Hanging with a 3 month old?

**nomoore** · 11-03-2014, 09:25

My wife and I have been hanging for years now but we recently added a new little lady to our family. She is 3 months old tomorrow. We have been brainstorming how to get her in a hammock too (while camping). My wife tried laying in her WBB with the little one and she thinks it might be doable. She doesn't feel it would even be possible to roll on her. She even tried breastfeeding in the hammock and it worked. The little lady was a bit fussy though. We don't know if she was feeling squished or if she was tired or possibly still a little hungry. We didn't have much time to troubleshoot.

Has anyone tried this for a whole night? Or does anyone have a suggestion or insight to make it more comfortable for both? And no, I don't think the shelf on the WBB will support her properly.

**campcrafter** · 11-03-2014, 09:34

Ok my first thought was WTh are you thinking. Don't do that!

Then I see you are from Austin - Keep It Weird!

And I think that the indigenous people who invented the hammock obviously did this - so you might do a little research there.
Probably something wider like a ENO Double Nest that you can lay more diagonally on - I think that may be more like the original peoples had.

My final thought was maybe a baby hammock that hangs above but within the big hammock.

let us know what you come up with and pics.

Congratulations on your hammock bundle of joy!

Blessings,
cc

**OneClick** · 11-03-2014, 09:46

LOL I thought of the shelf

I hung in my hammock for a few minutes with my little guy to calm him down once; he's just over 3 months old now. I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping with him since it seems like he would be squished all night. I guess there's a suffocation risk, but then again 20 years ago parents laid babies on their stomach to sleep...now it's the back. So who knows.

Seems like it would be best with some type of cradle that would keep her from rolling or moving a lot. Do you swaddle her? If so, maybe just placing a folded blanket on the side for her to lie on. I'm thinking this would feel flatter like a matress.

**nomoore** · 11-03-2014, 13:58

A mini hammock hung from the ridgeline is what I was thinking at first too. If she would let us swaddle her then we could use a thick blanket around her and maybe hang a blanket on the bottom of the mini hammock. Unfortunately she cries and breaks out of a swaddle in about 30 seconds. And I'm not sure she would sleep without being able to see mommy.

Alternatively I wonder if I could use some cut up CCF and make a slightly rigid structure around her (baby) so she is less squished between the side of the hammock and mom? I could even leave a cutout at boob height for breastfeeding.That would also provide a little more insulation under her and make it less critical for the underquilt to be placed perfectly. Hmmm.... I'm liking this idea. I need to run it by the wife/mommy to see if she likes it.

@markr6 She definitely moves around a LOT when sleeping and hates to be swaddled.

@Campcrafter - I grew up in SW Louisiana and got called weird often. Since I moved to Austin in my teens I can't really remember being singled out as weird. I must be a natural Austinite!

**humer91** · 11-03-2014, 14:51

As an RN, i have to say co-sleeping (sharing a bed, or in this case a hammock) is a terrible idea. Co-sleeping puts babies at risk of suffocation, strangulation, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Studies have found that bed-sharing is the most common cause of deaths in babies, especially those 3 months and younger. In the last year (roughly) I have seen at least 10 infants brought into my ER with severe injuries or fully arrested. Please, DO NOT DO THIS.

**2Questions** · 11-03-2014, 15:46

Originally Posted by humer91

As an RN, i have to say co-sleeping (sharing a bed, or in this case a hammock) is a terrible idea. Co-sleeping puts babies at risk of suffocation, strangulation, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Studies have found that bed-sharing is the most common cause of deaths in babies, especially those 3 months and younger. In the last year (roughly) I have seen at least 10 infants brought into my ER with severe injuries or fully arrested. Please, DO NOT DO THIS.

Donna here...I was going to say the same thing. Our daughter is a RN in the PICU of a Children's hospital. I have heard way too many very tragic stories of infants suffocating or severe brain damage from co-sleeping. Please don't do it.

**fishfish** · 11-03-2014, 16:10

as a species we have had our babies sleep with us for thousands of years and it cant be that hazardous,we are testament to it surely?

**STinGa** · 11-03-2014, 16:12

I don't work in a hospital and I didn't sleep in a Holiday Inn last night, so I will suggest following the nurse's opinions. But, I did get all of my kiddos out camping when they were that age ... that was before I ran across this sight .. and still used a t@#t. We bought a larger tent and put the pack and play one one side and my wife and I slept on the other side.

STinGa

**2Questions** · 11-03-2014, 16:18

In addition...
A firm flat surface is the only bedding recommended until the child is able to lift and move around by themselves...i.e...crawling. And then one should be very careful of the surface. Better to be very safe than terribly sorry.
Donna

Edit...unless strapped in properly...on their back. And with this...it is still a firm surface.

**Boston** · 11-03-2014, 16:45

Originally Posted by fishfish

as a species we have had our babies sleep with us for thousands of years and it cant be that hazardous,we are testament to it surely?

Infant mortality rates were also a lot higher, and possibly more accepted back then.

I would suggest making a small bridge hammock for her, that can be hung from a ridgeline. Make it enclosed with a bug net so she can't fall out. Should solve the squeeze problem. you could make it double layer and use CCF, along with a small UQ if needed, to keep her warm. The inside layer made of fleece, or something similar would probably be more comfortable than nylon.