So, one of the main things I’ve discovered (it was never
a surprise) was how against co-sleeping Americans are, but in most cases, they
really aren’t as much against co-sleeping as they think they are. What many fail to realize is that co-sleeping
is an umbrella to two distinct practices: bedsharing (which is what almost
everyone thinks about when they hear co-sleeping) and roomsharing (which is
when the baby sleeps in the same room as you, but has its own separate sleeping
space). Perhaps it’s the mentality of
creating a nursery (or in essence, having the “money” to afford such a
“luxury”) that sways so many, but the BEST place for your baby to sleep is in
the room with you, not in another room.
Roomsharing can help promote a breastfeeding relationship, as well as be
more relaxing for babies that mothers alike.
I see a lot of bashing of co-sleeping (as mentioned
before, mostly regarding bedsharing), and you see a lot about how to safely
co-sleep (bedshare), but in the interest of those that are co-sleeping
(roomsharing) and because so many seem to think that just because baby is in a
crib that they are safe, here are TIPS TO SAFETLY CRIB SLEEP:
1. If you aren’t comfortable having baby in the room (or
the crib won’t fit), it is imperative to have a baby monitor. I cannot stress
this enough. We always had the crib in
the same room as our bed, so we didn’t have any monitors. However, our son stopped breathing in his
sleep while taking a nap in the bedroom and we were in the living room. A monitor could have let us know sooner that
something was wrong and he might have been saved. (If his death was in fact
SIDS, knowing sooner would not have saved him, but on the chance there was
another cause it could have.) In fact,
just get a monitor, and make it one that tracks movement and alarms when there
hasn’t been any. You can get one that
clips onto baby’s diaper and/or a mat that goes under the crib mattress.
2. The crib itself: Do not use drop side cribs, they have
been recalled for a reason, and they include babies that fall out, lacerations
and entanglement. Make sure all screws
and bolts are firmly and correctly in place.
Make sure there are no rough/sharp edges. If you are using an old crib, make sure it
follows safety guidelines with width between the bars, and will fit a standard
crib mattress.
3. The crib mattress itself: Make sure it fits your crib
without gaps. It should be firm (I don’t
know of many that aren’t, but it’s very possible there are some for sale and
those selling them will try and tell you it’s just fine for baby to use
them. Do not trust them: they are trying
to sell you a product.) It’s a general rule of thumb to use a new mattress for
each new baby, but if that is not possible for whatever reason, make sure the
mattress is free of rips/tears and is still firm without dips.
4. Monitors:
Already mentioned (see #1) but monitors should NEVER go inside the crib (with
the exception of those that clip onto baby’s diaper or the mat that goes UNDER
the crib mattress). Cords run the risk of
strangulation and electrocution, so be sure that you follow the safety
guidelines for the monitors.
5. Crib bumpers:
Ditch them. The miniscule “benefit” they
offer is negligible in the face of their risks of suffocation and
strangulation. (And honestly, how they lower the amount of oxygen, those that
use them aren’t offering any different in oxygen saturation than if the baby is
between mom and dad in bed.)
6. Positioners/recliners: DON’T USE THEM! Okay, I
digress, SOME doctors might recommend one for a health reason, but the general
populace doesn’t need them and they run risks of suffocation (or in the case of
recliners, falls as well).
7. Mattress
propping: Unless told by a DOCTOR for some health concerns including reflux,
crib mattresses should lay FLAT. If you are told to prop the mattress by a
medical professional, use something that won’t or cause the mattress to “rock”.
8. Stuffed
animals/toys: Oh yes, the cute crib filled with those adorable stuffed
animals. Great for pictures, bad for baby. Even if baby is a newborn, take stuffed
animals and toys out of the crib when baby is sleeping in there. Mobiles should be removed when babies can
reach them and possibly pull them down.
The only exception to this would MAYBE be a small, solid plastic toy
(such as a ball) that has no strings and no way of coming apart and becoming a
choking hazard if you’re terribly worried about baby waking up and not being
entertained.
9.
Blankets/pillows: Regardless of what many will tell you babies do not
need blankets. Sleepers work just fine,
and in fact, sleep sacks are better.
However, if you insist upon using a blanket, opt for those that are thin
(such as receiving blankets) and avoid the thick and fluffy kind and have them
on one end of the crib, where you place your baby’s feet at the beginning of
the sleep time. (This is so when baby
shuffles about, they move their fact away from the blanket, and not towards
it.) As for pillows, babies don’t need
pillows. Ever. If they are in the crib at all, they should
be propping the mattress (see #7) underneath the crib mattress and have no
contact with baby at all. And I say
again; if you’re using fluffy blankets and pillows in the crib, you’re really
doing little else than what most people warn against with bedsharing.
10. Crib sheets:
With the exception of a pacifier, under the mattress monitor mat (and/or clip
on monitor), hard plastic toy, crib mattress and of course baby, this is the
ONLY THING that should be in the crib.
It should be a thin material and fit the crib mattress tautly. Use fitted sheets only.
11. Bottles: Babies should never be put to bed with a
bottle, regardless of what’s inside. Also, never add rice cereal to “bulk up”
breastmilk or formula in a bottle. It
increases the risk of aspiration (baby getting it into their lungs) and it
doesn’t help them sleep. There are a few
medical conditions that parents are told to do this, but that is from a medical
professional, don’t do it because your mother/mother-in-law thinks you
should. Also, don’t prop bottles. Seriously.
The only time that this is even in the realm of okay is if you’re
changing/feeding a twin (or other baby) and the baby with the propped bottle is
within arm’s reach or whatnot. This is
to keep sanity and everyone happy but should only be going on for about a
minute until you can have them both in hand.
So, to recap: EMPTY cribs, NOTHING FLUFFY, monitors, no
bottles, no drop-side cribs, and cribs/crib mattresses that follow proper
safety guidelines all make for a happy baby, whether roomsharing or not.
Other tips:
*Babies can be surprisingly mobile even in their early
days, and you might find them in entirely different places in the crib than
where you put them. Just be aware of it.
*Always be sure to adjust the height of the crib mattress
(if it’s adjustable) as baby grows and gets taller so they don’t start climbing
out and falling.
*There are other places baby can sleep (at least in the
early days) in the same room that take up less space than a crib. They include Moses basket, basinet, playpen,
and “sidecar” co-sleepers (that attach to the parent’s bed, but the baby has
its own space). Do NOT use the
co-sleeper “box” things that sit between mother and father on the bed; they are
akin to positioners and carry many risks.
