Anxiety about SIDS

Get a oxygen and pulse monitor for you baby. Owlet have one that's like a little sock for your babies foot. You got this mama 💕

I was SOOOO worried if my son wasn't right next to me when he was first born. You have that instinct to keep them protected since they were protected while they were in your belly. I would just say make sure when you lay them in their crib, bassinet, or whatever they sleep in, that there is nothing in their bed with them.

Have only the essentials in the crib. I only used a swaddling blanket in the bassinet the first few weeks. I had no toys, blankets, bumpers, pillows in the crib until my babies were 1-year old. I used only a crib sheet to cover the matress and matress pad. My babies were in footed onesies to stay warm.

I would say follow the Lullaby Trust on Insta, they have excellent advice on how to reduce SIDS risk. Also try to remember that the risk is very low even when not following these (obviously still not worth risking). Also, SIDS rates are highest between 2-4months old, so just enjoy those newborn snuggles and try not to worry. I would completely consumed by SIDS, I still am a little bit and my little boy is 3months!

Follow the lullaby trusts safe sleep and if you feel like you’d really need it, look into the snuza hero monitor. The reason why I haven’t suggested the owlet sock is because it can burn babies feet from overheating whilst they wear it.

You're not alone, I was so fixated on this. Firstly, the risk of sids is super low (virtually 0) until baby is 8 weeks, so relax. Secondly, a health visitor told me that majority of the cases occur due to "careless parenting" (things in cribs, smoking, not doing feet to foot etc), so as long as you are doing what the advice says then it is hugely unlikely that it will happen. I looked into getting breathing monitors but reading into it, the alarm goes off without anything having happened and I think that would just increase my anxiety about it all. Just seems like an expensive way to have a heart attack. They say that after 4 months the risk just gets lower and lower. The fact that you're worried about it means you're on it, just enjoy your baby and baby cuddles 😘 x

A snuzza hero is a brilliant device to get to help you sleep

1. Look into the statistics on SIDS so that you know how unlikely it actually is to happen to you 2. Make a checklist of all the things that can reduce the risk of SIDS and then tick off the things you do - this will reassure you that you are doing lots to bring the risk down even lower 3. In my hypnobirthing course we were taught a technique called the thought exchange. When you find yourself having a negative / anxious / what if thought, replace it with a thought of your baby being happy and healthy. Your mind can only think about one thing at a time so you need to crowd out the negative thoughts. You might have to do this over and over but it gets easier with time 4. Ask your GP or midwife for a referral for mental health support, or check online whether you can self-refer in your area, if your anxious thoughts become intrusive to the point that they’re interfering with daily life Good luck and enjoy your time with your new baby 😊

I was exactly the same when my little girl was born, follow all advice on the Lullaby Trust it does get a little easier but I still worry now & she's 1 - i was so anxious she stayed in our room till she was 10 months. I did order an owlet but ended up returning it because even the thought of it made me even more anxious - it's hard but the risk of sids is low so try not to worry too much x

I had a baby monitor and camera set up in the room to listen to my kids because when they are quiet your anxiety can go up.

I have the snuza hero and it’s soo comforting - highly recommend

@Claire whilst sids is increased because of careless parenting, it’s important to note that there’s parents who did everything right and still lost their baby to sids… you can’t stop it you can only reduce your chances😢

I was exactly the same but honestly as long as you're following all the safe sleep guidelines there's not a lot you can do otherwise to control it! Once I realised that I started to feel a bit better about it. We also found the zip up swaddles (we used love to dream) were safer than traditional swaddles because they would come loose through the night. My daughter is almost 5 months now and I still stress about it sometimes but like I said I just remember we've done all we can to prevent it

Well, I'm the 4th one to recommend the Snuzu Hero now. I literally was not sleeping because I was so terrified of SIDS that I sat and wat hed her when she was sleeping, then I'd crash for a couple hrs when my husband got home from work, or my mom came over. It was bad... it consumed me for around 5 weeks till I broke down from complete exhaustion. Did my research, ordered the Snuzu, and it saved her life twice when she stopped breathing at 10-11 weeks. It's motion activated, so VERY SLIM chance of having 'false alarms', like the o2 sensors seem to have. We had to stop using it around 8 months when she started sleeping on her tummy, because it wasn't detecting breathing motion pressed against her crib mattress and was going off multiple times a night! Still do not regret getting it... it saved my sanity.

Also, make sure babies' sleep space is safe and clear of everything... sleep sacks if they need a blanket, and only a fitted sheet/mattress protector, nothing else. The Academy of Pediatrics has all the info online for safe sleep recommendations. And.... talk to someone (aside from all us 'nuts online), and tell them you are struggling. It helped me to talk to my mom, and my SIL (whom I found out had gone through the same thing the year before me and suffered in silence). It is instinct and love.... you aren't alone! PM me if you have questions! 💕