One of the most blissful things new parents and infants experience is sleep, whether it’s the first time you and your little one close your eyes after delivery or that deep sense of peace you feel settling back into bed after a 2 am feeding at home.
But like most things in parenting, sleep is not without worry. Practicing safe sleep for newborns can keep your baby safe from choking and being unable to breath. And knowing your baby is sleeping safely is one of the best ways to help ensure worry-free sleep.
As a Nationally Certified Safe Sleep Hospital and recipient of the Bronze award from the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program, you can rest easy knowing your baby is sleeping safely during your stay with us. You can count on our birth care team to help you feel confident that your baby will sleep safely once home, too.
We Are Serious About Infant Sleep
At The Women’s Health Pavilion in AdventHealth Tampa, our birth care team has extensive training on safe sleep guidelines outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). We make it our mission to share everything we’ve learned.
“Obtaining the safe sleep certification shows our commitment to our patients and community in helping to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation,” says June Vinyard, Nurse Manager of the Mother and Baby Unit at AdventHealth Tampa.
We’re also passionate about sharing our favorite tips and tricks about sleep and infants with you. Take swaddling, for example. While we recommend a swaddle or sleep sack, we also know that swaddling isn’t easy for everyone. If you’re struggling with swaddling, our care team will walk you through our tried-and-true techniques step by step.
Also, if you’re unsure if the space your baby sleeps in at home is safe, tell us about it. We’ll recommend any changes you should make and make sure you have what you need to ensure a safe environment.
“We are committed to making sure all parents are well educated on safe sleep practices and that all infants have a safe place to sleep when they go home,” Vinyard says.
The ABCs of Safe Infant Sleep
Bringing home a baby is often a joy-filled experience tinged with worry as you wonder if you’re doing everything right. Self-care is important for new moms, and that includes worry-free sleep. Knowing safe sleep practices ahead of time can boost your confidence. The ABCs of infant sleep safety can help you remember the basics:
- A is for Alone
- B is for Back
- C is for Crib
Room-sharing is good, but co-sleeping with an infant (in bed with you) is not. Alone means no items in your baby’s sleep space, including that cute stuffed bunny you recently received as a gift. Alone also means no blankets, even on chilly evenings. Use a sleep sack or swaddle instead.
Make sure all of your baby’s caregivers knows that “back is best,” including your grandmother, who may insist infant tummy sleeping is the way to go. Research has proven that newborns sleeping on their sides and infants sleeping on their stomachs can be dangerous.
Your baby’s crib, portable play yard or bassinet should be simple. A tightly fitted sheet is fine. Don’t attach bumpers, a mobile or a monitor.
You may be surprised by how many questions you have about safe infant sleep. Whether you’re preparing during pregnancy, eating celebratory birthday cake in one of our postpartum rooms or you’re questioning your sleep setup at home, we’re here with infant sleep safety answers.
Let Our Team Help You Rest Easier
At The Women’s Health Pavilion in AdventHealth Tampa, we offer personalized and compassionate support. This includes sharing everything we know about safe infant sleep practices with you and answering any questions you may have before, during and after your stay.
Our pediatric care team can also answer your questions about infant sleep and sleep as your baby grows.
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