Comfort

Room Temperature. Try to keep an even, comfortable temperature in your baby’s room. Windows may be opened in warm weather, provided the baby is not in a draft and the room temperature does not fall below 70ºF.

Crib. Cover the mattress with a waterproof cover, pad, and soft baby sheet. Do not use a pillow. Cover the baby with one or two cotton blankets. Do not tightly wrap your baby in a blanket, because this limits free movement. Although most newborn babies sleep most of the time between feedings, there is wide variation among babies. Many babies do not sleep through the night (7-8 hours) until at least 2 to 3 months.

Sleep Position. Numerous recent studies have shown that belly sleeping is associated with a small increase in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS; Crib Death). Therefore, until your baby can roll to his or her preferred position (usually around six months of age), place your baby on the back or side for sleeping.

Clothing. A baby does not require any more clothing than an adult. Dress your baby according to the temperature. It’s rare to see a baby with too little clothing!

Outdoors. Your baby may go outside depending upon the weather (Spring and Fall at 11/2 to 2 weeks of age; winter at 3 to 4 weeks of age; Summer, anytime). Dress your baby according to the weather and avoid direct sun.

Friends and Relatives. Everyone wants to hold and hug a new baby and you may find it hard to refuse. As with most things, use a common sense approach. Moderation is the best policy. Try particularly hard to keep young children and anyone with an infection away from your new baby.