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You asked a really good question. You want to know when it's safe to start letting babies sleep with blankets. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that, for the entire first year, all extra, soft, fluffy things should be kept out of the crib to reduce the risk of entrapment, strangulation, and suffocation, all of which can lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as SIDS. So this includes bumper pads, pillows, stuffed animals, and extra blankets. It is okay to give your baby one blanket, but the type of blanket is very important. It's best to use a light cotton blanket. And in the younger months, most babies like to be swaddled, and this helps to keep it away from their face. But as they get older and start to work themselves out of a swaddle, you can try what I call the reverse swaddle, where instead of putting the blanket down and putting your baby on top of the blanket, you put your baby down and then put the blanket on top of them. Put the top of the blanket just right underneath their armpit, and fold one side underneath their back, fold the other side underneath, and this gives them the feeling that they're nice and tight and swaddled, but it also gives them the ability to move their arms and legs freely. Definitely make sure that you're not putting blankets in your baby's crib that are really soft and heavy and fluffy, because those can definitely contribute to the problem of SIDS.
A couple of other things to keep in mind are the clothes that you're dressing your baby in, and the temperature in your house. It's best to set your thermostat between 70 and 72 degrees. That keeps it at a pretty comfortable temperature. And think about how many layers you're wearing to bed, and mimic that for your baby. For example, if you're wearing light pajamas, using a sheet and a blanket, then your baby will be comfortable with a onesie, a sleeper, and a light cotton blanket, like I discussed previously. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a concern is also overheating. So be sure you don't put so many layers on your baby that it causes them to get overheated, because that too can contribute to SIDS. If you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/IntermountainMoms, and recommend us to your friends and family too. [9TsFf9loo8o] |