As a new parent, sleep absolutely consumes your life, whether it be your sleep (or lack thereof), or your baby’s sleep. It becomes the only thing you talk about; how the baby slept last night, how you slept, how you DIDN’t sleep, etc. We are told of the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is quite honestly the LAST thing you want to think about as a new and anxious parent. But it is SO important to be aware of! While no one knows what causes it, we can reduce the risk of SIDS by practicing safe sleep.
I’m going to be completely honest; when I had Aidan, I could not get him off of me. At all. He would only sleep on me those first few weeks and it terrified me. I hardly slept, as I was constantly worrying about something happening to him if I fell asleep with him on me. Those first few weeks were a real struggle, but we got through them thank goodness.
I know that I was not practicing safe sleep in those early days, which is why I’m writing this. The best of way of making sure we practice safe sleep is by doing research and making sure we make smart choices when putting our little ones down for a nap or bedtime. Here are some tips to help you practice safe sleep with your baby!
Keep baby in your room.
It is advised to keep baby in your room until they are 6 months old. And to be completely honest, you’ll want to anyway with all the night wakings/feeding! They should be in their own bassinet/cot, but there is the option of co-sleeping (meaning baby in bed with you). If you do decide that co-sleeping is the best option for you, do your research to make sure you practice it safely!
Lay baby flat on their back.
This is probably the most IMPORTANT thing to do. The safest position for babies to sleep in is flat on their backs. Newborns don’t have the ability to move their heads from side to side yet, and laying them on their front constricts their airways. Obviously once your baby starts becoming more mobile and doing things like turning over, then it’s safe for them to sleep in other positions. Aidan’s favorite position to sleep in for a while was on his front with his bum in the air; he still sleeps like that every now and then!
Consider a bedside crib.
A bedside crib is honestly one of the best pieces of baby gear you can buy. This was a complete gamechanger for us, and it’s what actually got Aidan off of me at night. I remember Steve hastily putting it together on Christmas Eve when it came because I just knew it would make nights so much easier. All bedside cribs have the option of being standalone, or attaching to the side of the bed. I attached it to the side of the bed and could easily lift Aidan out at night for feeding and changing, and could just reach over to settle him at night when he started fussing. There are so many options to choose from, like the Tutti Bambini Cozee Air, shown below. Like many bedside cribs, it comes with mesh windows, height adjustments, an incline option (so helpful for babies with reflux!), and more. This crib even has a rocking option, and a storage shelf on the bottom, which I think is such a great idea! You can keep things like your phone and night feed necessities in there.
Buy a quality (and unused!) mattress.
Having the right mattress is a must. A baby’s mattress should be flat and firm in order to support their heads properly. There are different types, such as pocket sprung mattresses, foam mattresses, and even natural fibre mattresses. We bought the Tutti Bambini Pocket Sprung Mattress, which is fully breathable, hypoallergenic, and has a removable washable cover (thankfully!). I’m pretty sure Aidan loves it (when he does sleep, he sleeps HARD lol), so I’m happy!
Create a safe sleep atmosphere.
Baby’s crib or cot should be completely clear. There should be nothing in there like pillows, heavy bedding, toys, etc.; the only thing in there should be your baby! Loose items are a safety hazard for babies. The only bedding that should be in baby’s crib are things like a cellular blanket, or a swaddle or sleepsack. Also make sure that the room is the right temperature by using a room thermometer – there are various choice on the market; our baby monitor even has a temperature on it.
Happy (and safe) snoozing, folks!
xx Lauren
I haven’t had a baby yet but had little sisters, a niece and a nephew, so I have definitely picked up tips and know what works. This is a very helpful post for mums and dads expecting or have their baby. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Lauren bournemouthgirl.com
Thank you Lauren, I’m glad you enjoyed the post! I’ve also grown up with so many kids/babies around me (I’m one of 5!), so you definitely pick up a few things. But nothing prepared me for the SOLE responsibility of another human being’s existence haha!