Aliz Sass Many of you probably know that June is National Safety Month, or you might be like me, I actually just discovered this! There is so much great research out there about safety (especially sleep safety) with newborns and toddlers however, I think it can be very overwhelming and confusing at the same time.
I took all the available classes that were organized by the hospital and private groups, during my pregnancy, hoping I would know everything. Groups were amazing and I made a lot of friends who are my family now. However there were and still are a few things that nobody warned me about! And, as we know, babies don’t come with a manual. When it comes to newborn safety the first two that always come up are safe sleeping and car seat safety. Then, when baby starts crawling and walking, that’s when the nightmare begins. What if he swallows a small item, or chokes on food, falls in the pool, touches the outlet, climbs on the shelf, drinks the cleaning supplies etc. Never ending worry about our toddler begins.
Let’s go back a little bit for the newborn stage and talk about safe sleeping. What is the first thing you hear from the hospital? Baby has to sleep on their back, nothing in the crib, use a sleep sack instead of blanket, no co-sleeping. Well I did great 2 out of 4:) Never used blanket, maybe that’s why both of my boys comforters on their bed is just a decoration. I did co-sleep (and still do) so, I actually did 3 safety points since there was no baby in the crib, there was nothing else there. Our breastfeeding journey just made the boys not like to sleep in their crib at all. We all know (I hope at least most of us know), with a newborn in the home the first few months nobody sleeps where and how they used to sleep before the baby arrived. True or true?
Here are some topics that I feel are the most controversial. Different cultures and experiences or just listening to a friend or family member as a first time mom are all part of what we think can work.
Back is best- Baby should sleep on their back for every sleep. I am not an expert and please don’t follow me, BUT, in my country most moms put babies on their belly. But, I live in this country now so I did most thing according to doctors recommendation here and not from other countries. I remember following my moms advice with my first born and as soon she left the room I put my baby back to his back.
Better together– Absolutely agree. The recommended age when is the safest to have your baby sleep in a separate room is around 6 months. However, according to the guidelines sleeping together means room sharing but not bed sharing, that will be next. Even if the crib works for you, why you wouldn’t want to be with your baby? If he wakes up at night you are up comforting them anyway.
Co-sleeping-Oh yeeeeah! Breastfeeding mothers frequently share their bed with their infant. Some sources say it is unsafe no matter how this is done, but if you follow guidelines for safe sleep there is no need to worry. However, very small premature babies are at a greater risk. If you currently smoke or did during pregnancy the risk also increases for SIDS. Do not swaddle baby when you are bed sharing as baby may overheat. And make sure the surface is not too soft. There is one thing I can tell you after co-sleeping with your baby, in most cases it is harder to teach them how to sleep by their own.
Other than a crib, bassinet or play yard, no other areas should be an infant’s place to sleep. For example, swings, bouncy chairs or nappers that are inclined are a higher the risk to babies, because their chin can fall to their chest, cutting off their airflow.
So safety sleeping key points, agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments what did work for you and share any good/bad experiences. What all moms want is to keep our kids safe. Everybody has their own limit, when you have a little doubt that maybe your child is at risk while sleeping just change to make sure nothing can harm them.
**Information in this post is one mom’s experiences and not a recommendation from a doctor. Please research and follow safe sleep practices for your child.
