More Baby Hammocks Questions

[furkids]

Hi,

My 13.5 week DS has been sleeping in an Amby hammock since he was about 9 weeks. This has worked fairly well as he is a poor sleeper and suffers terribly from reflux. The "problem" is he will no longer sleep in a cot or portacot at all. If we even put him in one he starts to scream!! and I mean scream.

I'm also being hammered by my ECN to move him into a cot plus she is insisting that we need to go to sleep school immediately as bubs is a catnapper during the day (45 mins). Now I've been fairly comfortable resisting up until now, but other friends / family have started chiming in about the hammock being "bad" and the "benefits" of sleep school (I'm strongly against controlled crying).

So:
- did your baby have trouble moving from a hammock to a cot
- what sort of age were they when they did this
- is it really such a "bad " option? should I try and transition him out?
- how did you make the transition with your babies?

Thanks

[christy]

We had Jovie in a cot until last week, she's just 5 months now. She does cat nap throughout the day but sleeps very well at night. Hasn't changed in the cot from the hammock. The way we got her used to sleeping flat was by having her day sleeps with her, so I'd lay down in bed with her next to me & either sleep or read for the 45 minutes and she would sleep flat & we set the cot up with one side off & up against our bed so she's very close still.

I don't think its a bad option keeping them in the hammock for as long as you can. I think they are lovely and would keep her in it a lot longer if it weren't for her moving too much.

Sleep school.... don't get me started I went twice with my first child who was/is a terrible sleeper and CC was basically the only way of doing things. With Jovie who has been in the hammock, although she cat naps during the day she is a much better sleeper overall than her bigger sister. I think CC is the "bad" option if you ask me but thats my opinion of course.

[furkids]

Thanks Christy,

The problem I have is my son will sleep flat for a few hours during the night but thats it. During the day is the hammock or nothing. The other day we tried to get him to sleep in a cot at my mum's and he went 10 hours with only a 10 min sleep. He was exhausted, red eyed but would only scream if we laid him down.

Its why I've wondered if I've done the right thing keeping him in the hammock.

[Lucy]

Honestly, I do not think the hammock can cause issues. I truely believe a hammock is NOT a "bad" option AT ALL.........it is certainly different to a cot, and unfamiliar to may other parents and midwives and MCHN, but not "bad"!

You must go with your gut feel on what you think is the best sleeping spot for your son.

If he sleeps best in a hammock, let him stay in the hammock! I have found the cot transisition fairly painless. I moved them when my gut told me they were ready.

I posted this earlier today with regard to hammock to cot transitioning:

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, & this fixed the issue: it still only took around a week for him to go back to sleeping through all night.

if it is any consolation to you, I have had friends & family coment negatively on the hammock. Becasue it was not "the norm".

If he sleeps best in the hammock, let him sleep in the hammock for all day & night sleeps and use it as a portacot too.......so take it with you if he needs to sleep at your Mums house? (They are designed for day and night sleeps.)

I honestly do not think you are setting yourself up for problems later. I have realised, with my 3, that my worries on "setting bad habits" in relation to sleeping and feeding have all been groundless, so now I just operate one day at a time!

My advice would be to stick with what feels right for you. What are you most comfortable doing for your son?

[Pandora]

Milo slept in a hammock and a cot for about 5 months. As he was alwyas in both, I'm less able to comment on the transition from one to the other.

if your baby won't sleep in the cot I'd let him stay in the hammock as long as he's happy. I doubt its the hammock thats waking him up/causing the catnaps.

Do you see eye to eye with your MCHN otherwise, cos if it were me I'd be looking at changing to another one..

ETA. my mchn suggested our hammock, and they are used at the hospital I gave birth at.

[{sarah}]

I don't see it as a bad option at all, like Lucy said they are easy as to take with you when you go somewhere so bubby never has to worry about getting used to another bed which is a great help.

My MIL didn't like Zander sleeping in "that thing" because she said it was bad for his back On the other hand my mum bought it for us & thinks it's brilliant. I think a lot of people just find it strange because they aren't used to it but that certainly doesn't make it a bad thing IMO.

Zander moved to his cot at around 6 months old because he started crawling & was waking constantly overnight when he realised he couldn't move in the hammock. I was up & down all night trying changing his position for him, so he was definitely ready for the move. It was easy i think because he was so ready to be in the cot. Maybe you just need to wait a bit longer with your little guy as he sounds like he is quite happy where he is at the moment.

You need to do what's best for your family & if that means the hammock stays, great, if it has to go then that's great also

[christy]

Yeah I would definately keep the hammock then. A lot of MCHN's are old school and just have no idea on how to handle something like a hammock (seems silly doesn't it?)

[Clarrie]

My MCHN is telling me the same thing about Bonnie's hammock and sometimes the transitioning concerns me too, however I think I'm just going to deal with transitioning issues IF and when they arise.

If it helps, Bonnie is the same age as your LO, and every single mother in my mothers' group has a catnapping baby. I really think the short naps are to do with the age, rather than any other factor. It's annoying, because my girl really needs her sleep and is so cranky because of the catnapping, but all I can do is try to resettle her and wait for her to get there when she's ready.

[MeredithD]

Hi Furkids,
Sounds like you have a very pushy MCHN! What right has she to tell you that the hammock is "bad" if your DS sleeps better in it - also meaning YOU get more rest too!
We purchased the Amby hammock at about 8 weeks as DS has reflux,did the screaming when laid down flat, catnapping etc also. Was not a miracle cure but certainly better than what we had been doing. I have recently been to NorthPark mother/baby unit as I was at wits end with the sleep issues and DS was not a "happy" catnapper (would wake up screaming). I am also totally against CC and was very nervous about going as I had a bad experience at a day stay elsewhere. I was very relieved to find them really great. They do not do CC even in older bubs and are very gentle with both the babies AND mothers. I see you are in Melbourne so might be worth considering if you think you need help - but don't go anywhere just because others think your son has a problem. if its not a probllem for you and he is happy then I wouldn't worry.
I won't say DS is "cured" of sleep problems but we defnitely got some improvement after our stay and all without tears ( well none that he wouldn't have shed had he been at home!). His day sleeps are MUCH better - often up to 1.5-2hrs. Although still needing me to help resettle, at least we CAN get past the 45min mark and he certainly wakes up a far happier boy for the extra sleep.
I did want to use my hammock at the hospital and I think they would have let me but I decided to give the cot a try whilst I had the support. We had no problems really at all and he now has most of his sleeps at home in the cot, although I still use the hammock as I want him to still be comfortable in it for using if we go away.
Given your DS has reflux, have you tried raising the head end of the cot?
On suggestion from the hospital, I also now sleep DS on his left side (propped by rolled up towels). This seemed to make a big difference to his comfort and ability to sleep so maybe worth a try if you do want to try the cot again.
Otherwise, I'd just keep using the hammock as long as you need to and ignore any comments from people who are NOT your son's mother!!

[Phteven]

Why is there a rule that says babies must use a cot? We have a lovely cot and neither of my babies have ever used it to sleep in.
Yasin used it for a little while but was much happier moving from the hammock to a mattress on the floor. I tried Imran in the cot and he prefered the mattress on the floor too.
Imran is a little over a year and he still loves his hammock for day sleeps.

I wouldn't say the cot was a total waste of money - it's a safe space for the cat and folded washing and Yasin likes me to put him in there so he can bounce on the inner-spring mattress.

[furkids]

Thank you ladies for all your responses.

My gut feeling has been to keep him in the hammock. My DH and parents support whatever works for me, just some friends and in laws have issues and of course the MCHN. I've decided not to see her anymore and to get DS checked out by our lovely GP for development etc. The MCHN is far too pushy and makes me go from confident to unsure in 3 easy steps (ironically she is the only person able to push this button )

I'm glad to hear you have all had such great success with the hammock. Even though he is a catnapper my boy generally goes to sleep happy and wakes up happy and rested after those 45 minutes. If cranky I try to resettle and he sleeps longer. At night he sleeps beautifully, other than waking up to breastfeed, then goes straight back to sleep.

PS MCHN has issues with my breastfeeding on demand as well but thats a whole other story

[MeredithD]

Well done on sticking with your gut Furkids!
MCHN are meant to be there to SUPPORT you, not undermine your confidence.
Keep doing what works for you and its great you have a GP who is more understanding.

BTW - Can't believe the MCHN has issues with demand feeding!!! Does she not have any contact with ABA and all the current reccomendations that this is how BF bubs SHOULD be fed. I pity the poor mothers and children who are listening to everything she has to say.

[Dee78]

Hi Furkids,

Just a quick one.

I used the Amby Hammock too when lachlan was the same age. It didnt work with him either and i had the same problem. I was told that sleep school would help. I resisted and resisted until it got to the point where i needed my sleep and would try anything. lachlan was almost 6 months when i went.
I found it to be the best thing i could have done. They gave me the option of settling him however i wanted to, i could rock him, or put him into his bed awake and settle him there, at no point did they leave him to cry or insist that i did. They told me that if i was uncomfortable with hearing him cry then i could go straight in to him.
After four nights there i came home with a new baby. he was sleeping an hour and a half at a time during the day and i was getting a 3-4 hour block of sleep in the night which still isnt great for a 6 month old but it was better than the 40mins i was having before i went there.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know. i had the same impression of sleep schools that you had but i really found it to be a help.

Good luck