SIDS Prevention; Safe Sleep Environment
Creating a safe sleep environment for your child should be one of your top priorities. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard:
- Back in my day, we dipped the pacifier in whiskey to help the baby sleep….
- I always laid my baby down on their stomach…
- Co-sleeping is the best way to get sleep while the baby sleeps
- We swaddled for 10 months and our babies turned out fine
TOO MANY TIMES.
The thing is, once you know better, shouldn’t you want to do better?
I remember making a grilled cheese sandwich for my son, Drake. He was only 2.5 and quite particular with the food he’d eat. Personally, I love an American Cheese grilled cheese. You know, the cheese that’s wrapped in those plastic sheets that is basically plastic itself? It melts fantastic, get’s stringy, and tastes great.
Anyway, I made him his sandwich with the American Cheese and my Grandma turns to me and says “Is that a cheese slice? Or real cheese?” I responded with “Cheese Slice.” She then said “Bailey, you shouldn’t be feeding him that, it’s almost plastic!” Feeling defensive I said, “Well he’s picky and I like it too. I grew up on it and turned out just fine!” She then said “There are plenty of things I grew up with that I’d change.”
The whole interaction left me feeling annoyed. I hate any sort of judgement about my parenting choices and specifically around food. Again, Drake has been a bit of a picky eater his entire life. However, her statement did strike a chord with me.
Since then, I’ve made him grilled cheese sandwiches with real cheese…and guess what? He eats it just fine.
This blog post isn’t about grilled cheese or the pros and cons between American Cheese and Real Cheddar, but to demonstrate how things can change (in just a short amount of time!) and we can make better decisions.
Safe sleep is really important to me. As parents, we are responsible for the well-being of our children, and I would never want to compromise their safety to ease my struggle.
Being a parent of a newborn who has their days and nights mixed up is HARD.
Being a parent of a baby who wakes 5x a night is HARD.
Being a parent of a toddler who refuses to sleep alone is HARD.
Ensuring your child’s sleep environment is as safe a possible is worth it 100% of the time.
What makes a sleep space safe?
No crib bumpers - not even mesh ones.
No mobiles or attachments on the crib.
No crib tents or other contraptions to keep the baby in the crib
No pillows or blankets before the child is old enough 12+ months.
No swaddling after 12 weeks of age or after first signs of rolling.
No teddy bears or other small loveys in the crib until 12 months.
No weighted sleep sacks or swaddles.
No co-sleeping with your child.
No doc-a-tots or other containers to hold your baby while they sleep.
Always laying your child down on their backs.
Moving your child into the crib once they outgrow their bassinet weight/height limits.
This list sounds like a lot. But in short-form, placing your baby on their back, in a cool room on a firm, flat mattress, with NOTHING else in the crib with them, is the safest place for them to sleep. I’ve talked with Emergency Room Nurses who’ve said the the amount of “blue babies” that come into the ER is alarming…and you know how most of them were found? In the bed of their parent; co-sleeping.
I’m not meaning to scare you or make you feel bad about your current sleep habits, but once you know better, shouldn’t you want to do better?
If you have a baby, toddler, or even an older child who won’t sleep without your assistance, know that it’s not too late to make a change. If you want 1-on-1 sleep coaching, let’s set up a call to chat about support options.
