SHARES
Sleep: When you have a new baby, this is one of the major things you consider after feeding, and basic hygiene habits. Every new parent finds it a huge challenge to make their newborn go to sleep. They seem to be making all the wrong moves while their neighbour’s baby just goes to sleep in a second. Where are they going wrong? Does this resonate with you? Read on to see if you are making sleep mistakes as a new parent.
1. Don’t think that the new, mellow sleep phase will last forever.
We don’t want to break it, but sleeping after every feed may not always be the case. The first few weeks (or even months) do not always indicate the type of sleeper you scored in your baby’s sleep lottery. Some babies fall asleep at random (congratulations!), but this does not mean that this will continue indefinitely.
2. Sleeping on the sofa, holding newborns in your arms is very dangerous.
We know that when a baby is asleep on the couch, the baby curls up on your chest and is one of the best feelings in the world. Many tired new mothers have dozed off to sleep with her sleeping baby lying on her lap or sitting comfortably on a nursing pillow. However, according to the statistics provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), this kind of sleep error i.e, sleeping on a sofa or an armchair is very dangerous as you may fall or suffocate your baby, in fact, it is more dangerous than sleeping in the bed.
3. Do not let your newborn sleep in a car seat.
This is a controversial issue because we have all been there: when you drive home or go for a run, your baby is sitting in the car seat at the back. The beauty of the bucket seat is that you can eject it and transfer your sleeping baby and let him or her rest in it. However, according to AAP regulations, there is a safety hazard in allowing a baby to sleep in a bucket car seat placed on the floor because the baby’s head may tilt forward and cut off its airway. It is said that having your newborn in an upright position created in the car seat for a longer period of time can possibly increase the risk of suffocation and parents are urged to avoid leaving their babies in car seats for a period greater than half an hour at a time.
4. Don’t buy the cute crib bumper kits that you see in blogs and catalogs.
This is easy to follow: Do not use a crib bumper. Their sale was even banned in some states in the United States. Doctors have been lobbying for cribs for many years. Yes, some babies squat during sleep, especially when they are learning to roll, crawl or walk. But they may not be seriously injured because of a collision in a crib. Although these “breathable” mesh bumpers are good at keeping the pacifier (and small hands and feet), they are not recommended because of the risk of entanglement and smashing. Add to this the risk of older babies that can attempt to stand on the bumper and use it s a step to try to get out of the crib.
5. Do not give up on sleep training because the baby is teetering.
Your baby is always in the bud. Or can catch a cold. Or can take something down. Or recover from something. Or excessive fatigue. Or have some problem or the other due to various reasons. If you want to start sleep training, you can start early, any time is the best time. Check out baby sleep coach Sarah Ong’s interview on this topic here. Be sure to also use your judgment and listen to your intuition. If you are not fully committed to sleep training before you begin, then you will not stick to it.
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Want to learn how to make your baby go from a light sleeper to a great sleeper? Enroll in Ms Sarah Ong’s Easy Peasy Sleepy time online class and help your baby sleep peacefully while you too get your special time for yourself! Join today!
by Hridya
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya.
