hammocks

[LG]

Hi!
I'm just interested to know if anyone has had any experiences with sleeping a new baby in a hammock instead of a crib? Is it safe? I love the look/idea of them and i'm sure DS would've slept much better in one. Do you still wrap baby to sleep in a hammock?
Any information/advice/experiences would be appreciated!! I'm thinking of buying one for #2.
Linds

[christy]

We have just moved Jovie out of her hammock, if it weren't for her squirming and shuffling out the bottom of it we would have kept going.

We loved the hammock. You can still wrap your baby no worries there. You can hire them as well to see if it fits. I bought one however and am now lending it to a friend who is due soon.

[Lucy]

Linds,

I have had all 3 of my babies in a hammock. I totally recommend them.

Olivia was in it from birth, and we where still living in the NT then, so I wrapped her losely in it.......it was tricky becasue whilst it was always HOT, I still wanted to keep her wrapped, so I just used fine muslin. (Olivia was in it until she was around 11 months BTW, and was, and still is, a champion sleeper. I credit this to the hammock!)

Charlie was also in it from birth, and was a champion sleeper too He was a winter baby in Adelaide, so yes, I defiantely wrapped him.......in a few layers, tightly, and so he was always secure and warm. He stayed in it till he was 10 months, then he got too wriggly for it, so we transferred to a cot.

Lexie is 6 months and is still in the hammock. She too is a champion sleeper.She is a bit anti warapping and always sleeps with her arms above her head and out of a wrap, so I wrap her around the middle, then if it is chilly at night, use another wrap to tuck her in. I will keep her in it for as long as I can!

In terms of safety, I have had no issues at all. From a SIDS perspective, they keep baby on their back, which is ideal. The frame is sturdy and easily portable. Even with Olivia and Charlie as toddlers fiddling around in Lexie's nursery, I have no qualms about the safety.

As you can tell, I am a huge fan. I am convinced the hammock has given my 3 babies great sleeping habits. It is a great portable bed (heaps easier than a portacot). My babies always wake up slowly with a chuckle in a hammock, so I figure they must be getting a lovely sleep & waking up nice and gradually? Lexie sometimes wakes at 5.30am, and I can hear her chuckling and la la'ing to herself, but then goes bacl to sleep for another couple of hours, so I think the bouncing motion must really lull them.

Let me know if you have any other questions?

[Lucy]

if it weren't for her squirming and shuffling out the bottom of it

Oh my! Christy, does Jovie do that?? Thank goodness none of mine figured out how to do that!!

[LG]

Thanks Lucy and Christy!
A couple more questions!! Did you put a pillow or blanket or something under the baby? Do little newborns get "lost" in it?! Also, where did you get it from? I am thinking of getting the one from natures cradle in Adelaide (they have a website and the hammock is on that), but that's because its the only one i have seen. My mum has offered to buy it for us There doesn't seem to be a frame, but Dad reckons he can put a hook in the ceiling for us.

[Lucy]

Linds,

My preference is for the Amby Hammock (Google it: he has a great website with heaps of FAQs and gorgeous pics!).

AS far as I know, Amby invested his about 20 years ago here in Adelaide, he has since moved to Qld. You can buy online from him.

I don't know of anyone who has used the Happy Hangup to be honest.

The Amby comes with the hammock, the frame, and a specially fitted mattress and matress protector, as well as a carry bag too, from memory. He usually has a special offer on his fitted sheets. As such I have never needed to add a pillow or anything.

My babies were all on the smaller side (ranging from 7lb6oz down to 6lb13oz) and they did look a little lost for the fist few days, but they still slpet blissfully, and they looked a lot less lost than they would have done in a cot!

[christy]

We used the Amby hammock as well & had a slight modification done with the help from our lactation consultant. Jovie was 4kg at birth & fitted perfectly.

[LG]

Oh yeah that amby hammock does look good! Do you know if you can order it from Aus? Or if it's avaliable in shops in Aus?

[Lucy]

Definately available for order: the company is based in Qld.......just go to the Asutralian page........

[{sarah}]

Amby Hammock user here as well We had Zander in his from about 7 weeks I think so he didn't look too lost.

[christy]

We got ours within 7 hours of ordering!! It was so quick. We bought a double sized sheet & had someone make it into 3 sheets for the hammock as well... just a hint

[MeredithD]

I have an Amby hammock too.
DS has been a shocking sleeper since birth. I can't say the hammock was the miracle cure but he certainly has slept better in it than elsewhere. He did get used to a cot whilst staying at a mother/baby unit so I now alternate between hammock and cot.
The hammock is definitely more portable than a portacot - only takes a few mins to put up or down and not that heavy to transport.
DS did look quite small in it initially but if you set it up correctly, they sit nicely in the middle and can't roll around.
Great for "colicky" babes and much easier to settle by gently bouncing than rocking in arms etc. I could do it one handed whilst checking out BB! Meant I didn't notice the many hrs spent trying to get DS asleep!
I use an adult sized pillow case as a "sheet". It doesn't cover the entire matress but certainly enough to catch the spewy and "wet" ends!

[LG]

Just one more question, sorry! But was it difficult to transition baby from the hammock to the cot? And what age did you do it?

[{sarah}]

Zander was in his hammock from just under 2 months as I said before & he was transferred to his cot at around 6 months. He could have easily stayed in longer as he still fitted in it fine though. Our problem was that he was waking more than usual (LOL for a boy that didn't sleep through until 18 months!), so we moved him into his cot & he was fine. I figured it was about movement, he had started crawling & wasn't able to move around much in the hammock.

[christy]

Jovie has just moved to her cot with no problems at all She hasn't woken up more.

[Lucy]

Olivia transferred to a cot no problems at all at around 11 months: she continued to sleep right through the night no problems.

Charlie transferred at around 10 months and it did take him a while to adjust: I think he missed the "security", but then I put him in a grow-bag/sleeping bag,a dn this fixed the issue: it still only took around a week for him to go back to sleeping through all night.

I am not sure how Lexie will go, but I don't anticicape any problems........she is a placid little thing who apears to sleep anywhere, so I don;t imagine hammock to cot will be a problem.......

[*charmalea*]

can i put my 5 1/2 in there?? is it too late and how many are out there??
he is a poor sleeper and im so knackered from settleing techniques... can i use a gro bag with the hammock??

[Lucy]

I would say yes and yes to both questions. Maybe hire one to see how you go? You can hire them from Hire For Baby/Babe in most states I think........