SLEEP

SIDS

Everyone knows - "Back to sleep" for a reason. This is the number one thing you can do to help combat SIDS. Other possible helpful measures are having a fan in the room, keeping child cooler rather than warmer (the reason is most kids will wake up if they're too cold; not as likely to wake up if they're too warm), no bumpers in the cribs, no blankets in the crib, no toys in the crib, a firm mattress. 2-4 months is the most stressful window; likelihood of SIDS starts to decline around 6 months and is almost gone by 1 year old.

Co Sleeping

Obviously do not co sleep with your child if drunk or taking sleeping pills. A king size bed works best in this case. If that's not an option, kick out the animals (possibly the husband) and get as much sleep as you can. I did this for the first couple weeks Liam was home and was glad I did. But I was also glad when we put him in his cradle and now crib on a regular basis.

What to wear

L. was born heading into winter and it was chilly outside. I was worried that he would be too cold sleeping and really wanted to use blankets. I found for the first several weeks the SwaddleMe worked great. Kept him secure and warm w/out using blankets but also allowed the kicking of legs when the gas hit. After he outgrew being swaddled, we switched right over to a sleep sack and have continued to use.