is there a safe soft..?

Question

is there a soft padding for cribs that is still safe in terms of preventing SIDS? My son (6 weeks) will sleep just fine on softer surfaces (like the boppy pillow or my bed, with supervision of course), but as soon as he is in his crib he screams. I'm assuming it's too hard for his comfort, so I was wondering if ther is any sort of safe padding I can get. Like maybe memory foam that's softer yet still firm.

Even if he is already asleep before I lay him down, the moment he is in the crib he is awake.

Oh, and he HATES to be swaddled, always has. That makes him scream more than anything. I say that because swaddling was suggested by a family member.

Answer 1

I don't think there is a safe padding for cribs available for babies. Both of my babies slept with me in the bed. My daughter slept with me until she was about 8 or 9 months old before transitioning to the crib. My son is still sleeping with me at 13 months, and we are currently working on transitioning to the crib right now. There are a lot of reasons why your baby might not like being in the crib, but if he's waking up and crying before you even get him in there, chances are he can sense what you are doing (in his sleep even) and doesn't want to be put down. American culture so strongly stresses independence of our children (even at a mere 6 weeks old!!) that it isn't very popular to co-sleep with your baby, but like others have arleady answered for you, it can be done safely and it is so important to make your child feel safe and loved and secure at this age. Go to Elizabeth Pantley's website and consider getting the book, "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" (http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth/newsletters/sleepbookann.htm) (or get it from a library, whatever). She gives some AWESOME advice about getting your baby to sleep through the night (eventually) in a crib or wherever you choose to put him, without giving your baby "the cold shoulder" and having to listen to screaming, like some parents are advised to do. She will also reply to your email, if you ask her a question (she answered mine!!) Good luck, and keep on loving that baby!! :D

Answer 2

Your little one is probably crying because he is away from you and the crib is a pretty lonely place! I realize that this is not for everyone, but I co-slept with my daughter for the first three months and yes, you can do it safely if you are careful. THere is also a wonderful bassinet that attaches to the side of your bed called the "Co-Sleeper" which is just great. Your little guy will still be able to hear you, can smell you, and will know you are close which is what they really need during those first few months. My daughter would not go into the crib until she was 7 months old and then POW just like that she slept in it with no problem at all. She just needed the closeness.

All babies cry when swaddled at first. I would encourage you not to give up on that. Mine would scream bloody murder as I swaddled here and go silent after a minute of being swaddled. It was lifesaving, especially when she started fussing.

If you don't already have it, buy the DVD called the Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, MD. It's a great guide to the first few months of their lives.

Good luck!

Answer 3

My youngest had this problem as well. Try to put a soft blanket down. Let the baby lay on it. I noticed that my daughter was just cold on top of a regular sheet. It took awhile of doing this, but now she is 17 months and sleeps on anything. You don't want to make it too soft for the baby. Make sure the blanket is tucked tight around the matress, just like a fitted sheet would be.

Answer 4

Very young babies don't feel SAFE when they're surrounded by open space. Instead of padding his crib, wrap your son in a receiving blanket before putting him to bed. Lay him diagonally on the blanket and tuck the left side over him, making sure it's snugged under his right side. Now tuck the point of the blanket under his feet up snugly, finishing off with tucking the right side of the blanket over this fold to keep it taut. This helps mimic the closeness of the womb, and is reassuring for the baby.

Answer 5

Hi
Have you tried tilting him up a little? He may not like laying flat, some babies especially those with reflux will sleep better if they are tilted up. To do this put something under the mattress just enough so that his head is higher than his feet. My 3rd baby loved to sleep in her rocker. You can get a product called a baby nest these are great. Goodluck with whatever you try.

Answer 6

I think he just wants to be next to you. Go to a babys r us or someplace like that. I don't think so though, they don't want babies on soft surfaces. I always put a flat pillow in my sons crib and that helped.

Answer 7

I just read an article on attachment parenting. You should look it up. Maybe your kids just wants to be near you, what is so wrong with that. Unless you want to get sleep at night. Maybe your other kids didn't need it or wont need it for future kids, but this current one wants it. Just let him sleep with you. Don't listen to American culture. Listen to your motherly instincts.

Answer 8

Maybe try a bassinet for a while or a playyard type thing at first my daughter did not like sleeping in her crib at all and we got her a bassinet and it helped where she was able to sleep by herself and not with me

Answer 9

there are special mats u can get that are soft and are safe for babies maybe look at sids sites u might b able to get something from there