Is this safe for my baby??

Question

My husband and I just brought home our baby who was born 11 weeks premature. He spent 7 weeks in the NICU exactly and is doing great. Born at 2 lbs 15 oz's and is now 6lbs 2 oz's. We tried to put him in his crib the night we got home and he hated it. He got very used to the small tight area in his NICU crib. We then went out and purchased a Moses basket. He likes to feel tight and secure b/c that is all he knows. We put a cushion thing that you would put in a car seat that has a round thing for the head to stay stable and in place. He tends to turn his head at night and I am worried about SIDS and him stuffing his face in it. That secure feeling around his whole body is the only thing that seems to make him sleep. I am wondering if this is ok to use for a while until he gets a little bigger. He is on a heart monitor 24/7 for abnormal breathing and apnea. I want him to sleep well to grow, but I also want to be safe. Thanks!!

Answer 1

I love moses baskets. They are so cute. I don't think you need the head rest thing. He is laying down, not sitting up like in a car seat. If he needs to feel secure, try swaddling. Sometimes they can shake and knock a swaddle loose, so try one of those swaddling blankets that close with velcro.
Moses baskets are perfectly fine to use until they get bigger. In fact, there is are online stores that sell stands so you can use them a bassinett.

Answer 2

My son only spent 10 days in the NICU and he had his days and nights all mixed up and seemed frightened of the big bad world. I'm sure it's even worse after 7 weeks in there.

I would say to encourage him sleeping in his own space instead of co-sleeping. You will be glad later that you have not started a hard to break habit.

I would probably not use the car seat thing but would do what the previous answerer talked about with the towel with a receiving blanket over it. That is what worked for my son and what they did for him at the hospital too. Soon he will adjust to his new wide open world and you'll have new worries. :-)

Doesn't worry come with the territory as a parent?

Congratulations on having him home! God bless him and may he grow even stronger and healthier in the days ahead!

Answer 3

With the monitor you shouldnt be too concerned. Also with the cusion thing, it doesnt sound like something that would be too thick. I say this because SIDS can be from the re-circulated air. The thickness doesnt sound to be a height that would trap the air. At least the one we had, was not more then 2 inches.

Are you also swaddling? If not Id recommend that. We also had a preemie with apnea problems, and later used an angelcare monitor. But previous to that we had him sleeping in the infant car seat - ALWAYS SECURELY STRAPPED IN or they can flop.

Good luck and congrats!

Answer 4

I freiked out a lot about SIDS when my boys were born and I actually read several places that babies are actually born with SIDS. There is no way of knowing it though. These babies are prone to suffocating if they are not put to bed the right way. If you lay your son on his back and roll up a recieving blanket and put it at each of his sides(not up by his head) he will be fine. There are also things you can buy at Babies R Us that do the same thing.My Dr. told me that when they are old enough to roll over they are old enough to know to raise their head if they cant breath. You just have to make sure not to put things like blankets, stuffed animals and such in the bassinet with him. If you dress him warm enough you dont even need to put a blanket on him. You have to watch for overbundling though too bc they can over heat. Just keep whats in there simple and lay him on his back. I wouldnt use the car seat cushion at all. He could very well turn his head into it and you wouldnt know.

I wish you luck the heart and breathing machine sounds scary. But it will all be worth it.

Answer 5

Have you tried swaddling him or those little wedge things that are supposed to keep them on their backs? Just an idea. For our daughter, she slept in our bed, and we got this little co-sleeper that fit between my husband and myself. This not only gave her a small, secure environment to sleep, it also kept her close to us (I've read that having baby in the same room can help them regulate breathing/heartbeat because they follow the same rhythym as parents when they're sleeping) and it made nursing so much easier because no one had to get out of bed, and the co-sleeper had a little light on it. As far as the little carseat style head support, I don't know if I would trust it if he wasn't already on moniters. However, the moniters will go off if something's not right, so you might be ok. I just don't think I would go there. Then again, there's a lot of people that don't agree with co-sleeping either, except in almost every country besides the united states (I guess us americans are just too paranoid).

Answer 6

I've never used a moses basket, so I'm not sure. Have you tried a small bassinette? That might be something you could try and then you wouldn't have to worry as much about his safety. But, as far as the car seat thing, I had to use something similar for my daughter called a noggin nest, because she was developing a flat spot on her head from laying on her back. I only used it when she was sleeping upright though, like in her swing or bouncer. I was afraid to have her lie down on it just like you are.

Answer 7

My son was premature too and I know what you mean about him needing to feel secure. What we did was rolled a bath towel and then arched it, so that the curve was right over his head, the open area by his feet and then we put a blanket over it, so it was like a little secure, warm area for him. He did just fine in it for about the first month he was home... Then we took it away and he was fine without it. I think your son will be just fine... your motherly intuition will let you know if it is right or not. :)

Answer 8

It's not recommend for to put anything in there bed cause of the fact of suffocating those head support are design to use for the carseat. You should bought a bassinet instead to keep in your room. Or use a swaddle blanket it make baby nice and snuggled.

Answer 9

not sure I'd use the car seat thing, why take the chance? A good tight swaddle seems to make my baby feel secure enough.

Answer 10

I should be just fine, I used the same head thing for my daughter who for the first 2 months would only sleep in her carseat! Hes on the monitor so that should give you extra peace. congrats!