We hope your first week with your baby went well. Can you believe your baby is now a week old?
Everyone wants to meet your new bundle of joy! Consider asking family and friends to keep their vaccines up to date and to delay their visit if they are sick. Remind anyone holding your baby to wash their hands first, and not to kiss your baby’s cute face. |
Appointment alert!
Did you know that two out of 1000 babies have hearing loss at birth?
Hearing screening is free for all newborns in Ontario. The tests are quick and comfortable. Some babies are tested at the hospital and others are tested in the community. Sometimes a second test is needed.
Hearing screening is only offered to newborns up to 8 weeks old. If your infant has missed the screening call Kids Inclusive at 613-544-3400, ext. 3175.
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Vitamin D
Breastfed babies need a daily vitamin D supplement of 10 µg (400 IU). This can be found at your local pharmacy. |
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Sleep for your baby
Babies under 3 months of age:
- normally sleep between 14 and 17 hours a day,
- usually wake about every 2 to 3 hours to eat (but might want to eat more often),
- may sleep at any time of the day or night, and
- may move, grunt, and twitch during sleep. You don’t need to respond to these movements unless your baby wakes up.
Try these tips to help your baby sleep:
- Allow sunlight into the home during the day and keep the lights low at night.
- Start a calming bedtime routine with your baby, which may include reading a story, bath time, baby massage, singing, or rocking.
- Try feeding, rocking, singing, shushing, or patting to help soothe your baby.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is when a healthy baby dies when sleeping for no known reason. There are things you can do that lower the risk of your baby dying or getting hurt while sleeping.
Everyone who cares for your baby should be aware of the Safe Sleep for Your Baby guidelines and follow them for naptimes and bedtime.
Where should my baby sleep?
- Place your baby to sleep alone in a crib, cradle, or bassinet that meets Health Canada’s safety regulations. Products such as sleep positioners, side-car cribs and cots, baby hammocks, playpens and infant swings are not recommended for infant sleep.
- Place your baby on their back for every sleep.
- Use a firm mattress with a tight fitted sheet. Remove all items that could cover your baby’s face, like pillows, blankets, bumper pads, or toys.
- Keep your baby in the same room with you during the first 6 months of their life.
- Keep the room at a comfortable temperature.
What should my baby wear?
- Babies should wear a fitted one-piece sleeper.
- Don’t swaddle your baby. The blanket can come loose and cover your baby’s face, or if the swaddle is too tight it could hurt your baby’s hips. Instead, use an extra one-piece sleeper.
- Being too warm can increase the risk of SIDS. Babies have cold hands, so feel your baby’s back to check their temperature.
- If you choose to use a sleep sac, read the instructions, and use the correct size so your baby’s face doesn’t get covered.
What else can I do to keep my baby safe while sleeping?
- Keep smoke away from your baby, including fabrics that have been touched by tobacco or cannabis smoke (like clothing or furniture) as they still have the chemicals on them.
- Breastfeeding has been shown to lower the risk of SIDS.
What about bedsharing?
The safest place for your baby to sleep is alone in a crib, cradle, or bassinet that meets the Health Canada safety regulations. Bed-sharing can increase your baby’s risk of dying or getting hurt.
Some things make sharing a bed with your baby more dangerous. Do not share a bed with your baby if:
- You or your partner smokes tobacco or cannabis.
• If you smoked tobacco or cannabis during pregnancy.
• You or your partner are under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or sedatives.
• Your baby was born early (before 37 weeks)
• Your baby had a low birth weight (less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces or 2500 grams)
If you think you might share a bed with your baby, or might fall asleep with your baby, take the following steps to make the bed as safe as possible:
- Make sure the mattress is firm and covered with a fitted sheet. Never sleep with your baby on a surface such as a couch, sofa, armchair, waterbed, or air mattress.
• Clear the bed of blankets, pillows, toys and all other objects.
• Only have parents and the baby in the bed.
• Make sure your partner and other household members know the baby is in bed with you.
• Move the bed away from the wall, so your baby cannot get trapped.
• Continue to follow the general Safe Sleep for Your Baby guidelines.
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Parent sleep (or lack of)
Getting enough sleep is tough with a new baby. Here are some tips:
- Make sleep a priority over chores - give yourself permission to rest.
- Try to have a relaxing bedtime routine.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and screen-use before bed.
- Spend some time outside during the day.
- If you can, rest while others care for your baby.
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Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC)
A free, confidential, and voluntary home visiting program. A public health nurse can support you and your family with:
- Becoming parents
- Your mental and physical health
- Feeding your baby
- Finding helpful services in your community
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We are all crossing our fingers and hoping that you get some rest this week! Enjoy the snuggles with your baby. We will be in touch with you next week. |
KFL&A Public Health, 221 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston, Ontario K7M 1V5
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