How can you securely hold a baby while it sleeps?

While it may seem goofy at first, cradling your baby like a football, with their back against your forearms and their head tucked in the crook of one of your arms, is one of the safest and most sustainable ways to carry a newborn. Angle the baby's stomach towards yours.

How can you stop worrying about SIDS?

You cannot, but do not worry. Once a baby can roll over on their own, the brain is developed enough to warn them of breathing hazards, and by the time the infant is 6 months old, better motor abilities will aid in saving the baby, lowering the chance of SIDS significantly.

How to Ensure Your Baby Is Sleeping Safely?

It's lovely when your baby falls asleep, but when your new-mom worry sets in, you may find yourself continuously checking on your child to ensure they're still breathing. And that is not an entirely unjustified fear. Fortunately, researchers have identified a few simple steps that parents may do to help guarantee their newborns' healthy sleep.

Here Are Some Tips To Ensure Your Baby Is Sleeping Safely

Ensure your crib meets safety standards: Step one to ensure crib safety: Check that your crib, portable crib, bassinet, or play yard satisfies the safety guidelines.

Use a firm sleeping surface: Adults may appreciate their pillowtop mattresses, but newborns should always sleep on a solid surface, which is a hard surface that does not indent when they lie down. This might be a crib, bassinet, or play yard with a firm mattress and a tight-fitting sheet made exclusively for that product. You also don't want huge gaps between the mattress and the crib's edges; a properly fitted mattress should not allow you to slide more than two fingers down the sides.

Place the baby to sleep on their back: Whether you're putting your baby down for a nap or making them sleep at night, always put them to sleep on their back rather than their stomach. This is one of the most crucial suggestions for babies' healthy sleep.

Do not put anything in the crib other than the baby: Except for the mattress, fitted sheet and your baby, there should be nothing in the crib while the baby naps. This means no blankets, pillows, toys, or cot bumper pads. Sure, your nursery images may appear extra-cute with a blanket draped over the crib rail and a cuddly teddy snuggled into the corner, but when it's time for baby to sleep, these objects might put your child in danger of asphyxia, strangling, or entrapment and should all be removed. If you're concerned about your infant becoming cold, consider a wearable blanket—a cloth bag with or without arms that you can zip around your baby to prevent loose bedding from covering their face.

Try offering the baby a pacifier: While feeding your baby a pacifier is not essential (there are some benefits and drawbacks), one of the major advantages is that it has been demonstrated to lessen the risk of SIDS(Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), even if the pacifier slips out of the baby's mouth after they fall asleep. If you're nursing, Dr Amit Gupta suggests waiting until you and your baby are comfortable before introducing the pacifier.

Swaddle the baby: Not all newborns prefer being swaddled—or wrapped up burrito-style—but if yours does, consider it acceptable to put the baby to sleep in a swaddle. This is excellent news, considering that swaddling, which simulates the snugness of the womb, might help newborns sleep better. Just make sure you're swaddling the infant appropriately. As soon as you see a baby breaking free or attempting to roll over, it's best to remove the swaddle since you don't want your baby sleeping with loose blankets or rolling onto their tummy and being unable to return to their back.

Remove any cords or wires around the crib: Remove any window cables or electrical wires near your baby's cot to help guarantee safe sleep, since they might get tangled and cause your child to choke.

Keep the baby's room cool: It is natural to want to keep an infant warm overnight, but studies suggest that sleeping in a hot environment raises the risk of SIDS by around 4.5 per cent. To ensure the baby's comfort and safety during sleep, maintain the room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Touch the baby's back and chest to see whether they are comfortable; it should feel warm rather than chilly, according to Dr Amit Gupta. If you see damp hair, a flushed face, or quick breathing, it means your baby is overheating and needs to lose a layer. If they become too chilly, add an undershirt, thicker pyjamas, or a warmer sleep sack but avoid loose blankets in the crib.

Have the baby sleep in your room: Having the baby's sleep area in your bedroom for at least the first six months, preferably up to a year, is a simple approach to minimising the baby's risk of SIDS by 50%. Place the crib, bassinet or play yard near your bed. It will make it simpler for you to feed, calm, and monitor the baby.

Only bring the baby into your bed for feeding and comfort: After you've done breastfeeding or comforting your baby, return them to their sleeping area. Of course, many new mothers are exhausted, so if there's a possibility you'll fall asleep with your baby still in your bed, the experts suggest removing any pillows, sheets, blankets or other materials that might hide your child's face and head or cause overheating. As soon as you wake up, return the infant to their bed.

FAQs on How to Ensure Your Baby Is Sleeping Safely?

How can you securely hold a baby while it sleeps?
While it may seem goofy at first, cradling your baby like a football, with their back against your forearms and their head tucked in the crook of one of your arms, is one of the safest and most sustainable ways to carry a newborn. Angle the baby's stomach towards yours.
How can you stop worrying about SIDS?
You cannot, but do not worry. Once a baby can roll over on their own, the brain is developed enough to warn them of breathing hazards, and by the time the infant is 6 months old, better motor abilities will aid in saving the baby, lowering the chance of SIDS significantly.