Q&A Forum

22/10/21

Ruby

I have a cozee bassinet (mattress size 80.5 x 51cm x 4cm) my 8 week old is 57cm. I swaddle her and put her down the bottom in the middle. When we wake for mid night feeds she has managed to wriggle her way to the side of the Bassinet with her head close to the edges. Is it time for the cot? The cot is in a different room and my house is large so just worried she will be far from me while she is so young

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Posted a response on 25/10/21

Red Nose Education

There is no need to stop your baby from wriggling & changing her position, but it is important to make her environment safe in light of what she is doing.
Many babies will wriggle & change position (like you describe) at a young age.

Often this can mean that baby is soon going to be rolling.
You could try unswaddling now or swaddling with arms out.
Often these babies like their arms free or like to touch their face or suck fingers & will wriggle to get free.
How does she go with tummy time when awake?

She may also be soon rolling so would need to be moved to her cot.
It is good to have her in your room for as long as is possible, but if she is rolling it is important, she is in her cot.
Safe environment takes priority over room sharing.
Parents are not expected to observe their baby constantly. If your baby is sleeping in a separate room check baby regularly to ensure that the baby remains on the back and the head and face remain uncovered (as baby grows beyond 5-6 months they will move around the cot and roll over; settle baby to sleep on their back but let them find the sleep position they feel most comfortable in. A safe cot and safe sleep environment is still necessary for babies older than 5-6 months).
https://rednose.org.au/article/room-sharing-with-baby

Most babies will be rolling over by 4-5 months…....some earlier, some later.
This is very normal as babies grow & become stronger many babies then prefer to sleep on their tummy.
*It is important that you move her from bassinet to her cot & cease wrapping once she is rolling or attempting to roll.
*Baby needs arms free & the space of the cot to roll safely.

Once she is rolling it is important to make the environment as safe as possible for this to occur.
Continue to always place baby on the back to sleep.
Ensure cot mattress is firm, well-fitting & flat.
Ensure there is nothing loose or soft in the cot.
Preferable to use a sleeping bag when rolling that has appropriate size neck & arm holes.

Red Nose has the following information when baby is rolling.
Give baby extra tummy time to play when awake and supervised as this helps baby to develop stronger neck and upper body muscles which in turn enables them to roll back over.
Make sure that baby is on a firm and well-fitting mattress that is flat (not tilted or elevated).
Make sure that baby’s face and head remains uncovered (do not use lambswool, doonas, pillows, cot bumpers or soft toys)

As babies grow and develop they become very active and learn to roll around the cot.
At this time, continue to put them on the back at the start of sleep time, but let them find their own position of comfort.
By this stage it is not necessary to wake during the night to turn baby over to the back position

Do not use any devices designed to keep baby in a particular sleep position.
https://rednose.com.au/article/what-do-we-do-now-that-a-baby-has-started-to-roll-over

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