's like! My DS used to only sleep in the day if I held him, otherwise he would wake after 10 minutes or so in his cradle. We bought him a hammock when he was 10 weeks old and it took him next to no time to get used to it. I used to bounce him for a while until he dropped off to sleep. It sounds like it is harder for you as your DD gets hysterical, but I think it is worth persevering with. Our hammock changed our lives!

We only used the hammock for daytime sleeps, but it was great to pop him into it in the middle of the night when he was unsettled. It is up to you whether you want to use it for daytime/nighttime sleeps, it doesn't do them any harm if they are in it all the time and there are no reports of SIDS with any baby in an Amby hammock (that's what I read anyway).

In answer to your third question, I personally used to go in as soon as I heard my DS stir and bounce him back to sleep in the beginning because he wouldn't self-settle and would get too worked up to go back to sleep. Eventually he learned to bounce himself back to sleep!

I wish you all the best with getting your bub used to the hammock!

Trish

[Lucy]

Hissychick........

Long time lurker....lovely to see you pop up!

The upright thing.......sounds very like Miss Olivia in the early months.

As you know, I am a fan of the hammock, so I would say go for it.....try it for a week or see and see?

Do you have a wrap/sling/BabyBjorn/HAB? If so, could you pop Miss Freshie in there, pat her off to sleep (whilst doing jobs/seeing to Miss Frosty etc), then transfer a sleeping baby to the hammock? Would that work d'you think? (It worked a charm for Olivia in the early months..........)

Good luck sweets. xx

[hissychick]

Thanks for your replies Lucy and Trish.

I am pleased to report that after an initial grizzle at the 20 minute mark my little miss proceeded to take a THREE HOUR nap! She is also still asleep after going down for what is usually her 5pm ish post BF catnap.

Looks like we might be skipping a feed and bath tonight but clearly she has needed the sleep!

I think i will definitely keep persisting with the hammock for now...I'm even game to try overnight provided little miss doesn't pull her wrap up over her face. Hopefully she will learn to settle to sleep in the hammock over the next few days. Otherwise I'll stick to the pat to sleep/sling to sleep as you suggested Lucy (and yes we must catch up!).

Cheers
Em

[Lucy]

WoooHoooo! That is great news........bet you were at a loss to know what to do with the time as she napped the day away! (Or maybe not, depending on what Miss Frosty was up to?!)

That is great news....hope the long naps continue and that you start getting some long and blissful night sleeps too.....

[hissychick]

It's me again.....

I'm pleased to report that little miss is sleeping really well at night in the hammock but only after taking ages to settle. I'm pretty sure this is thanks to going back to her usual catnapping nonsense during the day (the Friday 3 hr sleep was sadly a one off). How do I stop this catnapping without tears, on my own and without having to spend ages resettling at the expense of time with my two year old?

Also...how do you stop your little ones from slipping down in the hammock and dragging their wraps up close to their face?

HELP!