Are you a new mom? If so, congratulations! Well, as a new mom, you are happy but you may also have a number of worries. One of them is about your baby’s sleep. You may be afraid that the pillows around your baby can block your baby’s breathing. You may also be afraid that your baby may be cold and many other worries in your head.
Read also: The Dangers of Pillows for Babies
If you feel these things, it means that you need a guide to sleep safely for you baby as you are able to read below.
A Guide Sleep Safely for Newborn Babies
You are able to get rid of your worries about your baby’s sleep by following the guide below about sleeping safely for your newborn baby.
1. Don’t Put Your Baby On A Pillowy Surface
When you have a newborn baby, the baby needs to sleep in the same room as you, but make sure that the baby sleeps on a separate surface. It is not recommended for you to put your baby on a sofa, chair, or a tender surface. It is done to reduce the risk of sleep-related death. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), it is recommended for a baby to sleep in the same room as the baby’s parents for at least the first six months.
Rachel Moon, MD, FAAP, the main writer of the reports says, “We know that parents may be overwhelmed with the new baby and we want to give a clear and simple instruction about how and where a baby should sleep.”
She also said that parents may not put their baby on a sofa or a tender chair alone or sleep in the same place as other people. It is because these surfaces are dangerous.
Each year, there were around 3.500 babies in the United States of America who passed away because of sleep-related death. It included Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), suffocation, and unclear death.
After a national campaign about safe sleep, the number of baby’s death decreased in the 1990s, but then it increased again in the last few years.
2. Creating a Safe Sleeping Environment for Your Baby
For your newborn baby, you need to be able to create a safe environment like a crib. Here are the recommendations to create a safe sleeping environment according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
- You have to position your baby to lie down on a solid surface such as a bassinet or crib with a tight sheet.
- You have to avoid using a pillowy surface for your baby to sleep such as a blanket, pillows and tender toys. Make sure that the baby’s crib is empty.
- Your baby needs to sleep in the same room as you, but on a different sleeping surface. It can be done at least for the first six months. Doing it can reduce the risk of SIDS.
- You have to make sure that your baby is not exposed to cigarette smoke, illegal drugs and alcohol.
In the same report, it suggests for moms to be skin-to-skin with their babies for at least an hour after their babies are born and moms are in a stable condition. Besides, it is also recommended to breastfeed their babies as an additional protection to SIDS.
Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, FAAP, a member of Task Force on SIDS says that if you breastfeed your baby and you worry that you will fall asleep, give your baby on the bed, instead of doing it on a sofa or a pillowy chair. She also says that if you fall asleep, when you wake up, you need to move your baby to the baby’s crib immediately and you have to make sure that there are no blankets, pillows, sheets and the other things that can bother your baby’s breathing or can cause excessive heat to your baby’s body.
Several Tips for Your Baby to Sleep Safely
Are there any other tips for babies to sleep safely? According to AAP, here are some other tips for your baby to sleep safely.
- You can give your baby a pacifier at nap time and at night bedtime.
- Make sure that you do not use home monitors or commercial devices, including wedges or positioners.
- Make sure that your baby gets all recommended vaccinations.
That’s all the guide to sleep safely for babies according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. If you find difficulty to make your baby sleep, you are able to consult your doctor.
