Thursday, May 26, 2011

SAFE SLEEP POSITIONING

No body wants their baby to have a flat head. It can cause serious problems with the skull and even the brain! Putting too much pressure on one area never ends in a good result.
However, there are SAFE ways to position your baby, to give them the most perfect little round head and comfort!

With Maddox, he preferred to lay on right side of his head. He always wanted to lean his head to the right, resulting in a slightly flat right side of the head. So, at one of his Early Intervention appointments, the nurse taught me some safe, sleep positioning rolls to help correct the shape of the head and keep him comfortable. He loved the snugness of the roll and slept even better with one! Everytime he woke up for a feeding or we laid him down for a nap, we changed the rolls from left side, back, right side, which I will show you how to do below. Also, when Maddox fell asleep in his bouncy chair or in our arms, we always tried to keep track of which said his head was on, and gently turned it to whatever side he was not on from his previous nap :)

Types of Rolls: 
Side of the head: Pageant Roll

Airway supporting back roll

Tummy Time roll (NOT FOR SLEEP)

1. ALWAYS use a bath towel ONLY! Towels are breathable, unlike heavy blankets and sheets. So if the towel becomes unraveled and some how covers the child's face, it is still breathable. Towels also have a unique texture, which is why they work so well because they grip to it's own fibers, maintaining the rolls shape and making it less likely to become unraveled.

2.Roll up your bath towel length wise, Start rolling small until you have a long, sturdy, roll.



3. Line the end of the roll under the babies neck, cross over the chest and between the legs, (like a pageant sash) and line tightly along the back side and behind the head again. This creates a sturdy side position that does NOT allow the baby to roll to its tummy. Try it out on your child and you will see that there is no way they can roll either side. They also tend to like the snug and cozy feeling  :)




^your end result should look like this. If you try to push them over to their stomach, you will find they can not roll over, and are in a safe snug position. This works for both sides. Always make sure the roll is under their neck, supporting it and making sure that you can always SEE the bottom of their neck, indicating that their airways are open.

Airway supporting back roll



This roll is pretty basic and easy, almost like a little nest except your baby is more on top of the roll. Make sure the roll is under their neck and that you can see the bottom of their neck. Place towel slightly under along the sides of their bodies. This gives them time on their back as well but decreasing the amount of pressure on the head.

Tummy Time Roll

This roll is to help support tummy time and strengthen neck, back and arm muscles. It is pretty self explanatory.  This roll is NOT for sleep! Do NOT put your baby to sleep on this roll. It is only for assistance with tummy time.




For best results, change your babies position every time you lay them down after a feeding. Go left side, back, right side, left side, back, right side. Your little one should turn out with a perfect little round head!

These also come as a handy alternative if your baby likes to sleep on their stomach, which can be scary and DANGEROUS!

For more information on Flat Head syndrome, click HERE

For more information on stomach sleeping and SIDS click here 

Hope this helps!









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