As the holiday season approaches, families are more likely to be on the move. It is important that those with babies always have a safe place for baby to sleep.
Relying on a makeshift bed while on holiday poses risk of suffocation for babies in the first year of life, so planning ahead to always have a safe sleep environment will help protect babies from suffocation.
To keep babies safe during sleep, always follow these simple PEPE rules:
PLACE baby safely in his or her own bed; if co-sleeping place baby in a wahakura (flax woven bassinet), a Pēpi-pod® or bassinette. Keep baby’s face clear of loose bedding with NO pillows, hats, bibs or soft toys.
ELIMINATE exposure to smoking, alcohol and drug use, and have a smokefree home and car. The whānau can also support o mum by being smokefree.
POSITION baby flat and on the back as this enables an open airway and baby’s drive to breathe is best this way.
ENCOURAGE and support mum to breastfeed so baby will be strong and healthy.
Baby sleeps safely in wahakura
For Natasha Cunningham, having a wahakura for her baby son Keanu has made things so easy, especially as he was born four weeks early.
“He needed to be fed more often and needed closer monitoring once we got home from hospital. The wahakura allowed Keanu to sleep safely in the lounge during the day, and I had it in bed with me at night so he was close to me, which really helped with bonding and breastfeeding.”
Natasha’s mum lives in Te Poi, so when she visits she takes Keanu’s wahakura so he can safely sleep in a familiar space.
