Safe Sleep Ready Babies

[Unregistered]

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sts/materials/Pages/default.aspx

[Ariana]

I got these pamphlets from my midwife and during my prenatal classes. Don't all parents get this education from their DR/Midwife?

Seems pretty common knowledge in my opinion and parents just choose not to follow it. My niece slept in a swing for many months and my sister definitely knew better.

[hwichlaz]

I got these pamphlets from my midwife and during my prenatal classes. Don't all parents get this education from their DR/Midwife?

Seems pretty common knowledge in my opinion and parents just choose not to follow it. My niece slept in a swing for many months and my sister definitely knew better.

There just isn't enough help for new moms either. Listening to your baby scream in a crib when postpartum is likely to lead to worse depression, or baby shaking. So mom picks the baby up to make it stop before she gets ragey.
I'm positive it's a throwback to a time when a screaming baby would have attracted predators.

[Febby]

I got these pamphlets from my midwife and during my prenatal classes. Don't all parents get this education from their DR/Midwife?

Seems pretty common knowledge in my opinion and parents just choose not to follow it. My niece slept in a swing for many months and my sister definitely knew better.

The education on safe sleep, and a lot of other infant things, is not great here.

My OB didn't give me any. The prenatal class I took mentioned safe sleep and gave us a brochure, but mostly it was focused on how to feed and diaper a baby. Plus the advice that if you let a baby cry you will psychologically damage them for life and that you should always keep your baby from crying. I also got a pamphlet on safe sleep from my daughter's pediatrician.

My sister-in-law is pregnant and until I said something, she apparently thought that stomach sleeping in a bed with mom/dad was best. I'm not sure if that's a common thought or not, but still very concerning.

[Leigh]

I got these pamphlets from my midwife and during my prenatal classes. Don't all parents get this education from their DR/Midwife?

Seems pretty common knowledge in my opinion and parents just choose not to follow it. My niece slept in a swing for many months and my sister definitely knew better.

Parents here get that education, but they just don't tend to follow it. THEY had blankets in the crib when they were babies and are still alive. THEY slept in a swing, and THEY are just fine. Some people just don't believe the information until their OWN child dies. I know some licensed daycares that don't follow safe sleep rules, even though we are all required to attend trainings on it. They just think that their way is best.

I agree with the PP about how moms will just do what works-I live in a state with the highest population of working women in the country. In addition, many of these moms have close to zero support from their husbands-there are a lot of men around here who don't do laundry, cook, clean, or do their share of child-rearing. Those moms are working full time jobs and have another full time job waiting when they get home. They'll do whatever it takes to get a little sleep. I don't agree with it, but I understand how they feel.

[Indoorvoice]

All of my babies have been safe sleepers, but I am very firm about it at interviews and make clear there is no exceptions. My sil did try to send in one of those magic sleep suits, but I sent it back. I have lost potential clients at interviews because of my firmness on safe sleep though.

[hwichlaz]

I know it's a bit OT, but what's the problem with sleep sacks? Aren't they just pajamas without legs?

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I had three nanny families...all safe sleep. One was twins, one triplets, so they were NICU babies and already on a great schedule from day one. The other was an older mom who did babywise and was all about the crib from early on. My fourth nanny family were doctors and mom was an AP nut! I mean a nut, because she took everything to extreme. It was so bad that her husband was seeking advice from me on how to get her to chill out and so bad that I quit after only a few months, even though it was a very well paying job.

I have had 7 infants in daycare. All but a few started as newborns, so sleep was never an issue. They got with the program right away. Two of these babies were bed sharers at home. The others slept in the room, but not in the bed (rock n plays).

My other couple were great nappers and used to daycare so even though they started at a later age, they didn't take long to adjust.

But of the 7, only two slept on their back in a crib at home wit parents and both wore sleep slacks. The others were bed sharers or rock n plays/swings.

[Unregistered]

For providers who take babies from birth to one, can you tell me an average over the last five years (or since you started doing care) of the percent of babies that enter daycare with the ability to sleep in a safe sleep position and safe sleep environment when they begin care?

--- I have had 8 infants in the past 5 years. None did a total safe sleep environment at home.

I'm specifically asking about the ability to sleep flat on their backs (for the ones who can't flip from back to belly), sleep on a flat horizontal firm surface, sleep without ANYTHING in crib or playpen including lovies, blankets, cloth, sleep without equipment such as swings, carriers or vibrating seats, sleep without being held, walked, or rocked.

Are you receiving babies who have parents who follow safe sleep practices? If they are not, do you feel comfortable discussing safe sleep practices with them and do you document that you have discussed these with them and offered whatever resources you offered?

---- Clearly I am not receiving infants whose parents are following safe sleep practices. At our first meeting (often pre-birth) I ask if they know about safe sleep practices, and give them a safe sleep brochure, which I document on my interview form. We discuss how much easier it makes adjustment to childcare when our sleep practices are the same. We review my policies, which include a page on safe sleep.
At enrollment, parents receive the policy book, and sign that they agree to follow the policies.


In my last group of babies in Des Moines, I had one of five babies that slept on back, did not require cloth, motion, bottle, hold, walk, rock to get to sleep when they entered care.

Of the ones who could not, what were they used to before care and how long did it take before they were able to in your care? What percentage did inability to sleep safely end up being termed by you or parent?

---- 2 in rock n plays, 1 co-slept with parents, 1 on tummy + blanket, 1 with blanket over face, 1 bounced on an exercise ball until asleep, 1 with pacifier attached to an animal, 1 on a prescribed wedge in a sling due to reflux.

It took from 0 - 4/5 weeks to get them to sleep here according to our safe sleep environment rules. I did not term anyone.

[Unregistered]

In the last few years Ive had 0 babies out of 2 who were able to begin care and sleep according to safe sleep practices. Ist baby was 10 mos old beginning care, coslept. He never did sleep well but eventually was able to transition to a mat. It took 6+ months. Mom had received safe sleep info from me and a rural health resources nurse who made weekly visits to clients home due to economic risk factors. Second baby was 6 week old also coslept, could not sleep using safe sleep pract but was removed from mother's care into cps custody after 3 weeks. Apparently mom had addiction issues. She was also given advice and information on safe sleep and was receiving services (parenting classes and home visits) through cps. Ive since not enrolled any more infants.

[TheMisplacedMidwestMom]

I'm still new... but so far 1 of 4, that I've started, safe slept at home. However the one that does safe sleep is picked up for any crying and does not sttn at 9 months, so we've had to work on the longevity of naps. I had a mom suggest I prop a bottle in the crib for my current 3 month old. He's getting in the groove though with some white noise. I can only have 4 kids (unlicensed) so the low ratio really helps my ability to cater to those who need help with the transition. (read: I can deal with a lot more crap because I only have a few kids )

[Febby]

I know it's a bit OT, but what's the problem with sleep sacks? Aren't they just pajamas without legs?

They're supposed to be the safe alternative to blankets. I ended up using a Halo SleepSack Swaddle with my daughter when she was first. We've transitioned out of the swaddle, but she still seems to sleep better in a sack.

[hwichlaz]

They're supposed to be the safe alternative to blankets. I ended up using a Halo SleepSack Swaddle with my daughter when she was first. We've transitioned out of the swaddle, but she still seems to sleep better in a sack.

That's what I thought. The kind I used were just like the fleece foot pajamas/blanket sleepers, but they didn't have legs...the bottom was a sack. I can't for the life of me figure out why they'd be unsafe...it's pajamas.

[Alwaysgreener]

That's what I thought. The kind I used were just like the fleece foot pajamas/blanket sleepers, but they didn't have legs...the bottom was a sack. I can't for the life of me figure out why they'd be unsafe...it's pajamas.

My state banned them as I was getting a license. They said as the child learns to roll they can get twisted in the sack. We can use them up to 6 weeks, but most infants do not start until after six weeks.
I used them on my own dd up to 2 years, She could walk around the room in it.

[Pestle]

I've got three who enrolled at under a year--two at 3mos and one at 9mos.

One of the little ones safe-sleeps at home and sleeps fine here.

The other 3mo was cosleeping with Mom frequently. For the first couple of months, he couldn't sleep in a crib at all; I babywore nearly half the day to get him settled down. Since then, he's been comfortable and secure, and has slept well here.

The older baby was being placed facedown under a blanket and given a pacifier with an attachment. I told the parents that I could not legally do any of that. She's been my worst sleeper ever, but now at 13mos she's finally started sleeping for more than 15 minutes at a stretch here.

I haven't termed for sleep issues because I'm just over a year into this and have only now (as in, this week) started to get enough word-of-mouth references that I'm starting a waitlist. Up until now, I haven't had the luxury of terming for anything other than major behavioral issues or lack of timely payments.