Safety issues with baby hammocks?

[Teeki]

I've had DDs baby hammock for a week now. I love it!! Every now and then I can actually get her to take a nap in there rather than in my arms - I can't get her to do that in her cot.

To help with this nap thing, I'm reading Elizabeth Pantleys No-Cry Sleep Solution (The No-Cry Nap Solution is still on its way). So I was going reading through the safety first chapter, and it got me thinking about the hammock. Everything/everyone always says to put baby on a firm flat mattress, with tight sheets, no bumpers or anything. But then I go and put DD in a hammock, which has a soft, curved mattress. Her chin isn't down on her chest, she can move her head fine and breathes well, but now it's got me worried!!

If you have a hammock, do you just use it for during the day, or do you use it overnight too? Are there potential suffocation issues with it being so soft and curvy? I mean as far as I know they don't have to comply to safety standards or anything do they?

And then the other thing I was thinking about, if I get her used to sleeping in there, when she's too big for it in a few months aren't I just going to face more problems getting her to go back to a hard flat mattress?

[Beach Mama]

All valid questions hun and worries that I had as well but just like with cots, there are safety issues you need to watch out for with hammocks, you need to make sure you aren't loading blankets on top, once JJ wasn't being swaddled anymore ( we used to swaddle him as a baby in the hammock - not sure if that is even right but it worked ok before he was rolling) and then we went to using sleeping bags. You want to make sure the sheets that are used on the mattress are nice and firm - and not able to slip off somehow,I made my own and measured really carefully.

I found that when it was time to move him out at around 9 mths old, we just transitioned him slowly into the cot, I used to pop him in there to play with the mobile safely while I was showering when he was really little (to keep him out of DD's way until she worked out how to climb in with him ) just to get him used to being in there and that it was safe. We had no issues at all with moving him into the cot once it was time to do that. There are a heap of FAQs on the Amby hammock site if you look it up to reassure you about safety and why they are so great - Im sure others will pop in with more tips too but maternity wards used to use them a lot as well!! I remember when I had DD they had them there, not sure if they still do now but they should!

[NaeNae]

I second getting on to the Amby Hammock site.

I only used the hammock through the day for day sleeps, but partly due to the fact DD was a summer baby and her room was on the North side of the house and got pretty toasty through the day.

It sounds like you have her positioning in the hammock down pat which is something I just couldn't figure out.

Like ANY sleeping arrangements there are always risks to be mindful of. Once she starts rolling I would stop using the Hammock completely though that may be a common sense thing to say

FWIW when I was in hossy a few of the "longer serving" MWs told me how they use to ONLY ose hammocks for the newborns as its better for their spine to be in a C position ratehr than on a hard flat surface which is unnatural to the way they curl. Certainly most of the hammocks these days have narrow foam matresses in but apparently in the olden days it was kind of like a sling.

I am still largely undecided what I will do when this baby comes but I will get the hammock out again,even if I just use it outdoors with the fly net when its not too hot so we can be outside with DD.

Nae x

[glenny_c]

I used our hammock for dd during day and night sleeps until she was about 3 months and we went straight to a cot. The only reason we moved to the cot so early is cause it was Summer and I found she was getting too hot in the hammock overnight, not enough air circulation. I didn't have any issues moving her from hammock to cot, we had maybe three nights where she was waking slightly more often but then slept like normal.

As DD was born in the summer I never had sheets etc on her in the hammock, guess I'll have to figure that out with the next bub as he/she will be a winter baby. But we will definitely be using the hammock again, hopefully for longer this time.

[Teeki]

Thanks for your replies guys Sorry I never popped back in, we've been fighting various battles for the last couple of weeks (mostly sleep related, sigh).

We're in the middle of moving at the moment, so for nights we have our mattress on the floor and bubs on her little cot mattress next to me - she loves it lol. So for now the hammock is only being used during the day and it's given me a good chance to watch her in there. She can roll when she's on the floor, but has no hope of rolling in the hammock. When she wakes she stretches out, and just waits for me to come get her lol. So I'm happy that she can't roll into the mattress or anything, and I think because she's not so small and she's very strong she can get herself in a comfy position without her chin down on her chest.

My hammock sounds a little more like the one your midwives described Nae, the mattress isn't firm, it's kind of like a quilt but not (as if that makes any sense!!). Anyway it's not really flat, it curls up around her more. Hence not being able to roll in it. I've found the air circulation to be pretty good, but now that it's getting warmer here I don't think I'd like her in it overnight anyway.

Thanks for all your advice guys, I guess it is like anything else baby related - know the risks and weigh it up!