Calling all Sahelis with a newborn at home!  How many of you suffer from tired, achy arms and backs from what seems like countless hours of rocking your bundle of joy to sleep or just calming her down?  Whether your munchkin suffers from colic or just likes to feel snug and secure as she drifts off to dreamland, a ghodiyu may be just what you are looking for!

The ghodiyu has been used for generations in India and has put many happy and healthy babies to sleep, while allowing their parents some R&R for their tired bodies.  It is essentially a hammock that envelops the child, simulating a womb-like experience, thereby quieting and calming the child.  With minimal strain on your body, the baby can then be rocked to sleep by pulling on the string attached to the hammock at whatever speed you like.  The best part is, it can be placed next to your bed so you don’t even have to get up in the middle of the night if the baby starts getting fussy!  All you new-mom Saheli’s know just how difficult and exhausting that can be!   

Additional benefits in using the ghodiyu are:

• Reflux Reduction  – due to the natural curve in the hammock the baby’s head is raised higher than the rest of his/her body
• Spine Support – the curvature of the spine is supported naturally once the baby is suspended in the hammock
• Prevents Plagiocephaly or Flat Head Syndrome – the baby’s weight is evenly distributed as the hammock conforms to the baby’s shape

Now Sahelis, you may be asking – where can find a ghodiyu in the USA?  Not only have we found a vendor that sells the original ghodiyu design in a lovely stainless steel, but we have also found a variation of this traditional Indian baby swing.  Ghodiyu.net offers the metal version, which we have tested and can honestly say is “heaven for kids”.  CitySaheli has watched a number of children fall asleep quickly and remain in slumberland for more time than when they are placed on an open mattress/playpen/crib. 

For a more modern interpretation, Hushamok.com offers a baby hammock, which offers similar, if not the same, benefits as the ghodiyu.  The makers of this baby hammock say this version was said to have originated in Latin America and it is truly different from others in that it is centrally suspended by a leaf-spring that causes the motion to be smooth and non-jerky.  

 As a special offer to CitySaheli Baby readers Hushamok.com has offered a chance to win a free MySeat ($219 value) when you purchase a hammock with the okoa stand.  Be sure to enter CitySaheli in the  where did you hear about us box.  Here is a sample of what it looks like.

* To prevent any ‘bumps in the night’, babies should not be placed in the ghodiyu/baby hammock once they are able to roll over on their own (approximately 4 – 6 months old).   

1 Comments For This Post

• Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. I would also encourage everyone to bookmark this page to your favourite service to help spread the word. Thanks

  BY Max Daft on October 7th, 2010 at 6:26 am

Leave a Reply