sleeping arrangements for a newborn
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20821
Printed Date: 23 July 2025 at 9:19am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: sleeping arrangements for a newborn
Posted By: denny25
Subject: sleeping arrangements for a newborn
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 8:25pm
| My baby is 4 days old and my midwife came over to show me how to make up her cot today. She positioned 3 towels - 1 at the top and 1 at either side of the cot and said we can rotate her from side 2 side during the day then lie her flat on her back at night in a wrap. i dont like the towel idea for sids reasons. Baby comes out of wraps very easily as well. what does everyone suggest? i have read about safe-t-sleeps, wedges and mirac;e blankets but im confused! |
Replies:
Posted By: pekemoemum
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 8:29pm
|
there definately are specific products like wedges. My babies both slept better propped on their sides (they were both reflux babies) I used rolled up towels too when they were small! (cheaper alternative) however once they started moving around more, then I removed the towels and left them to it.
IN regards to wraps, I found natural fibre cotton in a 'stretchy' fabric good, and get a LARGE peice of fabric/wrap so it's more difficult for them to get out of. I did use a 'swaddleme' type wrap or miracle blanket at one stage an dthat was good for a while too... then we moved into the Peke Moe. I think it will be personal choice as to what wrap/swaddle works best for you.... I found a REALLY tight swaddle, over one side and tucked in under one arm, then folded the other side over really tight and wrapped right underneath and back over as much as possible worked best!!!! all the best to you and congratulations on your new baby!!! :) ------------- Gina, Reef 15/6/03, Tyde 12/2/07 http://www.pekemoe.co.nz - Peke Moe - Unique NZ Made Baby Sleeping bags for babies who get out of swaddle/wrap |
Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 8:29pm
|
At that age, I just wrapped and kept him on his back. We're now starting to do side lying with a wedge cos he's rolling himself. I wouldn't be keen on the towels either - I'd be worried about them bunching up. Check out the www.thesleepstore.co.nz - Sleep Store or YouTube for instructions of his to wrap tightly. Sleep Store has easy to use swaddles that can make life a lot easier. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 8:30pm
|
Yep we used a wedge when Spencer was very small, but after a couple of months he was too strong for it and could turn back onto his back, never went onto his tummy though. We then bought a safety sleep which he stayed in until 11 months. The wedge is great if you just want to side sleep for a little while to help with head shape and the safety sleep is great for keeping baby in one spot. Spencer would wriggle to the top of his bassinet and get stuck which is why we got the safety sleep.
I would ask your midwife to show you how to wrap again so that baby can't get out, or look for a baby cacoon, its like a sock that goes over their whole body so it can't come unwrapped. ------------- 
 
|
Posted By: Mum2ET
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 8:30pm
|
I just swaddled Ella when she was newborn- need to make sure that the wrap is large enough so that you can do it really tighly (i found the sleep store website useful for ideas)- and always lay her on her back. When she was around 3 months I moved her into her cot and then at around 4/5 mont started using a safe t sleep. ------------- Mum to Ella (5) and Tom (2) |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 8:43pm
|
Wrapping with a large wrap definately helps,but theres heaps of different ways to wrap and if you do it right the baby should be pretty snug and not able to just wriggle out.
We always slept Maddi on her back wrapped but placed her head to face alternante sides. We eventually got her a safe-t-sleep after a month and it had been really, keeps her nice and snug  (we still wrapped her and had her arms strapped in the safety sleep.
Congratulations by the way!!! ------------- 
 
|
Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 8:55pm
|
Welcome to this side Denny! Hope it all went well. I'd say just take notice what side your baby's head is facing when she is sleeping - if she moves from side to side herself, then you don't need to worry about using anything to keep her head from flattening out. A whole towel sounds a bit like overkill - you can use a rolled up face cloth just to encourage her head one way or the other. all the best! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: denny25
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 9:01pm
| With the safe t sleep, does anyone know if it can be used for side sleeping (either side) as well as back sleeping? |
Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 9:15pm
|
yes I think so - just put the bubba in on her side and do it up.
What did you call her? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 9:19pm
|
I dont see why not. Thats how we have been sleeping Maddi the last week with her being unwell. I just make sure shes right in the middle and tucked in tight or she just rolls to back. -------------
|
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 10:03pm
|
Yep the safety sleep can be used for side sleeping and it comes with instructions on how to do it safely. I think from memory they recommend pinning the safety sleep to the babies onesie or pjs so that they physically can't roll onto their tummy even if it was a bit too loose. It comes with a good set of instructions with pictures though so is quite easy to follow.
This is a link to the cosy cocoons I used http://nz.cozycocoon.com/ - link -------------
|
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 10 September 2008 at 10:03pm
|
I used the safety sleep and managed to put her on her side , (both ) and on her back
congratulations ! hope it all went well ------------- 
|
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 8:34am
|
we wrapped Jack and he slept in a bassinette at night in our room until 5mths, slept in the hammock during the day without the wrap. We were given a safe t sleep as a gift and I have never even opened it! ------------- Lindsey 
|
Posted By: denny25
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 8:51am
|
Thanks everyone. I;ll look at getting the safe-t-sleep.
DJ - we named her Ava Elizabeth and she was born on Saturday morning at 3.38am. At the moment she refuses the cot, prefering to sleep in our room in her bouncer! But hopefully in the next few weeks we can get her into the cot. |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 10:27am
Aww love the name, Maddi was almost an Ava Elizabeth
Sounds like it all went pretty fast, we were all wondering Saturday morning if you had her yet or not. -------------
|
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 3:47pm
|
I side slept Mercedes in the Safety Sleep for a while to rotate her coz she had a bit of a flat spot on her head. We never used a wedge or anything like that, the towels seem kinda unneccessary to me. I do have the cot propped up on phone books at one end tho.
I've also just bought 2 Miracle blankets from The Sleep Store and I'm still getting the hang of them but they seem to keep lil miss in way better than flt wraps. I used flat wraps with the older three but the safety sleep helped keep them secure whereas lil miss is in a hammock with no safety sleep. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
|
Posted By: denny25
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 4:37pm
| Sorry guys - another question - is it ok for Ava to sleep in her bouncer at night for a few weeks? it lays back pretty flat. she seems more cosy and i can keep an eye on her. |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 4:41pm
|
I don't know, I personally wouldn't.
We have used a wedge and a safety sleep. I didn't like the safety sleep for a young bubba as undoing the velcro was sooo loud and gave Daniel hellish frights that ended in a lot of screams. We found that the wedge was great and made him feel snug and safe. She might not like the cot because cots are so open. When we transitioned Daniel into a cot we put sheets up on the sides to make it like a big basinette and just pinned and tied them down so they wouldn't fall off onto him and it worked great! |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 7:00pm
|
Yeah I wouldnt' sleep her in the chair either. Could you get a bassinet so that she could be in with you for a few weeks and its a bit more enclosed and snuggly for them. Or like Maya has a hammock cos i've heard they are great. -------------
|
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 11 September 2008 at 7:47pm
|
Yep, the hammock is great. I debated getting one when preg but decided against it as my other three all went straight into cots but when reflux reared it's ugly head again I went and got one and it's been a Godsend. For the most part she self settles, but when she is unsettled I just have to bounce it a little and she crashes out. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
|
Posted By: chonny
Date Posted: 14 September 2008 at 8:00am
|
i wrappeV & hen he started coughing & spluttering at like day 4,i freaked & roled him onto his side. My mum had made me a safety sleep (coz they so expensive) & so i used to wrap V then put him in the safety leep on his side. when e started falling ontois back, i would just tuck an extra lyf blanket in behind his back or roll a wrap up& place it behind his back so he couldnt roll backwardsbecause of how i wrapped him & where his arms were, he never rolled onto his tummy idothink, but again if you tuck the blankets in by their tummy & make a lil bulge, they shouldnt be able to roll much -------------   
|