Safe Sleep Conversations with Union Hospital

This month, we’re working with our sponsor, Union Hospital, to help clear up confusion, spread good information, and share friendly reminders of how to keep your baby safe while sleeping.

As licensed foster parents, my husband and I have had the complicated joy of bringing up multiple babies home from the hospital.

There is nothing more precious than the sweet, sleepy sighs of a healthy baby. But…nighttimes are a struggle for me.

Sure, the fact that babies wake up often to eat is part of the struggle! However, the bigger issue for me is the fact that I feel the enormous weight of the fact that I’m charged with protecting someone else’s child.

I recently had the chance to put some of my nighttime fears to rest when I quizzed the Director of Maternal Child Services at Union Hospital, Jaimee Goodman, on what Union Hospital recommends regarding safe sleep practices.

I can hear some of you saying to yourselves, “I already know all about safe sleep.” But don’t click away just yet! There’s a lot of old information floating around, so a refresher course can’t hurt.

How do I know bad info is floating around? In addition to anecdotal stories, I see unsafe sleep practices all around us!

As I was working on this post, I had the hardest time finding stock images that showed babies sleeping in safe positions. The pictures I found were of newborns wrapped up in big, fluffy blankets, babies sleeping on their bellies, babies sleeping in cribs with thick bumpers and downy pillows. Those poses make for adorable newborn pictures, but they’re not the safest way for a baby to sleep at night.

To help clear up some oh-so-common misconceptions, check out these notes from my conversation with Jaimee Goodman!

First things first: What are the current best practices for safe sleep? 

Remember the ABCs for safe sleep! Babies should sleep alone, on their backs, and in a crib.

Mattresses should be firm. Sheets should be fitted. Save the adorable blankets, stuffed animals, and pillows for when they’re toddlers!

For more details, the March of Dimes has an easy-to-read website with safe sleep guidelines.

But what about parents, grandparents, and babysitters who were given different sleep instructions in the past? 

Union Hospital recommends that parents and caregivers follow evidence-based medicine; the same is also true for safe sleep. We have more information, so we change our habits to be more safe. Consider the car seat analogy. Car seats are relatively new inventions, but parents today wouldn’t put a baby in a car without a car seat to zip down the highway at 80 miles per hour. We know better, so we do better.

Why is this important? 

Our community experiences about 30 infant deaths per year. The majority of these tragedies are preventable with the help of safe sleep practices. If you need a sleep sack, if your crib is malfunctioning, if your crib is missing parts, if you need a pack ‘n play, reach out! The hospital would be happy to help you find a safe solution. Our community has resources to offer you.