Sing me a lullaby, dream me a dream. You know yourself how it feels to sleep soundly on the perfect mattress, so think how much that could help you and your baby to sleep peacefully too.
Imagine being cuddled lovingly by layers of soft, dreamy feathers as they embrace you and take you to dreamland.
Protect Your Baby During Sleep
Safe sleep can help to protect your newborn baby from suffocation, choking and most importantly, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Ensure your babies safety, put them to sleep on their back on a flat surface such as a bassinet or a crib. You should also make sure that the bassinet meets the CPSC regulated safety guidelines.
What to Consider When Choosing a Bassinet?
Ensure that all bolts, brackets and screws are firmly secured, check everything carefully making sure there, sharp edges that baby may hurt themselves.
Things you should remember – a bassinet should have a well-supported wide base, to guarantee that it is stable and cannot fall over. All the excitement of being a new parent can be so exhilarating.
But by making sure that your new babies room is baby ready and free of any dangers and hazards, will benefit everyone with a great night’s sleep.
When putting your bassinet safely together, make sure that you follow all recommend manufacturer’s instructions to the absolute letter. Don’t rush the process or get easily distracted with your new bundle of joy. Remember their safety is crucial.
Safety First
Always consider your babies safety first. Follow the Bassinet and Cradles Business Guidance and Small Entity Compliance Guide; it is essential that you accurately follow this guidance as closely as you can.
It may also be prudent to take some time to read the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which sets the guidance you will need to ensure your babies night sleep is safe and sound.
Newborn babies should sleep alone, without bumpers, excessive blankets, toys and pillows.
Only start using pillows when your child is old enough to move out of a bassinet, cot or crib and can sleep independently in their toddler bed.
You may wish to keep your baby safe and warm by using a wearable blanket or a baby sleeping bag, as blankets and sheets can become safety hazards.
Protect your baby by keeping your environment a smoke-free zone; this can reduce the risk of SIDS. Keep breastfeeding going for as long as you possibly can, is has been shown to remove the risk of SIDS by 40% between the age of two and four months and 60% at the period of four to six months.
To prevent suffocation, stop swaddling your baby, as soon as they reach three to four months of age, as this may endanger your baby’s life or could potentially create strangulation or a suffocation hazard.
Weight Limits and Avoiding That Rickety Old Thing
The weight limit of most bassinets is 15-20 pounds. Steer clear of bassinets and cribs made before June 2011, old and antique heirlooms – these may longer be safe or fit for purpose.
Also, ensure that the slats are exactly 2 ⅜ inches apart, as stated in the CPSC guidance.
Mattress Matters
A mattress must fit snuggly and tight against all sides of the bassinet, to make sure that your baby’s fingers cannot be trapped. Think baby safe first and foremost. You must think carefully when choosing a bassinet mattress for your baby, research and look at all the information you can find on the internet, in baby magazines and by talking to other parents.
Choosing the right mattress will help to save you sleepless night’s, ensures that your baby sleeps well and removes the anxiety of hazards of any kind. You should also consider the material covering the mattress as this will also affect the level of sleep your baby receives, for example, avoid mattresses with plastic coverings as these can cause allergies and insufficient levels of sleep for young infants.
Make sure that you keep your newborn babies mattress at the highest level, especially as there is little risk of the baby being able to pull themselves up or escaping from the bassinet. You may want to review this as your baby grows and they reach seven months of age when there is a possibility that they pull themselves up to a sitting position.
There are many types of bassinets; you can be purchase with mattresses included. You can, however, buy bassinets without a mattress. Check the quality of the mattress, making sure that the mattress is not worn, dirty or damaged as this leads to health risks and safety hazards. You will need to replace it immediately if these factors are evident.
Natural Remedies and Practices to Help Your Baby Sleep
Numerous natural gentle sleep solutions may help you and your newborn baby sleep better.
- Keep to a routine and stick to a regular wake up time. A regular wake up time will regulate your babies body clock.
- Adjust the lighting in the baby’s sleep environment – provide your bay lots of exposure to natural daylight during the day and reduce lighting levels gradually throughout the day until bedtime.
- Make sure there is adequate airflow and that the baby’s room is well ventilated. Remove damp items and make sure the room is not too hot. Give your baby plenty of fresh air; this will help your baby sleep longer, deeper and provides a wide range of health benefits to their lungs, heart, skin and immune systems.
- White noise is similar to the noise your baby will hear, within your womb and the sound of your heartbeat during pregnancy. White noise has a calming effect on babies. It is also easy to purchase specific apps and music for you to play to your newborn. Should your baby fall to sleep listening to white noise, do not wake the baby up and allow it to sleep for the entire duration.
- Baby Massage – babies who are given a massage before sleep, usually fall asleep quicker, and they sleep much deeper, allowing them to develop better cognition and neural pathways in the brain. Massage can also help with your babies digestion, growth and development.
Creating A Magical Life
So, cosy up and rest, nurture your baby and yourself, you need to delegate jobs around the home now. Share all aspects of the parenting for your newborn baby; this helps to build bonds with both parents and keeps your little family close.
Sharing all aspects of bringing up your new bundle of joy also enriches your relationship with each other and creates a safe home base for your new little family as it grows over the years. A close family plays together and stays together through all of the sunshine and life’s storms.
Involve the wider family, grandparents, aunts and uncles and members of your extended family, and friends who may be vital in helping you through those early days of being new parents. Never say no to any help, cherish time with your partner and be grateful – as you will need rest too.
Finding your pathway and growing in your parenting skills changes your life.
But remember it’s not a race, take your time to enjoy every little second with your baby and make every golden moment memorable. Write a journal to share with your baby when they are fully grown; it can indeed be a magical experience. Be grateful for all you have in your life, and pass it forward.
Find me on social media, because it’ll be great to have you there and follow me :
A wide range of tips for the safety of the baby 👶 👏👏👍🤝
Yes!
Thank you so much for sharing my post!