Second-time-mum, Tea*, didn’t think she’d have concerns about her baby’s sleep after successfully raising one child through infancy. But she’s glad she called Red Nose’s Safe Sleep Advice Line for reassurance when her son met a significant developmental milestone.
*Caller’s name changed to protect her privacy
“I called the Safe Sleep Line when I started finding my six-month-old son asleep on his tummy in the cot. I was really concerned about the risk of SIDS, knowing how important back sleeping was to reducing the risk of that happening.”
“I knew Red Nose had a good reputation in this area because of all the research they’d done into SIDS prevention and developing guidelines about babies’ sleeping environments.”
“I left a message when I called, and the nurse called me back really quickly to answer my question. It was clear she had a lot of experience with infants and young children, which I found very reassuring.”
“She reassured me that tummy sleeping is a risk for very young babies, but that because my son was now six-months-old and developmentally able to roll himself onto his side and back again, that it was OK to let him find his own sleeping position after I’d put him down in the cot.”
“She gave me some really helpful advice on how to ensure his cot was safe from hazards that might affect him when he rolled into this position, so I just made sure the cot was clear and he was wearing a safe sleep suit.”
“I still put him to sleep on his back, but I don’t panic if he moves himself now.”
“I’m glad I called. I let the ladies in my mum’s group know about the Safe Sleep Line and none of them had known it was available, so I’m really happy to be able to tell others it’s there.”
“I’m a second-time-mum, but I still have questions and things I’m unsure about, so for peace of mind I think it’s always worth checking, no matter how experienced you are!”
For Safe Sleeping and Safer Pregnancy information call 1300 998 698 (business hours) or visit our online advice hub.