Parenting for Beginners

SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome is a preventable accident. Every year in the United States, more than 4,500 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly. Experts agree that more than 50 percent of these deaths may have been prevented if the baby had been placed to sleep in a safe environment. With widespread awareness of the importance of safe sleep practices in caring for babies, we could literally save thousands of precious lives each year.

The safest place for your baby to sleep, for at least the first six months, is alone, on his or her back, in a safe crib placed near your bed. Breastfeeding and bonding are very important to your baby’s health. It is okay to nurse your baby in bed, but when it’s time to go to sleep, place your baby alongside your bed in his or her own separate space to protect against SIDS and accidents during sleep.

Today, research shows that using a pacifier every time you place your baby down to sleep can greatly reduce the risk of SIDS.

Remember the ABC’s to Safe Sleep!
* Always place your baby on his or her back for sleep.
* Your baby should sleep on a firm mattress covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet.
* Remove all soft and loose bedding and other items from your baby’s sleep area (pillows, comforters, quilts, stuffed animals, etc.)
* Consider using a wearable blanket or other type of sleeper instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm and safe.
* Make sure your baby has a safe place to sleep when visiting or traveling.

The information in this article was gathered from First Candle. A organization helping Babies Survive & Thrive.

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Written by Jackie Buschur. Visit Baby Fashion & Bedding for more ideas on decorating your baby’s nursery for safe sleep. We offer Halo Wearable Blankets endorsed by First Candle as the #1 wearable blanket on the market and much more. You can also sign-up for our free Baby Bucks! Permission is granted to re-publish this article in its entirety only with resource box and live links intact.

Swaddling, the practice of wrapping an infant in snug blankets, has been practiced for millennia. Cultures around the world engage in swaddling infants, due to the great number of benefits swaddling provides. Studies show that swaddled babies are calmer and less fussy. Swaddling recreates the cozy womb environment and makes babies feel safe and secure. It also reduces colic and the risk of SIDS.

Due to all these benefits, swaddling is undergoing a recurrence in Western countries. Receiving blankets or small crib blankets are great for this. It might take a little while before you get the hang of it, since you want the blanket snug but not too tight, and of course, to stay wrapped up right.

If using a blanket seems like a hassle, there are several great products on the market that make swaddling easier. A great one is the SwaddleMe by Kiddopotamus. It is a special product with Velcro designed to easily wrap around your baby and stay closed. The SwaddleMe has the added benefit of allowing you to access your baby’s diaper without completely removing your baby out of the swaddling. And Kiddopotamus makes them in all sorts of fabrics and colors, including organic cotton.

Other products out there provide a similar function. While not exactly for swaddling, blanket sleepers are a great way to make your child warm and cozy without the fuss or the danger of regular loose blankets. (An infant can get tangled in loose blankets and suffocate). Blanket sleepers are made of blanket material, with head and arm holes, that zip up around your infant. Some have sleeves, and I’ve even seen one that has leg holes. There are a lot of varieties of these from various brands such as Summer Infant, Kiddopotamus, and more.

Whether you choose to swaddle with regular blankets, with a specialized product, or you choose a blanket sleeper, these are all great options to keep your baby warm, cozy, calm, and secure.

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Rita has been learning about the features of all the various baby gear on the market and is excited to share her findings with you. Check out lots of great swaddling products at www.justkidsstore.com/cat/swaddlers/1