Back to Sleep

Isn't it funny how trends change. When I was a baby, my parents were told to put me to bed on my belly. That way, if I spit up, I wouldn't choke on it, etc. Now, studies have found that putting your baby to bed on their backs reduces the chances of SIDS. Interestingly enough, around the time L was born, dh was going through the section of the police academy where they talked about not leaving a cuffed person on the ground on their stomachs as it might interfere with their breathing. Hmmm.

C did fine on her back. We had these little foam blocks that we called her "chocks" (yep - 'cause they looked like airplane wheel chocks and they kept her from rolling!) L... not so much. L only wanted Mama. We'd rock her to sleep (nurse her into a sleepy stupor) and put her down in her cradle right next to my side of the bed. She's sleep for 5 minutes tops, then wake up screaming. For the first 3 weeks of her life, the only way she slept was if she was plastered to my chest - belly to belly! Then one night, I slid her off me onto the be between us (on her belly) and we all slept. A lot of people have no problem with a family bed. B wants his bed to just be our bed. OK. So then I started putting her down on her belly and she would sleep. Sigh. We were all to the point of desparation. NO ONE in the house was sleeping.

There's a new product out there, NightForm, that I'm considering as a baby gift for my cousin. It's kind of like the "chocks" but it appears to be more like a curved mattress. Seems that this not only keeps baby safe on their back, but also cradles them, making them feel more safe. Also, you can position them in different ways along the curve so their head isn't laying the same way every night. There are so many babies out there now with flat heads, or bald spots on the back of their heads from sleeping one way on their backs.

I think the NightForm might have worked for poor L. I sure would have tried it! She needed to feel snuggled - and swaddling didn't do it. She wanted those arms out! She was a champion sleeper when she was in the MayaWrap (but that's another subject!!), it was just at night that we had a problem. I'll have to have Cuz check out their site and see what she thinks.