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Original poster

Any experiences with hammocks?

18 replies

laurieleigh · 08/01/2011 22:42

Hi all, we're currently looking into sleeping arrangements for baby and I'm quite impressed by what I've read about baby hammocks (Miyo and Amby Natures Nest).
Mostly what I've read seems to say that babies seem more settled and sleep for longer at an earlier age.
I'm just wondering if anyone has had any 'real-life' experience of them - I'm always wary of the consumer reviews that rave about items on their own web-sites!
Any advice much appreciated!

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MainlyMaynie · 08/01/2011 23:16

I'll be reading with interest, I'm pretty certain we're going to get one! Currently thinking of one of the Amazonas ones, which I can't find many reviews of here, but they seem v popular in Germany.

Original poster

laurieleigh · 09/01/2011 11:13

all quiet on here so far, so maybe there're not all that popular.
From the reviews so far we're 80% sure about getting one... I just need that final push to make me spend that much money!

OP posts:

MainlyMaynie · 09/01/2011 11:43

The Amazonas ones are a bit cheaper than Amby and look like they're easier to get in and out of, which is my only concern about the Amby one.

From the reviews they do sound brilliant, don't they? Lots of stories of babies sleeping more!

littlemissw · 09/01/2011 12:02

I had an Amazonas Koala hammock with DD and she really loved sleeping in it. That said, we only used it downstairs for daytime naps (instead of a moses basket). It took up quite a lot of space and is not very high off the floor. And thank goodness for that, because once she started wriggling a bit more she actually managed to tip herself out (much to my horror!) So, I'd say they are great for the first couple of months if you have the space, but for me it was not a long term sleeping solution & in my opinion, not suitable for unsupervised sleep.
I did consider the Amby hammock for DD2, but couldn't justify the price for the length of time she'd be using it and it did seem that it would be difficult to get her in & out for night-time feeds.

cazzybabs · 09/01/2011 12:03

dd4 has an amby hammock and sleeps very well in it ... much better than any of my other children and much better than in a cot ... not sure she will it be in to a year though

Original poster

laurieleigh · 09/01/2011 12:04

The whole sleep thing is my main incentive in wanting one... i just didn't know how 'real' the reviews actually are.

I'm not totally naive in thinking that I'm still going to get 8 hours of interrupted sleep (just wishful thinking!), but I'm hopeful that a hammock may give baby a few more hours than just a crib or moses basket.

I've actually just found some reviews in another area of mumsnet. I've included the link, but unsure if it'll work!

www.mumsnet.com/Reviews/Cots/11-amby-nature-s-nest-baby-hammock

OP posts:

jazz412 · 09/01/2011 12:04

I'm really interested in hammocks as they looks so cosy, bit frightened that they're not as stable as a moses basket?? suspended from the ceiling!
My other worry is how expensive they are! are there any cheaper options?? a moses basket with the stand would cost way under half the price!

cazzybabs · 09/01/2011 12:07

my amby has a stand. it is very stable .. my dd3 has road tested it by swinging on the stand plus ver easy to get dd4 out

PacificDogwood · 09/01/2011 12:12

We had an Amby for DS4 which I really loved -unfortunately he didn't... He was the World's Worst Sleeper and only getting older has improved things for us him.

Having said that, I have several friends who had great success with theirs and they do look so cosy, I would try it again, but there won't be another time here .

I have had one bad sleeper, one excellent one, a middling one and now the owl that is DS4 - IME they are all different from the word go and different set-ups will suit different babies. So go for a hammock if you like them and wait and see.

Lifting in and out of the Amby was easy enough and they do look v v comfortable in a hammock. Unfortunately DS4 had not read that part of the baby book...

Good luck!

Original poster

laurieleigh · 09/01/2011 12:22

I was thinking of trying to get one second hand and just buying a new mattress for it. This would hopefully work out cheaper, but I think the re-sale on them is quite high anyway... on the plus side when you're done with it you can sell it on without too much of a loss!

OP posts:

MainlyMaynie · 09/01/2011 12:29

littlemissw at your daughter falling out, that's put me right off the amazonas! How old was she when that happened? Was that even with the harness fastened?

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 09/01/2011 12:31

I had a traditional indian hammock for mine when tiny, just the same as an adult swinging hammock, I tied it from corner to corner in the cot, both slept brilliantly in it, though only in the day as I co-slept at night.

It was about twenty quid, though to be honest If I had thought about it I could have just made one.

littlemissw · 09/01/2011 12:55

MainlyMaynie - she was about 4 months & yes the harness was fastened. Apart from the shock, she was fine. I will add, she was a REAL wriggler! :)

GruffaloSoldier · 09/01/2011 13:54

My son loved his Amby Nature Nest. He had really bad colic and we had trouble getting him to sleep without holding him - until we got the hammock, then we used to bounce him gently to sleep in it and then he was fast asleep. There was no difficult transition of trying to get him back into bed without waking him up, as he was already there!:) Much comfier and cosier than a moses basket too. DC2 is due in April and I will definitely be using it again this time!

jenniferturkington · 09/01/2011 13:59

My two slept brilliantly in the Amby as tiny babies. They both were sleeping an 8 hour stretch by 6 weeks. However, they both then hated the cot when they moved in to it! I went from having sleeping babies to lots of night wakings.
If I have another baby I might try a normal crip to begin with and only if the sleep is awful resort to the hammock.
That said, they look soooo comfy in the hammock, it somehow seems unkind not to use it!

naturalbaby · 09/01/2011 14:14

i really like the thought and look of them but there were a couple of deaths a while ago that freaked me out - i think it's a tiny number (maybe only a couple of babies) compared with cot deaths in traditional cots though. i was looking at the miyo hammock but can't justify it for dc3 with a spare cot and not much space.

i did have the amazonas koala one for daytime naps downstairs and it was great - ds1 loved it and soon worked out how to rock himself. i wasn't happy to use it overnight though, especially once he was a few months old cause it looked too easy for him to roll out of.

bitingfairy · 09/01/2011 17:15

We've bought an Amby but I can't comment on how good it is as i'm still pregnant! I read about the 2 deaths in the US - if you look around the internet it seems as though in both the hammock wasn't being used properly (I think in both cases the hammock was set up completely wrong - I read that in 1 case that the hammock was hung from a hook in the ceiling of the laundry room near a dryer with the head end lower than the feet - so away from parents and not being used correctly.) Absolutely tragic, but I was happy that with a new hammock set up properly the risk would be low, plus it will be next to our bed/living room etc. As far as I know there haven't been any other reports of problems.

Jenni363 · 09/01/2011 17:47

I was given the Amby by a colleague whose DD didn't like it. Unfortunately mine doesn't either! She's 7 weeks now, and every time we try to put her in it she cries and wont settle.. I also had problems getting her in and out as had C-section and its just too low.

Also some midwives said they'd prefer the baby to lie on flat surface rather than be curved.. But as always there is so much conflicting advice..

I am very lucky as DD is a good sleeper, so far she has been sleeping in her carry cot and from there we will move her to the big cot.. Not sure at what age tho as the hammock was supposed to be in between carry cot and the "big cot"...

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