Amby Hammock - should i also get Moses basket

[cinnamontam]

Hello,

I'm due with my first on May 27th and trying to work out the best sleeping arrangement for Bean. I've read through all the threads on the Amby Hammock but wondered if anyone had any specific advice on the following:

• Do we get a Moses basket for when Bean is snoozing downstairs during the day and for when we are visiting friends - then use the hammock the rest of the time upstairs in her room?
• We have 2 big (Maine Coon) cats - is there any way to cat proof the hammocks?
• We will be travelling to France, Turkey and Australia when Bean is 4 months and onwards. Is the Hammock something we can easily take with us to use instead of a travel cot?

I really appreciate any advice. We were going to get a Moses basket and cot crib but I love what I've read about the Amby Hammock and so hoping that we can get just that
We will also have a Phil & Ted buggy so Bean will have some experience lying in a bassinet when travelling etc...

Hope not! My 2nd is due on Friday and we've got an Amby hammock and chucked out our old Moses basket. I haven't used it yet so I'm not an expert by any means.

Have to say I was a bit surprised at how large the hammock is and heavy-ish although probably only the same weight as a standard travel cot. I was hoping to be able to move it around for day time naps as you describe but I'm now a bit doubtful about how practical that will be.

Re the cats, iirc isn't there a mosquito net you can get for the hammock?

Thanks ProfYaffle. Congrats and good luck for this Friday, or whenever it happens

Please let me know how you get on - I'm going to the States in March for a holiday and very tempted to buy it from there as it's cheaper than getting it in the UK.

Oh it will be Friday, I've got a c/s booked! Will let you know how we get on, as you say, the hammock's quite expensive so if it's not fabulous I will be very disappointed!

I would say you dont really want to be lugging the amby hammock up and down stairs every day, so having something downstairs is a good idea. But then again particularly in the first month or two, it's just as easy to have baby asleep on the sofa during the day. So I would say wait and see how you feel, and buy something later if you feel you need.

As for travel with the hammock, they do come in sturdy portable bags, but they're pretty bulky, because of the metal frame. I dont think I would travel with it but you may feel differently. (their website would probably tell you how heavy)

Our cat has never shown an interest in the hammock (although loves cots etc) - i think because they swing when you touch them it doesn't appeal to cats.

Good luck with birth!

their website says it weighs 10kg

We travelled a lot with dd1 when she was newborn (Just in UK, not as exciting as your plans) we found this amazingly useful. It folds down to the size of a dinner plate and can fit in your suitcase.

After reading aDad's post it might be my day time sleep solution this time round as well.

you could try the moffii hammock instead of the amby - the cradle detaches from the stand and it comes with a door frame clamp so you can use it downstairs/when you're away (not sure how keen i'd be on a small baby sleeping in a doorway, but hey if they sleep who cares?).

moffii

those travel cots that ProfYaffle linked to are really good actually, and super-lightweight and foldable.

Since my last post, dp has pointed out to me that letting babies sleep on sofas is not recommended by HVs. We did though, but we have a very firm flat cushioned sofa with no chance of a baby rolling.

I may have considered the sofa as an alternative sleeping place for Bean occasionally as have almost every other person i know who has newborns. Thanks for the input everyone. Keep it coming!

hey tam, I have a pop up travel cot from jojo maman bebe, it is useful, however the matress is very thin, it really needs to sit on a soft carpet or I put a folded rug underneath the whole cot. I would be interested in selling mine for a very reasonable price if you were intereted. I have a carrycot/pram this time so will not need it. DS used it once on a sking trip.

Hi FSF - thanks for the offer I will definitely thing about it and will let you know

So anyone travel with the Amby Hammock? Lugging it on planes and to hotels etc??

Put your LO to sleep on the sofa by all means but we stopped that when DS rolled off the sofa onto the floor aged just 5 weeks. I felt very, very guilty.

I had fallen asleep next to him (we'd been up since 4am for the millionth night in a row) and through sleep deprived eyes I watched him fall in slow motion.

He slept in his carry cot or moses basket after that, or safely in bed with me.

FWIW, I regretted buying a moses basket and found the Quinny dreami carry cot to be the most successful sleeping device! DS still sleeps in his carry cot inside his cot at 4 months and has slept in his moses basket just a handful of times.

We have one and I really couldn't imagine traveling with it. The metal frame is quite heavy and when packed up for storage it is in a large box. This should be considered a permanant piece of furniture for the nursery.

Hi llareggub - I definitely have dreams of that happening. I ended up getting a Moses Basket on ebay yesterday as it was cheap and I think I will be better off to have some options.

Jaberwocky - I've read of some people who take it with them so guess i will just have to see what it's like when it arrives but you aren't the first person to say they are too heavy to lug around

not to criticise, cos we've all done it, but you should never, ever, ever sleep on the sofa with your baby. it's a big SIDS factor.
we had the amby at night and the carry cot of the buggy by day.

and i don't think they're too heavy for a car trip, but i'd be reluctant to deliver it into the hands of airport staff as if one of the metal poles got bent it would be gubbed.

Can't comment on the hammock as I have no idea what it is. I borrowed a moses basket and so glad I never actually bought one as DD never slept in it properly. We put her in her cot bed from about 6/7 weeks and she slept soundly. Everyone is different as AitchTwoOh said, and I wouldn't criticise but I would try to put LO in cot/hammock in nursery as soon as possible for naps too.
Back to the basket - you can always see how you feel once the LO has arrived and get the one. Most of us (me included) end up buying way to much stuff and when you looks back you never have full use out of it anyway. Good luck with whatever you decide and with the birth am off to find about hammock as due in June!!