Q&A Forum

16/6/21

Michelle

My baby is 5 weeks old and sleeps in a love to dream “wing suit” he is such a wiggler and he always ends up sort of diagonally across his bassinet with his face very, very close to the side of the bassinet. My bassinet is massive, it’s almost twice the size of the standard bassinets. I’m worried he’s going to end up with his face hard up against it and is going to suffocate!

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Posted a response on 16/6/21

Red Nose Education

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.

Some babies just do not respond well to wrapping & like their arms free.
This includes a swaddle suit like the one you are using.
Often these babies like their arms free or like to touch their face or suck fingers, & will wriggle to get free.
Does the bassinet have soft, padded sides?

Most babies will be rolling over by 4-6 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 him from bassinet to his cot & cease wrapping once he is rolling or attempting to roll.
Baby needs arms free & the space of the cot to roll safely.

Red Nose also recommends modifying any wrap at 3 months to allow for arms to be free, in preparation for rolling
Modify the wrap to meet the baby’s developmental changes, e.g. arms free once ‘startle’ reflex begins to disappear which is usually around 3 months
https://rednose.org.au/article/wrapping-babies

Once he is rolling it is important to make the environment as safe as possible for this to occur.
Continue to place baby on their 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

Some further information about wrapping & swaddle products.
.......it is extremely important to ensure that the product fits the baby and is appropriate for their developmental stage.
For example:

The material of the wrap or swaddle should not cover the face or head, particular if baby sleeps with arms in different positions. If the item is too big for the baby, some zipped swaddle suits that enclose baby’s hands, have been shown to allow material to cover baby’s face and nose when baby raises their hands above their head during sleep. All sleeping attire designed to cover the baby’s shoulders should have separate neck and arm holes or should ensure that they do not allow the face covering if the baby was to move their arms in different positions.

Any product that is used as clothing on the baby or in the baby’s sleep environment should not restrict the movement of a baby who is able to roll. Wrapping should be discontinued as soon as the baby shows the first signs of being able to roll. Positioning aids that restrict movement of the baby are not recommended and have been associated with infant deaths.
https://rednose.org.au/article/wrapping-babies

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