I remember being a mother for the first time. I could barely sleep even though my eyes could not stay open any longer. Reading about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and how babies die in their sleep was terrifying. I remember touching my daughter in her sleep and moving her just to know that she was ok. I would sit for hours and watch her stomach move as se would breathe. Although the percent of deaths are minuscule, the thought that there was a possibility that something like that could happen was reason enough to be paranoid.

If you are one of those mothers that are constantly on the vigilance to look out for their child then the following tips will help to put you at ease.

First and foremost, to keep your child safe you must clear the cot and keep it free of any toys and blankets that may suffocate your child. Keep just one toy in the cot for your child to snuggle up with, make sure that it is proportionate to your child. Something to small may cause suffocation, while something to large may lead to the child having too much weight on its body.

Always make sure that the child is sleeping on her back and not the stomach. If your child turns while sleeping, turn her back. She may sleep on her side, but avoid the stomach completely. What happens is when she sleeps on her stomach; her nose gets pressed and there is a possibility that she may not be able to breathe as a result.

Keep all plastic articles away from the crib. If you use a plastic mat then you must have a thick blanket placed above it. Plastic also causes heat and leads to the child being uneasy. Plastic bags must be kept at bay.

Do not layer the baby even if it is extremely cold. Layering can lead to over heating that can cause discomfort while the child is asleep.