I took my daughter to see Wicked at the Fox Theater in December. We enjoyed it, and the theater was packed! During intermission, we spent most of our time walking around inside looking at the building. We also spent a few minutes waiting in line for the restroom, and while in line, I realized something profound: the reason that it seemed nearly all the women of child-bearing age were pregnant fit perfectly with the Stanley Cup Baby Boom!

That’s right. The Blues finished off the Bruins on June 12, 2019, so 40 weeks after that puts us right around Valentine’s Day for a new crop of infants in the region. All those pregnant ladies at the theater were already showing (and probably starting to have problems sleeping if they weren’t plagued with those issues earlier). All these new babies in the world mean some of you are about to be mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and godmothers all over again. It’s an exciting time…and a good time to be reminded about safe sleep practices for infants. Here are some guidelines:

1. Always place baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night, to reduce the risk of SIDS.
2. Use a firm and flat sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet with no other bedding or soft items in the sleep area. (Yes, that crib bumper received at a baby shower might be so cute, but it is very unsafe to actually use. See number 3.)
3. Do not put soft objects, toys, crib bumpers, or loose bedding under baby, over baby, or anywhere in baby’s sleep area. This is hardly easy to do with all of the lovely, hand-made baby blankets. Don’t worry about it. Those blankets get used when the child gets older.
4. Do not let your baby get too hot during sleep. If you are worried about your baby getting cold, you can use infant sleep clothing, such as a wearable blanket. In general, your baby should be dressed with only one layer more than you are wearing.
5. Only bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort. Place your baby back in his or her own sleep space when you are ready to go to sleep.
6. Never place your baby to sleep on a couch, sofa, or armchair. This is an extremely dangerous place for your baby to sleep.
7. Bed-sharing is not recommended for any babies.
8. It is fine to swaddle your baby. You should discontinue swaddling after the baby begins to try to turn over.

From all the Get Healthy DeSoto crew, enjoy those new babies and tiny family members! For more resources about infant sleep, please check out HealthyChildren.org.