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This time last year I was getting ready for Bobbin's Babyshower Giveaway and one lucky reader won a beautiful Amby Baby Air Hammock - the most popular prize of the lot because HOW DO I MAKE MY BABY SLEEP seems to be the number question on every parents' lips. Miss Bobbin made her beautiful, water birth arrival in August and has been testing out the Amby pretty much ever since. Longest. Review. Ever.
When I was introduced to the Amby, I thought looked beautiful and I loved the concept as I'm a huge believer in the "fourth trimester", gentle parenting, babywearing and cosleeping. But I can't wear her all the time thanks to a dodgy back and cosleeping wasn't appropriate all the time (if Tricky needed to be in with us or if I was exhausted), so a hammock that gently rocks, sways and bobs around as Bobbin moved, lulling her back to sleep seemed like an amazing middle ground.
After a rocky start (pun absolutely intended), I found my groove with the Amby. There was a bit of a knack to lowering her in to it, so I was inadvertently waking her up every time! But I persisted and eventually got the hang (pun intended again) of it. The only issue for me was bending over when my back was knackered, because it is quite low, but most of the time it wasn't a problem. Note to self: if you remembered to bend your knees, this wouldn't be an issue.
Excluding our initial hiccups, Bobbin did sleep longer in the hammock than in her bassinet. She'd startle and the movement created would gently rock her back to sleep, so she was only waking when she was hungry or completely rested.
I've lost count of the number of times I'd hear her babbling to herself after she'd woken up in the Amby, and I can only put it down to waking when she was ready to wake, rather than from jerking herself awake.
I loved how easy to set up it was. It was able to do it in a few minutes and it didn't even require an allen key. Huzzah! Being super lightweight meant I could pick it up and move it to wherever I needed it - it moved around a lot because of our renovations and even lived at a friend's house to help with her colicky baby for a little while. It lives in our bedroom most of the time but when the Freo Doctor would come in after a hot day, we'd pop it out the back so Bobbin could bop around with the breeze gently blowing through the mesh, while Tricky played in the blow up pool. I'd like an adult sized one, actually. With a cocktail, thanks.
She still fits in it, and it's my go-to coping method when she is unsettled and I can't wear her in the carrier for whatever reason.
To see some absolutely stunning images of it, head over to Documenting Delight. Georgia creates beautiful images of everything, but the pictures of the Amby down by the river are so lovely they put my pictures of the Amby on the back patio by the blow up pool to shame. Her little (well, big) bubba Florin and partner, Errol, star in the new video... fitting since she made it.
