by Catherine Hall
1. My children, who are and are healthy, smart and thriving in school and extracurricular activities and are all-around good kids
2. Super supportive parents, who have always encouraged me in all my endeavors.
3. My awesome brothers, who taught me how to do all things "boy" and always included me.
4. Amazing, hard-working colleagues that come to work with a smile and know the effort it takes to run a small business.
5. Living in a gorgeous place where I get to see amazing mountain views and experience the beauty of the four seasons!
Sleep safety is something that every parent needs to take very seriously. Many newborns can sleep up to 18 hours a day. That’s a lot of time spent sleeping! While the amount of sleep your child needs as she grows does decrease, it’s replaced by rapid development and increased mobility-even more reason to ensure that your baby is sleeping in a safe and protected environment.
We all know that back is best for our babies sleep, but did you know that a firm sleep surface, devoid of blankets, pillows, and soft surfaces comes in a close second? This includes crib bumpers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has initiated a national review on fatal crib bumper incidents, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has publicly declared that traditional crib bumpers are a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment and should never be used. Even states and cities are getting involved in the ban on bumpers: Maryland has imposed a ban on the sale of crib bumpers, and the city of Chicago has an ordinance banning crib bumpers.
This has left some parents wondering how to protect their baby from the crib rails…and the crib rails from their baby. Much of the concern about crib bumpers surrounds their ability to serve as a launching point for older children and a suffocation hazard for younger ones. Wonder Bumpers have not been affected by the ban on crib bumpers, due largely in fact to their sleeve-like design and unique ability to remain attached the crib rails, unlike anything else on the market. Not to mention the fact that they’re able to protect both your baby and the crib from harm.
I often caution against “magical” solutions, and the truth is, most of them really don’t work. And while a crib bumper is not a necessity, is a way to add protection to your investment and your baby. That being said, even if you follow the rules to a “t” and have just a flat, fitted sheet, you still need to make sure that your baby is safe. This means that cribs should be placed in a warm, dark part of the room, away from windows. Blankets should not dangle from the side of the crib, and wall hangings need to be well out of the baby’s reach so he can’t pull them down on himself. Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area. Don’t use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, or soft or pillow-like crib bumpers in your baby’s sleep area (other than the small blanket you swaddle a newborn in), and that should be away from the face, as these all pose a risk of suffocation.
Additionally, once your baby begins to be mobile (this means as soon as she starts rocking side to side in an attempt to roll over, you need to remove any tempting items around the crib, including wall hangings and mobiles. Your baby’s crib should be safe and boring. It’s for sleeping, not for playing.
I am excited to have partnered up with Wonder Bumpers for a huge giveaway! We’re giving away not 1, but 5 prizes! The first place winner will receive a $100 Gift Card to Wonder Bumpers The 4 runners up will each receive a $25 Gift Car to Wonder Bumpers - See more at: http://www.sleeplady.com/baby-sleep/wonder-bumpers-giveaway/#.UnhWKvmRAjQ
