Our baby doesn't like his Amby hammock

[colsy]

We are using an Amby hammock for our son, who is two weeks old, but we're not convinced he likes it very much. He actually seems to be far happier sleeping or lying in his crib. The thing is, we bought the hammock because they're meant to encourage good sleep and help his colic, but we are sure now that our little one prefers the crib, which unfortunately is downstairs so currently not much use for nighttime!

I was just wondering whether anybody else found that their baby didn't like the hammock very much, or whether it's just us being over-sensitive. It could simply be that we're desperate for sleep at night so it just seems that he doesn't like the hammock.

Love to hear any thoughts on this. Thanks xx

 

[TigerLady]

What makes you think he doesn't like it? Is he not sleeping at all? Fussing? Screaming? How do you usually put him to bed at night? Does he take naps in it during the day? If not, where does he sleep?

 

[colsy]

What makes you think he doesn't like it? Is he not sleeping at all? Fussing? Screaming? How do you usually put him to bed at night? Does he take naps in it during the day? If not, where does he sleep?

Good question, it's just a gut feeling I have. He sleeps in a swinging crib downstairs during the day, and we just feel he settles in that better than in the hammock in our room. He definitely fusses. He does get some sleep in the hammock, but he just looks rather uncomfortable in it, like he's a bit scrunched up. Maybe it's just me worrying! We usually put him to bed after he's fallen asleep breastfeeding downstairs, any time between about 9pm and midnight.

Gosh, this parenting thing is scary - everything I do, I worry that I've done wrong!

 

[TigerLady]

Worrying so much is normal! We all do it.

You might be right, that he doesn't like being scrunched up. Just because SOME babies perfer the womb like feeling, doesn't mean all will. For example, most babies are comforted by being swaddled... mine is not. From the moment he was born he HATED being swaddled and still does. That's just him.

Can you try to swtich out his swinging cradle for the Amby? See if he sleeps better in the Amby for naps... or see if he sleeps better in the cradle at night. If he sleeps better in the cradle at night and STILL doesn't like the Amby for naps, then you are probably right about him not liking it. If you switch them and he still sleeps for naps, but not at night, then it is not the hammock, but probably something about your room or the time of day...?

 

[Eala]

How do you have the Amby adjusted? We initially had ours too flat for Romilly - while she liked it (as opposed to lying flat in her carrycot), we sometimes felt she was almost too spread out. We used the velcro tabs to raise the back up, and she is settling much faster than before. Perhaps you have the opposite issue - you maybe need to drop the back down a bit to let your LO stretch out a bit more?

As TigerLady said, every baby is different though, it could be that it's just not the thing for your LO. Or he might grow into it, you never know

 

[abigail_71]

Our baby sleeps in the Amby day and night. He sleeps less well at night full stop though. We tried him for a couple of days and nights in a moses basket, he definately prefers the Amby but is more restless at night whereever he sleeps. Could it just be that? Apparently some babes get their days and nights mixed up and just are more awake at night...