Lamaze Magazine 2008 - (Page 27) agree that, despite frequent awakenings, a baby who sleeps in her parents’ bed spends more total time asleep, since she falls back to sleep more quickly than if she were in a separate room. Plus, bed-sharing can harmonize sleep and wake-up times. Bed-sharing is also linked to successful breastfeeding, as nighttime nursing can be more convenient, due to easy access to your baby. Sleep researchers found that a breastfeeding mother usually sleeps on her side, encircling her baby with her upper arm above the baby’s head and her knees bent below the baby’s feet. This natural position keeps her baby near her breast – and safe. SAFE SLEEP Truly, it’s safety that should concern you most. No matter where your baby sleeps, always put her on her back when you lay her down; it’s the best known SIDS prevention tactic. Keep the bedroom at a temperature you find comfortable when lightly clothed and dress your baby for sleep the same way; overheating can be dangerous. Her crib, bassinet or cradle should meet current safety standards and be free of soft bedding and plush toys, which are suffocation hazards. If you choose to bed-share, remember that adult beds are not designed to keep babies safe. Be sure the mattress is firm and flat and fits tightly against the headboard, bed frame and wall so your baby won’t get trapped or stuck. Cover the mattress with a light sheet and remove heavy bedding and soft objects like comforters and pillows before you go to bed. Do what you can to reduce the likelihood that your baby will fall out of the bed (such as pushing the bed snugly against the wall). Be sure your partner knows your baby is in bed with you. If an older child shares your bed too, you or your partner should sleep between that child and the baby. Never let your baby sleep alone in an adult bed, with a pet, or with someone who is overtired, smokes, drinks, abuses drugs or takes any drug that may cause drowsiness. And don’t forget that it’s not safe to fall asleep with your baby on a water bed, sofa, armchair or couch. The healthiest choice for your baby? A safe place to sleep near you. She may share your bed or just your room, sleep with you some nights and in her crib on others, or fall asleep in your bed after nursing. What’s most important is that you and your baby get some sleep. | Online: Read more at lamaze.org/magazine. Since the beginning of time, women have needed and wanted their babies close to them. Today we know that this is a physiological need shared by both mother and child. Hush, Little Baby If your infant is inconsolable at 3 a.m., you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Follow these five secrets to soothing your infant, and you’ll soon be the ultimate pacifier. For centuries, moms have known that babies calm down when they’re held, rocked and shushed, but they didn’t know that these actions mimic the uterus. In the womb, babies are snug and warm, and they hear the constant whoosh of blood pulsations (it’s louder than a vacuum cleaner in there!). We think that babies need a quiet room, but that actually promotes sensory deprivation for them and often drives them crazy. Recreating the conditions of the uterus can soothe your infant and trigger the calming reflex. This is the “off-switch” with which all babies are born, and it’s activated by these five simple steps. 1. Swaddling: Snug wrapping is the cornerstone of calming, the essential first step in baby soothing. Swaddling is like the soft caresses babies feel during pregnancy. They often struggle during the wrapping, but it prevents them from flailing, and once you add the next steps, the calming will begin. Remember to avoid loose blankets around the face, as well as overheating, which can cause SIDS. 2. Side or stomach positioning: The back is the only safe sleeping position, but it makes crying babies fuss even more because they feel like they’re falling. To soothe your upset baby, use a side or stomach position to switch on the calming reflex. Stay with your baby until she’s quiet. When she is ready to go to sleep, roll her onto her back. 3. Shushing: A quiet room may be inviting for a parent at night, but it is too quiet for a baby. When your baby cries, shush as loudly as she’s wailing; then gradually lessen your intensity as she settles down. When you are out of breath, play a CD of white noise or soothing sounds. 4. Swinging: Infants love rocking, but crying babies need fast, tiny jiggly movements (one inch back and forth, like a shiver) when they’re really upset. Swings, slings and rocking chairs help keep them calm. Always support your baby’s head and never jiggle her too hard, or when you’re angry and upset. 5. Sucking: This activity lulls babies into profound tranquility. Nursing moms should offer the breast for soothing whenever it feels right. LAMAZE MAGAZINE 2008 27 LAMAZE.ORG http://lamaze.org/magazine http://LAMAZE.ORG
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