I have just returned to work after almost 8 glorious months at home with Lollipop. She has now joined her brother in creche and, thankfully, seems to be loving it. I have been experimenting with different ways to bring my troops to and from creche and was delighted to re-discover the Hip Hammock which I bought for Mr Moo.
Hip Hammocks are baby/child carriers designed and made by an American called Nancy Swanke. I discovered them when Mr Moo outgrew his BabyBjorn carrier (which I had loved using). There are times when a pram isn’t the most convenient mode of transport (for example, as I recently discovered, a trip around IKEA!) and baby carriers are a great option but its quite hard to find one for a slightly older child. The Hip Hammock is designed to hold children up to 3 years old and is really comfortable because it disperses most of your child’s weight around your hip rather than around your neck and shoulders. I found this a really comfortable way to carry Mr Moo and its really lovely to have your baba at this level so that you can chat to them while you are on the move. Plus being carried at this height gives the baba a really lovely view of the world.
For me, its a really great and comfortable way to carry Lollipop and it means that I am also able to hold Mr Moo’s hand as we saunter along. Because Lollipop is facing me when I carry her this way, it is really easy to chat and interact with her – its great to be able to catch up on all her news and hear all the latest gossip from her new gang of 8 month old buddies!
The Hip Hammock costs $48 and each one is custom made (using measurements you provide when you place the order). We have a plain black one but there are a number of different fabrics to chose from and each one is lined with really soft fleece which makes it even more comfy. So if you are looking for a carrier for your older child, give the Hip Hammock some thought.
Just a note, Ms Swanke sold rights in her design to Playtex who also make and manufacture Hip Hammocks. But based on the reviews that I have read of the mass produced hammock, I would opt for Nancy’s custom made version every time.
