experiences of baby hammocks?! advice please

[plumcake]

Hi there - we're thinking about getting a baby hammock as I've read lots of good things about them. Our ds is two and a half weeks, and sleeps brilliantly in his sling, when he can be bobbed up and down to resettle, but at night is only sleeping for an hour max at a time. We thought a hammock might help? Any thoughts or suggestions? I'm knackered after feeding him every hour or so all through the night! Thanks in advance.

At 2 1/2 weeks, your milk supply is probably still establishing itself. Babies often feed very frequently at night, particularly when they're very small, because the milk-producing hormone is highest then. So, if you can hang in there for a bit longer, it might be worth waiting to see if his night feeds settle down a bit by themselves before you get a hammock. I know this won't be easy if your baby only sleeps in a sling during the day (mine did, too) as it means you can't rest when he does. However can someone else take him for a couple of hours at some point to allow you to get some rest? My DH took our ds from about 10 until midnight to allow me to get some sleep. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing and we couldn't make it longer because he wanted feeding so frequently.

My ds has actually slept in an amby hammock since he was 7 weeks old. We cracked and shelled out the money - they're not exactly cheap - not because of the feed frequency thing (as I say, that did settle down a bit as he got older, although, to my horror, it did reappear at about 4 months) but because LO wanted to be held all night. The hammock helped quite a lot with this, presumably because it's quite snug around his body and so, to a degree, mimics the feeling of being held.

HTH

Thanks Sariska - it's really helpful to know our lo isn't the only one feeding so often! In fact we were doing the same thing - lo in the sling with ds for about the same stretch of time, but thought that we would see what happens without it... cue a very long night for all 3 of us! How long did it take for the feeds to settle down for you?

I've also heard great things about the Amby hammock... My friend (who breastfeeds without any supply issues) has had her DD in one from the start and she sleeps like a dream from 11pm - 7am.

The downside is if you have a long baby the hammock probably wont last a year as stated but nearer 6 months

Hi Plumcake - It's not very helpful, I know, but I can't actually remember when my LO stopped feeding that frequently at night. It did happen though! He's just over 6 months now and goes for up to about 7 hours at the start of the night (6.30ish to 1.30ish) but then wants to feed (and sometimes party) at least every 3 hours after that - and usually more frequently. ...But you don't want to hear about that yet Main point is that the feeds do settle down. You just have to live with it until they do....

Does your LO sleep in his own moses basket or do you co-sleep or does he (shudders with sympathy if this is the case) want to be held in those all-too brief breaks between feeds?

That is reassuring Sariska (that it WILL settle down sometime)! He is currently in a bedside cot right up next to me - for some reason he seems to prefer this to his moses basket, and I can lean over easily and soothe him. He's actually quite happy lying there, not asleep, for some of the breaks between feeds - not crying, just wriggling and not settling - which is why we thought a hammock might help to bob him to sleep and possibly distract him from feeding, esoecially as last night he was soothed by a cuddle rather than a feed...

well, one of the times he woke this worked! the others I was feeding...

Hmmm, a hammock might work but at some point down the line you'll have to wean LO off being bobbed to sleep. OK, so that's not as hard as breaking a feed-sleep link but if you can avoid it (the rocking), I would. (Only wish I could have done!!) I think you sound like you're doing really well as it is and am very that your LO is sometimes happy to lie in his cot awake but not crying. Enjoy it!

Thanks Sariska - it's so hard to keep things in perspective, in that what seems tough to us is in fact great in comparison to what could be going on! We'll keep going as we are for a while a see what happens... I hope all is well for you!

Oh - just a last question: did the hammock help at all with the 'only sleeping in the sling during the day' thing? Our LO sleeps brilliantly in his sling, but really nowhere else... this is fine for now, but as it gets colder I'm worried it might turn into a problem. Thanks again!

Nope, not at all. At around 5 months he suddenly decided he'd (sometimes) fall asleep during the daytime in his pram - previously he screamed in it - but I am still waiting for a similar miracle insofar as the hammock is concerned! Still, it is a relief not to have to spend hours marching round with a sling, which was especially horrible when it was hot (there were the odd few days this "summer"). I suppose this was the opposite problem to the one you fear when it gets colder, so I hope your LO learns to sleep elsewhere before the days draw in. Stay optimistic: chances are it will happen; it's just a question of when!

We bought the Amby hammock - didn't really work for us - DS always seemed to roll sideways and have his nose squashed against the side, and I don't think he slept better in it than in the moses basket. Having said that it was sometimes good to be able to bounce him up and down to get him off to sleep.