So, the Amby Nest - is it really that good?

[justaphase]

Good morning ladies, would really appreciate your help please.

DS was a terrible sleeper as a baby, in fact he is still not great at 2.5. Next baby is due in August and while I know it is mostly the luck of the draw I am desperate to give us both the best possible start on the sleeping front.

The Amby nest seems to get universally great reviews, so much so that it makes me wonder - can it really be this good? Aside from the price, which is steep, but absolutely worth it if it will help keep me same in the first few months, these are the things that concern me:

Does it really last as long as they claim it does? They say it is suitable for up to 1 year but I can't imagine a baby older than about 6 months sleeping in it.

Would it be difficult to transfer baby to a cot once it outgrows the Amby?

The other option that I am considering is a bedside cot, I am worried that if I get the Amby I would just end up co-sleeping anyway and nor use it much.

Any advice/experiense - positive or negative - very much appreciated.

We have one. It has been through two children already and I am due my third in July and will be using it again. I think it is great. It is not the magic cure all. We had unsettled periods with both children, but all it took mostly was one hand on the Amby gently bouncing it and they would go back to sleep.

Now to be fair, my two were not bad sleepers over all. A better test is the fact we recently leant it to my s-i-l for her first baby who is a bit of a nightmare sleeper. They were walking the floor for hours with him. They came round here to lunch one day and we had it set up for them. Popped him in and he slept "like a baby!". They took it home with them and have been using it in combination with their cot (I thin they start bbaby on cot and then move to Amby when he wakes). They have found it really good.

As to your specific questions, yes it really does go to a year old. My first was a big big boy as well and no problem with him in it. Transfer to cot is ok too - it took a few nights and they suggest using something like a sheepskin in the Amby so that when you transfer them to cot, they are familiar with it. That worked well for us.

Thanks Ilana, thats really helpful.

We transferred dd when she was 10 months but she was/is a 98th centile baby for height and weight (it was the height that was more of an issue tbh)...

I would agree that its not a miracle worker. DD isn't the best sleeper and I obviously don't know whether she would have been any worse without the Amby. The transfer to cot bed lead to a couple of unsettled nights but she was back on track within 2-3 nights.

I would definately use it again for the next one. Its very useful as its easily transported and therefore she didn't need to get used to a different cot if we went away.

if you have a light sleeper they are very good and so easy to use. many a night i had the amby right next to the bed and would semi consously give it a light bounce whenever i thought DS was stirring.

i also found that i could get Ds to sleep longer than his usual 25 min naps if i gave it a little bounce just as he stirred.

worth every penny in my opinion.

Our LO loves her amby. I have nothing to compare it to as she is our first baby but she has been in it since birth and sleeps great in it.she always puts herself back to sleep if she wakes up-you can sometimes hear her bouncing herself back to sleep- and drops off like a dream. She is 5 months and there is still loads of room for her- if weight is getting to be a prob I know amby sell a heftier spring. Also I guess if you don't like it as a bed you can get a bouncer thing for it and use it instead of a door bouncer. I agree v useful for travelling -by car too heavy for plane/train- as it packs up quite small. Our LO has started to sleep in a cot when she visits her grandparents and I think she has so got used to dropping off quickly and self soothing that she sleeps pretty well in a cot as well

I used one for DS2 and DD1 will be hear soon and today I got my new sling - I am totally chuffed! DS2 was a big baby though and a squirmer and I think I only kept him in it for a few months. I think it is ideal for having in room when they are young, and I take the better safe than sorry approach in regard of small or difficult to settle babies and you certainly would have to agree that there is no risk of them sleeping on anything but their backs in it.

I got my first Amby set up off ebay - worth keeping an eye out, although it would definitely be a 'pick up only' item as the frame is very heavy.

I got the amby nest for Baby 2 off ebay. It worked, she slept really well and soundly and we moved her to a proper cot when she grew out of it with no problems. I think she was just under a year old. Wished I had had it for my eldest.
It's not that hugeg so it's possible to use it as a bedside cot in the early days for the midnight feeds.

maybe this is a daft question but how does the amby work for travel? Don't you still have to take that big metal frame with you? I'm thinking of getting one but want to be able to transport it easily in a small car.

many thanks

It comes to bits and all fits into a tent sized bag. It is very easy to put up.