I did A LOT of research before my first child was brought home from the hospital.
I worked really hard to make sure that his crib was safe and that I could rest peacefully without worrying about his safety constantly.
Let’s be real though, even with going through all of the proper steps to make sure he was the safest I was a nervous wreck with my first child. I remember staring at him the first night he was at home and then tickling his foot to wake him up so I could make sure he was still breathing. Worrying is real when you are a mom.
So now, as a mother of almost three boys I find it my obligation to teach mothers the importance of crib safety. I can’t imagine EVER waking up to find that my little one passed away during the night. That thought makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t imagine!
I am here to tell you some ways to keep your kids as safe as possible. Here are some of the things that you should avoid when putting your child to sleep in their crib.
6 Things To Avoid To Make Sure Your Child Is Safe While Sleeping
…co-sleep:
I know I am going to get a lot of crap for this. However, statistically speaking, a baby is much safer in their own sleeping area. While they are in your bed you can roll over your baby and they can also get smothered by blankets. Don’t roll your eyes at this fact, because it HAS happened. Parents have rolled over and crushed their sleeping babies.
IF you think that co-sleeping is the best for your baby you should try a co-sleeping basinet.
This is a bed for your baby that is surrounded by mesh siding so that you can’t roll on your baby.
…have pillows, blankets or stuff animals:
There should be NOTHING extra in your baby’s crib.
You may think that your baby is cold and needs a blanket, or they would be more comfortable with a pillow and a stuff animal. I promise you, your baby is fine without the extra “comforts” that we get so used to. If you fear they might be cold, put more layers on them. Your baby does not need a stuff animal nor does he need a pillow. These extra dangers are putting your baby at risk.
…use a crib bumper:
I know these crib bumpers are popular.
When your baby starts rolling over they bang their head on the side of the crib. You want to protect your baby and so you go out and buy them a baby bumper to help them soften the blow when they roll into the bars. Although this may seem like a good idea, it is NOT.
Please don’t put crib bumpers on your crib. Your child can easily roll over to the side and gets stuck with his face in the bumper and suffocate.
If you feel like your child needs something surrounding his crib so that he doesn’t get stuck in the little bars you might want to consider getting a mesh liner instead of a bumper. A mesh liner is a much safer choice, because it is a breathable liner.
…hang things above the crib:
I cringe every time I see a picture of a baby nursery where things are hung above the crib, especially when they are heavy objects like chandeliers. You are essentially putting your child’s life in the hands of how you set that chandelier up.
Let’s pray there are no earthquakes or freak accidents where that heavy object falls on your baby. And your child really doesn’t need a mobile. I promise you, he is fine without one. If you really would like some sort of distraction and entertainment for your child you can try a projector that shows on the ceiling.
…have baby sleep on stomach:
You might have your grandma telling you that you are putting your baby into their crib wrong. She might give you all of the advice about how important it is for your baby to be sleeping on their tummy.
A lot has changed since your grandmother has had kids. She might say the old (and annoying) phrase of “my kids survived.” But, thousands of children did not!
If your child is flat on their tummy they can EASILY suffocate in their mattress. When they are lying on their tummy’s their wind pipe is restricted. And if they throw up, their poor little faces will be forced to lay in it, especially if they are too young to roll away from the mess.
…leave things around the crib that they can grab:
I just came across an article the other day that killed me. The whole story broke my heart! A mother woke up to find her 7 month old not breathing. She realized that in the middle of the night her son reached out of his crib and grabbed a blanket that he could see. He then proceeded to get smothered by the blanket. This is honestly every mother’s WORST nightmare. It is very important that we check the crib’s surroundings and make sure that there is no way that our little ones can grab things from around their bed.
4 Tips To Keep Your Baby Safe in Crib
…have baby sleep in own bed:
The safest place for your little one is in their bed. They have no dangers of being rolled on or being suffocated by a large human body. They also might get more sleep because they are in their own bed and their own space.
…have baby sleep flat on their back:
The safest place for your little one is to make sure they are flat on their backs! Lay them flat on their backs from the beginning and this significantly lowers the chance of SIDS (sudden death syndrome).
…have them sleep on a firm mattress:
Many countries are now sending moms home with just a plain brown box for the babies to sleep in for the first 6 months of their life. These countries have lower chances of children dying from SIDS. Soft mattresses are VERY dangerous, because it gives extra material for your child to get stuck in. A firm mattress allows for you baby to move easily and to breathe easier.
…keep baby away from windows, electrical outlets and other dangerous items:
It is important to put your child’s crib in a place where they don’t have access to the window, window blinds, or electrical sockets. Children die every year from getting caught in blind cords and we certainly want to avoid that from happening.
Babies are very curious creatures and they don’t understand that some of things they do are life threatening. One of those is climbing out windows.
Don’t give your child the chance to get bored and have a boost to their window.
This also goes for electrical sockets. Even if you have a cover, babies are sneaky and they will figure out how to take off those caps! Make sure your crib is in a safe place!
In conclusion
Please look at these do’s and do not’s and really analyze if you are doing everything you can to protect your child while they are in their crib. I just want your child to be safe.
