Has anyone ever used a baby hammock?

[sillywoman]

. . . and if so are they any good, or (as I suspect) just another 'give us your money new parent' gimmick?

[Belle]

loads of people on here - not me but havev heard v good things - can't remember which forumites, sorry, but sure you'll get some replies. Apparently v good for reflux but yes, expensive and only last up to a certain age, but sometimes can be bought second hand on forum/ebay etc.

[bluesuperted]

I think Saffron has mentioned the Amby one...

[mammamia]

We had the Amby natures nest & bubba loved it, though to be fair I've no idea if she would have been as happy in Moses basket / crib...

Good angle, great gentle rocking motion & a nice snugness for them without tight swaddling.

Is reasonably pricey but we are just about to use for no.2 and funnily enough was chatting about resale value on them today, friend sold theirs for about a tenner less than they bought it (2nd hand) so I'm pleased ours was a good investment

[sillywoman]

If you don't mind me asking - how long until baby outgrew/ you stopped using it mammamia? And what did you do then i.e. straight into a big cot or into a crib?

[Saffron]

Yes, we used an Amby hammock with Little Saff after trying various sleeping arrangements. I bought ours 2nd hand on the Forum.

The trouble was that Little Saff was very hard to settle and woke up a lot during the night. I started putting her in the Amby hammock from around 3.5 months, which did help with the initial settling, and some with the waking at night too. It wasn't a miracle cure, but it did help. It also helped my daughter to learn to sleep comfortably on her back, as previously she was always a tummy sleeper. I think it would have been more useful if I had had the hammock from birth, but I only learned about them when she was around 3.5 months old already.

Here is one for sale on the Forum:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?25,719830,719830#msg-719830

Little Saff is very tall for her age, and she outgrew her hammock around 8 months old. A normal sized baby could stay in the Amby hammock till probably around a year. The transition to a cotbed was fine. I just did a lot of rocking and singing before I put her down, which is what I always did with the Amby.

Baby hammocks seem to be more common in Australia/New Zealand. I saw some really beautiful ones online from the antipodes. They were much larger (more expensive too), and Baby could potentially stay in them until around 2-2.5 years old. If we ever had another baby, I'd consider having one of these larger hammocks from birth.

xx

[sillywoman]

Thanks everyone, & for the PM's too - all very interesting & food for thought.

[Saffron]

Sorry, I just realized I only answered the first part of your question. My daughter went from the baby hammock into a cotbed b/c she was already the size of a small pony.

[mammamia]

Hi sillywoman, we moved her straight into the big cot at about 7/8 months, doing some day time naps in the cot for a few weeks for her to get used to it. We probably could have kept her in it another month or two but she worked out how to bounce herself in it like a crazy woman, and as we also had the hammock in our room we were keen to get her moved into her own room.

[Elliott]

I never really considered a baby hammock but reading all the posts I'm starting to think this is the way to go for us instead of a crib or a moses basket for the early months, especially as we would move it around a fair bit.

If anyone has one that they are thinking of selling, please PM me.

thanx

[Fly]

We used the Amby hammock until around 9 months and found it very good. Tried to transfer her to a cot at 6 months and she refused but at 9 months no problem.

[goldielab]

Sillywoman et al

You may have all the comments you need but as a mum who has an Amby hammock and used it for my first child, I thought I would add my thoughts.

I bought mine on recommendation from a good friend who used hers for both her children and was very happy with it. My son slept well in it (although he's always been a good sleeper anyway). It has a lovely bouncing motion which is easy to do one handed lying down in bed (if the hammock is next to the bed!). Its cosy and he stayed in it till about 7months. He was big /tall so I transferred him to his cot from the hammock at around 7months (which, I remember, seemed horribly spacious and not cosy at the time!)

I am due with baby number two in January and will be using it again, happily. Although I will be buying a new mattress for it as the mattress is thin and is dented where Oli's head was.

Almost forgot! One of the key reasons I got the hammock was to avoid Oli getting a flat head - which it did. Although I don't know if this is the case for all babies who sleep in them.

Well worth the money in my view.

S

[bobbly]

hi yes I used one too, great for soothing with one hand it was a breeze, also prevented 'flat head' only thing I would say is that you have to come out of bed completely in order to feed your wee one, which is ok, but feel that I may have preferred to have him besides me where i could actually see him if he vomited or anything, which you cant if they are higher. I also would have liked to have slept with him closer for bonding, but maybe that is just retrospective, and in reality I probably would have slept badly for fear of crushing him... who knows, but all in all I would recommend it if you are not planning on sleeping with your child, its far preferable to a moses basket and the like.

[SEGirl]

Hi

Our little one slept in the Amby Hammock until he was about 11 months and then went straight to a cot. He loved the hammock and literally used to snuggle straight in an nod off, beleive it or not he used to cry to get into it when he was tired! In winter time I put a lambs skin in over the matress for extra comfort, although this isn't necesasary at all. He looked so snug and safe in it, the first time we put him in a cot, he looked lost in it and I know he missed the comfort and security the first few days. I know they're expensive, but I believe they're really worth the extra. We bought one on ebay, really good condition and would definatley use it if we have another one.

PS... He also has a perfect little round head!! ;-)