Anyone considering a hammock?

[ZoraP]

Hi All,

Just joined the boards although I've been lurking. DD#3 is due around October 9, my first two dds are 9 and 6.

We co-slept with both older girls and that worked pretty well for us (although it was tricky with a newborn and a 3-yr-old), but this time I'm (ahem) older and know I'll need to be well-rested. So I'm considering a baby hammock for naps and at least starting the night in order to give me some time to myself in bed. Both my older dds would have slept much better in a hammock with some motion than they did alone in regular cribs (which never worked for them). So I'm considering a hammock.

The Amby is the best-known one, Mothering.com advertises the Kanoe, and there are some others that look good (like the Happy Hangup). Any experience/thoughts?

-ZoraP

[Leilamus]

No advice, just joining you. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. My boys are 6 and (will be) 3 when this baby comes and we still co sleep and I don't know where anyone is going to fit. Plus, my DP works second shift so I'm always doing bedtime alone. DS#1 has his own bed pushed up next to the queen that DS#2 and I sleep in but I want the baby to have her own space in the beginning at least. I just wish the Amby wasn't so expensive. Has anyone seen any on craigslist or heard of good sales?

[jaylily]

I think I'd be nervous to try a hammock. My LO slept in his bouncy sometimes, when he was smaller. Now I nurse him to sleep on one of those little children's sofa beds (for naps, though.) I don't know how people manage to get their babies in their cribs. lol

We co-sleep too.

[Raene]

I saw your other post in nighttime parenting and responded, but I have a Happy Hangup and can't wait to use it! It was a friend's and she passed it along to me. She loved it with her daughter.

They're so Waldorf-looking and are made with all-natural plant dyes. It's really pretty. And it's on sale right now on their website which is exciting

[TortelliniMama]

My experience with the hammock has been that it varies dramatically by baby. Ds *loved* it. (We have an Amby.) We got it when he was about 4 months old, and it was like I got my life back, because he would actually nap in it rather than on/next to me. Total life saver. Dd, on the other hand, was utterly unimpressed. She would rather sleep on our bed (even without me next to her) than in the hammock. Ds would fall asleep in the hammock while I bounced it. Dd would lie there for a while, then decide she had had enough (even though she did like falling asleep in my arms while I bounced on an exercise ball, which was another favorite of ds's). We could transfer a sleeping ds into the hammock. We could do that with dd, too, but she would wake up after a few minutes, while ds would have kept sleeping.

So, if it works for your baby, it can be absolutely wonderful. If not, uh, it's pretty neat looking.

[zenproof]

We're going to try going this route. I have no experience with hammocks or BABIES for that matter - but several folks have given the Amby such praise I decided I wanted one. I got one used off of craigslist for $160. Its beautiful. Hope it works!!! If not, that hold their value pretty well and you should have no trouble selling it.

Good luck!

[Watershippy]

I've been seriously considering a hammock. Anybody know how much space I'd need to alot for the Happy Hangup or Amby? I'd get one in a minute if I knew it would fit where I need it to go.

[astar326]

Originally Posted by Raene

I saw your other post in nighttime parenting and responded, but I have a Happy Hangup and can't wait to use it! It was a friend's and she passed it along to me. She loved it with her daughter.

They're so Waldorf-looking and are made with all-natural plant dyes. It's really pretty. And it's on sale right now on their website which is exciting

I ordered a happy hangup from e-bay (it was about $60 cheaper then on the regular website), but this is my 1st so I don't have any experience with it yet. I still haven't decided how I'm going to hang it. Does anyone know of a hanger (I know that there is one on the website, but SH is sooo much) that is from US? I know that you can hang them from the ceiling, but I think I'm going to need the flexibilty to move it around.

[Raene]

Originally Posted by astar326

I ordered a happy hangup from e-bay (it was about $60 cheaper then on the regular website), but this is my 1st so I don't have any experience with it yet. I still haven't decided how I'm going to hang it. Does anyone know of a hanger (I know that there is one on the website, but SH is sooo much) that is from US? I know that you can hang them from the ceiling, but I think I'm going to need the flexibilty to move it around.

If you'd go for a doorway hanger, this one would work.

For us, doors aren't an option, so we have three spots in which to hang it, and we'll move it around as needed. I'm tall so I don't mind taking it down all the time. But personally I'd rather have a stand...I just can't afford one.

[completebeginnings]

I worry that it wouldn't work for my babies. All 3 have rolled(both front and back) by 6 weeks and are sitting up and pulling up by 4 months. I am afraid they would fall out. Any ideas?

[kjs]

I would love one, but I cannot afford one. We also have a teeny tiny house, so since we have a bassinet already, it seems a bit extravagant to have both. They look awesome though!!!

[dani76]

My friend's husband makes them so we will have one. I think we will just put a few eye hooks throughout the house, so we can move it around as needed.

[Raene]

Originally Posted by completebeginnings

I worry that it wouldn't work for my babies. All 3 have rolled(both front and back) by 6 weeks and are sitting up and pulling up by 4 months. I am afraid they would fall out. Any ideas?

If you got something like a Happy Hangup, I'd recommend not using the pillow inside of it. With the pillow they can topple out much more easily.

[guestmama9916]

Originally Posted by TortelliniMama

My experience with the hammock has been that it varies dramatically by baby. Ds *loved* it. (We have an Amby.) We got it when he was about 4 months old, and it was like I got my life back, because he would actually nap in it rather than on/next to me. Total life saver. Dd, on the other hand, was utterly unimpressed. She would rather sleep on our bed (even without me next to her) than in the hammock. Ds would fall asleep in the hammock while I bounced it. Dd would lie there for a while, then decide she had had enough (even though she did like falling asleep in my arms while I bounced on an exercise ball, which was another favorite of ds's). We could transfer a sleeping ds into the hammock. We could do that with dd, too, but she would wake up after a few minutes, while ds would have kept sleeping.

So, if it works for your baby, it can be absolutely wonderful. If not, uh, it's pretty neat looking.

This was my experience too!!! I could have written your post. DD preferred tummy sleeping since that's how she spent some of her time in the NICU the first 10 days of her life. So we just stuck with what worked best for her and she has been a great sleeper. My DS still isn't a great sleeper to this day and he's almost 6. Ugh! But the Amby was a life saver for me when I had him. He napped like crazy in there but not a great night-time sleeper in it.

[artekah]

We just scored an Amby used & in great condition for $100, so I know they are out there to be found!

Our plan is to co-sleep at night, but I'm hoping my LO will take naps in the Amby beside my desk in my office so I can get some work done during the day--but we shall see how that works out. Don't know what to expect but I'm glad we have one just in case.

It sure does look nice and comfy, and is suspended from a big spring so when the baby stirs, it supposedly bounces him back to sleep.

[threadbey]

Originally Posted by TortelliniMama

My experience with the hammock has been that it varies dramatically by baby. Ds *loved* it. (We have an Amby.) We got it when he was about 4 months old, and it was like I got my life back, because he would actually nap in it rather than on/next to me. Total life saver. Dd, on the other hand, was utterly unimpressed.

OOOH, this scares me! DS loved the Amby (had it from day one, put him in it regularly from about 2 weeks). I hope this new babe likes it, too!

Originally Posted by Watershippy

I've been seriously considering a hammock. Anybody know how much space I'd need to alot for the Happy Hangup or Amby? I'd get one in a minute if I knew it would fit where I need it to go.

The Amby takes up about a square, 3 ft. on a side, I'd say.

Originally Posted by completebeginnings

I worry that it wouldn't work for my babies. All 3 have rolled(both front and back) by 6 weeks and are sitting up and pulling up by 4 months. I am afraid they would fall out. Any ideas?

In the Amby, at least, I really don't think this would be an issue. The hammock doesn't give the baby any leverage because it swings (sitting up not going to happen) and rolling over is pretty impossible for the same reason and because the bed rolls around the baby - rolling over would mean rolling up-hill. DS was in the Amby until he was 10 months and he never sat up in it or rolled over in it. (He was on a normal time line for those skills, 6 months-ish.)

Originally Posted by radicaleel

Our plan is to co-sleep at night, but I'm hoping my LO will take naps in the Amby beside my desk in my office so I can get some work done during the day--but we shall see how that works out. Don't know what to expect but I'm glad we have one just in case.

I know all babies are different, but with DS he slept anywhere for a few months and then we got to the point where he would only sleep for a good long stretch if he was in a DARK room. Noise wasn't so much a problem as light. We still have total darkening shades on the windows (which I made myself because the ones you can buy are really room *dimming* not DARKENING ).

[TortelliniMama]

Originally Posted by threadbey

OOOH, this scares me! DS loved the Amby (had it from day one, put him in it regularly from about 2 weeks). I hope this new babe likes it, too!

Ah, but the good side was that, even without using the Amby, dd was a much, *much* better sleeper than ds (and that's even with him using the Amby). It's always been much easier to get her to sleep, and she stays asleep well. So sometimes, even though you don't get to get more of your money's worth out of the hammock, you can still come out ahead!

[astar326]

Originally Posted by Raene

If you'd go for a doorway hanger, this one would work.

For us, doors aren't an option, so we have three spots in which to hang it, and we'll move it around as needed. I'm tall so I don't mind taking it down all the time. But personally I'd rather have a stand...I just can't afford one.

we live in a really old city row home with 12 ft ceilings on the 1st floor. i'm only 5'3" so i don't think hanging the lo would work on the 1st floor would work. on the 2nd & 3rd floors i think the ceilings are 8 or 9 ft. our doorways feel bigger too, but maybe i'm just imaging. i would like to find a stand that would work, b/c i can keep it next to the couch, in the bathroom (if i need to shower), in the kitchen... we have a great room (living & dining) with no doorways, so while the doorway hanger may work upstaires, it probably wouldn't on the 1st floor.

[threadbey]

Originally Posted by astar326

we live in a really old city row home with 12 ft ceilings on the 1st floor. i'm only 5'3" so i don't think hanging the lo would work on the 1st floor would work. on the 2nd & 3rd floors i think the ceilings are 8 or 9 ft. our doorways feel bigger too, but maybe i'm just imaging. i would like to find a stand that would work, b/c i can keep it next to the couch, in the bathroom (if i need to shower), in the kitchen... we have a great room (living & dining) with no doorways, so while the doorway hanger may work upstaires, it probably wouldn't on the 1st floor.

You COULD attach long chains to the hooks so that the actual attachment point for the hammock was reachable. But, honestly, for moving around that much I would use a vibrating bouncy seat (they're not expensive) and just have the hammock for real naps and night time.

[MamaRue]

our son would only sleep with motion so this time we are going to try the happy hangup. we are fortunate enough that my inlaws purchased one for us (thankfully we have so much leftover from when our son was a babe, we don't need a lot...hence being able to splurge on the hh). i am excited for it to arrive. i think we will put eye hooks in the beams in a few places in the house, including over our bed (we sleep in a king and our 4 year old is in a twin next to us) and over the guest bed where i bet i will spend some nights with the baby sometimes.

i would love a stand but they are so expensive. but i bet if the hammock works out then i will end up trying to get one...especially for travelling. (not sure how people would react to us bringing eye hooks to put in their ceilings when we come for visits!)

one of the reasons i chose the happy hangup vs. other brands is because the hh hangs from a single spring vs. being connected at two points. from the research i did...it seems as though this allows for more soothing motion. we'll see! i hope it works. i love cosleeping but if i am not sleeping at all then it is time to try another option! (getting up to nurse every 2-3 hours is totally fine, but every 15 mins? not so much!). plus, if the hh is right above the bed next to me, it is pretty darn close to cosleeping