I still remember bringing the twins home from the hospital. We carried them in to the house in their car seats, placed them on the living room floor and just stared at them… what next?  I remember thinking I know nothing about parenting or how to keep baby safe at night. I know some people talk to sleep consultants, I had to do some research about safer sleep as it terrified me… They didn’t come with a guide. They couldn’t tell me what I needed to do. I quickly realised that this parenting journey was going to be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding parts of my life so far.
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**5 Ways to Safer Sleep with Bounty is a paid collaboration**
The parenting journey is a funny one because you are responsible for these amazing little people yet there is no training and it can often feel like you have been dropped in the middle of the jungle with no clues how to get out and quite rightly, you feel scared. I know I did. But remember, you also have a natural instinct on how to survive. You need to drink and follow the path that you think is best. A mother’s instincts are almost always right. We are lucky though, because unlike the jungle, there are people around us that we can ask for help and advice, whether this be family and friends or national organisations. The key is to follow a few reputable authors or sites and stick with those.
One of the first organisations I came across was Bounty. Bounty provides all families support in becoming new parents from pregnancy to birth to pre-school. I received my first Bounty pack when I went for my initial midwifes appointment, and a further two later on. It was full of wise words, expert advice, money off vouchers, freebies and useful contact numbers. If you haven’t received yours from your midwife, make sure you ask next time you see her, alternatively you can contact them directly via the Bounty App. You can also collect you other packs from Tesco, Boots and Asda.
There is so much to learn along the parenting journey that it is vital that you ask for help along the way. No question is ever too silly and whatever you are asking, remember others will be asking the same too.
Safer Sleep Guidelines from Bounty
Keeping baby safe at night was one thing that worried me and I did seek advice regularly about this. Bounty works closely with a number of charities to help spread important messages to parents and the Lullaby Trust is one of them. They have some really good guidance on this which can be found on their website, in the guides which can be found in your packs, via emails and on the app.
On the Bounty website, the Lullaby Trust have a safer sleep section to inform you how to keep baby safe at night. It has some great guidance about the best way to put your baby to sleep and it is defiantly worth a look, but basically there are 5 key points to remember when preparing to put your baby to sleep and for all of you who are asking the same sleep questions as me, here is your answer.
Place baby on their back to sleep
Sleeping baby on their back is the safest way to keep baby safe at night unless the doctor or a medical professional has said otherwise. Sleeping baby on their front or side greatly increases the chance of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Co-sleeping and room sharing
Extensive research shows that the safest place to keep baby safe at night is for your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as an adult for the first 6 months.
Mattress and bedding
You should use a firm and flat mattress and place a waterproof cover on it to keep baby safe at night.
Room temperature
Keep your babies room within the recommended temperature guide of 16-20°C where possible and adjust clothing and bedding accordingly.
Smoking
Try not to smoke during and after pregnancy. There is a massive risk increase for SIDS to those babies who are exposed to smoke.
For more information and in depth guidelines on keeping your baby safe at night, take a look on the Bounty Website.
GO ON, PIN IT
