The Ideal Position For The Baby To Sleep – Parenthood

The key: combining comfort and safety

There are positions to make the baby sleep that he prefers to others. You will realize it instantly. The more comfortably the baby sits, the less movements he will make to try to change position.

It is also important that you, as a mother, feel comfortable. So you won’t tire yourself out trying to get your baby to sleep.

The key is to combine comfort with your safety and that of the baby. Gradually you will find that you and your baby can adapt easily if you take these factors into account.

We now present to you the ideal position to make the baby sleep:

Lying on your back: the ideal position

Although there was a time when many mothers had their doubts about it, today it is again among the favorites due to the recommendations of pediatricians. This is the ideal position for the baby.

At present, it is known that this is one of the safest positions in the face of so-called “sips”, because when it is horizontal, the child’s mouth is not covered and it can therefore completely expel the vomit.

When on their back, your child has a much wider field of vision. In this way, he can observe you, receive hugs, move and kick in response to stimuli from the environment around him.

In this position, he will feel comfortable because he feels free to reach out his hands and touch whatever he wants. But be careful, abusing this posture can cause flat head syndrome in the baby.

Other possible positions to make the baby sleep

On the side

Another recommended sleeping position is to put the baby on his side. In the latter, the baby will be very comfortable and will be able to expel his regurgitations without the risk of swallowing them and choking.

On the side, the child also has the opportunity to move around, to look around if he wakes up. On the other hand, in this position, babies do not feel suffocated if it is hot.

Some experts say the sideways position mimics the fetal position the babies were in the womb. Hence, this may be the reason why he feels so comfortable.

Rocked

There are many babies who cannot fall asleep if they are not in their mother’s arms. In general, mothers tend to place the baby in their arms, lie on their back and rock them gently. During this time they rest their cheeks against their head and whisper until the baby falls asleep. Although this is a very warm position which creates a very pleasant and stable bond of love, it can give the baby bad habits.

It should be noted that at some point the baby needs to learn to fall asleep on his own. If we rock him too much, in the long run, we do him more harm than good.

In addition, there are mothers who place their children in rocking chairs or strollers. Even hammocks where they can gently rock their baby until he closes his eyes. This is a good technique, but it should be done in moderation.

The positions to induce sleep are very good for the baby, especially because they strengthen the emotional bond with their mother and offer the closeness they had with her, as when they were still in the womb.

Other positions

• In mum’s arms, lying on his back while mum strokes him, kisses him and makes sure he falls asleep
• On mom’s chest. It will be well secured and monitored at all times
• Embraced with mom. That is, with the head resting on Mom’s shoulder, which supports the weight of the body. (The latter is another ideal position for the baby)
• Lying on her back, on mom’s thighs with her head resting on her knees. (It’s always good to put a blanket or quilt under your head to make it softer and more comfortable)

And on the stomach?

Nowadays, when it comes to making the baby sleep, it is not recommended to use this position until the end of the first year of life.

However, there are some moms who, despite their attempts to keep their baby from adopting this position once they are asleep, find their baby lying on their tummy. They may even find them sleeping, lying on their stomachs, their heads on their sides, and half kneeling.

Prone position is generally the least recommended due to widespread fear that it increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

The  American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that if the baby is sleeping on his stomach, he should be watched. Being on the tummy helps strengthen the baby’s muscles. It also allows him to achieve cephalic control and allows him to adopt good psychomotor skills more quickly. But it is better to try to make sure that the baby does not get used to sleeping like this alone.