SIDS paranoia?

[Cybercere]

Now that are babies are at the 2 month mark (or nearly there) I find myself increasingly worried about SIDS - I've done tons of reading about risks, safe practices, etc. Anyone else paranoid? We did buy the Angelcare monitor but since she's sleeping with me, I got a Respisense monitor that she wears - no idea if these things actually work. Anyway, I hope I'm not the only one. (I could relate to the co-sleeping scare thread - I co-sleep and while I am "safe" I have drifted off to sleep while nursing and woken up terrified that I smothered her - I'm trying to make sure I stay awak and more her back to her "area" of my bed. I will be glad when I'm less anxious - whenever that is :-)

[CookAMH]

DDC Crashing...what risks for SIDS apply to your babe that have you worried?

[Kailey's mom]

It will pass hun... I had this fear also, very bad. I'm glad you already have the monitors, that helps with peace of mind. I just want to assure you that it will pass. I believe it was around the 4-5 month mark when my fear was less. HUGS!!!!!!! and please nap when your babies do, that way you don't get exausted.

[SunShineSally]

I am always paranoid of SIDS! I have him sleep with his head on my arm. I would never beable to have him sleep in a different room I have a hard time with him in his co sleeper! I was the same with ds1 I even ask dh if the baby is breathing when we are out and about. I know it is over the top at times for me but

[ears73]

Yeah, I check for breathing all the time too. We co-sleep and he does the squirm towards me after I move him back to the center between dh and I. My arms started to fall asleep when I was facing him which is a feeling I sooooo detest! I slept w/my back to him last night. It wasn't great and tonight, if I can sleep in any form, I will be happy for it. What's with insomnia w/a new babe?? Come on brain and body, get it together!

[thelocaldialect]

I get paranoid about SIDS too, and it isn't because there are any risk factors involved for us, but because, I think, it is something that is so out of our control and pretty much unexplained. I mean, what is scarier really than the idea of sudden death?

But, at the same time, it is a fear that I know I have to let go of, precisely because there's very little I can do about it besides make sure that I'm not putting her at risk. I think the thing is that there are people who do everything "right" and still it happens. I read about a case where a baby was in the hospital, hooked up to monitors because of several close calls with SIDS, and the baby's heartrate slowed and then stopped, right there in the hospital. I think there is some research recently showing that there might be a genetic component that just makes certain babies more at risk than others not because of anything the parents did or didn't do.

I try and tell myself too that the odds are in my favor and put it out of my mind, which is, of course, easier said than done if you're a worrywart like me!

[beep]

I really worry about SIDS all the time too. We still have pillows on our bed, as well as a comforter. I worry about how our sleeping positions expose him to the pillows, though we do organize ourselves to keep control of his head. I also worry about the comforter, though it's never to my knowledge been pulled up any higher than DS's waist, and usually not even that.

DS usually starts his night with his dad, held next to his dad's face on the pillow with DH holding him in position with both hands. After he screams and fusses for a couple of hours while DH dozes on and off, DS settles down and is put in a Snuggle Nest between me and DH. I wake up to feed him usually twice before we get up. After each feeding, if he is sleepy enough I put him in the Snuggle Nest, but usually he isn't so I cuddle him next to me (often for a repeat of the screaming). I put his neck on my arm, and have never had him slip off it... but he is near my pillow. Sometimes I put him in the Snuggle Nest right at the edge, and then reach my arm in to hold him while he sleeps. No matter which of these various configurations DS is in--and all of them, really, are designed to make sure his face stays free--I worry.

[justmandy]

Yes. This is my fourth baby and every single one I was convinced more then once that they weren't breathing. We've done everything, co-slept, room shared, had baby down the hall, on a certified mattress with no blankets, nothing makes the fear better or easier.

I draw comfort as they get older and know we're pretty low risk.

It's just part of motherhood...the worrying. It starts as soon as that line shows up on the pregnancy test. We've worried about growth, diseases, stress, discomfort, illness, poop, eating too much, eating too little. It's what makes us all the same.

This fear will pass. And then we'll find something new to fret about.

[Brisen]

I worry about it too, though at this point (baby is 3 months) I'm worrying less. His breathing seems stronger & he's bigger. When he was a newborn, he was so teeny and also had a hard time keeping warm, and I often couldn't tell if he was breathing when he was asleep.

The car seat still freaks me out a little. I don't mind it so much if dh is driving and I can sit beside him, but if I'm driving, I worry the whole time. Which is why I've only gone out on my own once or twice. It doesn't help that it's cold outside so I have the big snuggly bag thing on his seat, and then once we start driving I worry if he's overheating or if the blanket has fallen on his face.