The NY Times Home Section has a feature on Suchitra Van and Nette Gaastra, two artsy, West Villagers who decided to remodel when their son Sebbe was born rather than give up their 1BR apartment. Think of it as an Indo-Dutch version of the Apartment Therapy House, only with about 80% less underbed storage.
Anyway, we learn that, "When Sebbe is not in bed with his parents, he sleeps in a wood-framed sling, like the one his father slept in as an infant in India."
Turns out that sling is called a ghodiyu. And though you can buy a Disney version in Jersey City, and you can make one out of a sawhorse and baling twine, they have a very, very low profile on the web. Hopefully, you diaspora parents won't leave us hanging too long on the details.
A Global Sweep on a Tiny Budget [nyt]
Nova Naturals has a baby hammock in their catalog and website. It's about 100 bucks, but has a harness, which is kinda stupid, frankly.
And Miss Priss, our second, due in July, gets a regular old college-dorm-type hammock chair. $69 bucks. Same idea.
I think you can also get some Australian ones off of ebay, and there's the Amby Hammock, of course. All Dr. Sears endorsed and uglied-up, just like that hideous lumpy sling they sell. MayaWraps are way better. Simpler is always better, in my opinion.
posted by: Ella at March 20, 2008 8:03 PMThat is an awesome looking piece of furniture. Would it be safe for an infant? Not a parent yet so I don't really know all the safety requirements but your post on the DIY crib a couple days ago has kept it on my mind. If it IS safe any chance you can explain what keeps a hammock from being a suffocation hazard?
[I'd guess that between an already high infant mortality rate and an abiding faith in reincarnation, SIDS and suffocation were historically not a concern in India. But slightly more seriously, I think the thinness of the hammock fabric would help minimize some suffocation risk, while the general lack of support could increase the chance of positional asphyxia, where newborns have trouble breathing because their head's too far forward into their chests. Otherwise, it should technically be no more dangerous than a wearable sling. But I have no idea about studies or data or anything. -ed.]
posted by: Meagan at March 20, 2008 9:49 PMthey use hammocks for babies all over the world. I believe they're most popular in hotter climates. And the fabric is usually pretty thin. You can see little Japanese babies all over YouTube in them. And the whole idea is you're not far enough away from your baby that you wouldn't notice if they were face down, or otherwise distressed. But it's all about what you're comfortable with, in the end.
posted by: Ella at March 21, 2008 11:51 AM
