Make sure your baby is at the minimum height and weight for each sized bag as some babies are smaller than others. If you do use a sleeping bag it is important that it fits well around the shoulders so that your baby’s head cannot slip down into the bag. a baby sleeping bag (or sheets and a blanket).mattress (waterproof, clean and new if possible).There are just a few items that you need: You don’t need to buy lots of expensive products to make sure your baby sleeps safely. Don't smoke during pregnancy or while you are breastfeeding, and don't let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby.Ĭommon questions about safer sleep What do I need to buy for my baby?.Remove all pillows, soft bedding, cot bumpers and soft toys from the cot.Don’t cover your baby’s face or head while sleeping (babies should not wear hats indoors) or use loose bedding.You can check your baby’s temperature by feeling their chest, tummy or the back of their neck (your baby’s hands and feet will usually be cooler, which is normal). Avoid letting your baby get too hot or too cold – keeping the room temperature around 16-20 degrees is ideal.Don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby if you or a partner smoke, drink or have taken drugs or medications that make you drowsy, are extremely tired, if your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks) or had a low birth weight (2.5kg or 5½ lbs or less).Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby.If you’re finding it difficult, there is support available. Breastfeeding for at least 2 months halves the risk of SIDS, but the longer you can continue the more protection it will give your baby.īreastfeeding may come easily to some, but not others. Place your baby in the ‘feet to foot’ position, with their feet at the end of the cot or Moses basket.īreastfeeding can also protect your baby.Keep your baby’s head uncovered – if they have a blanket, it should be tucked in no higher than their shoulders.
Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress that is in good condition.Place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first 6 months.Keep your baby smoke-free during pregnancy and after birth.Always place your baby on their back to sleep (not on their front or side).You may have been told to increase the amount of oxygen if they are on their back instead of their front, but this is still the safest way for them to sleep.įind out more about caring for your baby at home. You should not place your baby on their front or use any type of equipment or rolled up blankets to keep them in one position when you get home, unless you have been told to do so by your baby’s doctor or paediatrician because of a medical condition.īabies who need to be given oxygen at home should be sleeping on their backs. Babies may find it hard to get used to a new sleeping position at first but keep putting your baby onto their back and speak to your health visitor, the community healthcare team or GP if you have any questions about this. Some babies who were born very prematurely and spent some time in a neonatal unit may have been sleeping on their fronts for medical reasons and would have been under constant monitoring. Most twins and triplets are born early so this advice also applies to them. It is even more important that safer sleep advice is followed if your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks) or was a low birth weight (2.5kg or 5½ lbs or less). ALWAYS sleep your baby on their BACK in a CLEAR cot or sleep space (free of bumpers, toys and pillows).īabies who are born prematurely are at a higher risk of SIDS.The Lullaby Trust promotes the ABCs of safer sleep: The safest place for your new baby to sleep is in their own cot, in the same room as you, whether it’s during the night or at nap time in the day for the first 6 months. There are also lots of things you can do that will significantly reduce this risk. But try to remember that SIDS is rare and the risk to your baby is low. This is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. Many parents feel anxious about making sure their baby is sleeping safely because of the risk of Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
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