Dear Safe to Sleep® Community:

As a mother, a grandmother, or a caregiver of an infant, you know that safe sleep practices can reduce baby's risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related causes of infant death. Caring for your own health is also an important part of keeping baby safe and healthy. Here are a few ideas of what you can do to keep yourself as healthy as possib le:

Get your yearly health checkup. You can talk to your health care provider about how you are doing and about your health goals. You can also receive any vaccines or medical tests you need.

Tell your health care provider if you are feeling depressed or anxious during pregnancy or after birth. You may have a condition that is sometimes referred to as postpartum depression. Together, you can find the treatment that is right for you. NICHD's   Mom's Mental Health Matters has resources about depression and anxiety before and after pregnancy and how to get help.

If you are pregnant, get regular prenatal care. Regular prenatal care is linked with a lower risk of SIDS and can reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. To support a healthy pregnancy, women should seek prenatal care as soon as they think they are pregnant and continue to get regular care throughout the pregnancy.

Eat healthy. You can find tips on healthy eating at Choose My Plate. Make healthy eating a lifelong habit that you share with the child you care for.

Breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding lowers a mother's risk of type 2 diabetes, certain types of breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. And babies who breastfeed, or who are fed breastmilk, are at a lower risk of SIDS than are babies who were never fed breastmilk.

Be active. Following physical activity guidelines can help you maintain good health so that you can take better care of baby. Find opportunities for physical activity that you can do together, such as taking baby for a walk.

Sleep. It is difficult to get enough sleep when you are caring for an infant, so try to sleep when the baby sleeps. Lack of sleep or lack of quality sleep increases your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions. Sleep deprivation can affect your ability to think clearly and react quickly. Experts recommend trying to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep daily.

Do not smoke during pregnancy, and don't smoke or allow smoking around your baby.  Cigarette smoking is harmful to your health in many different ways. And babies are at higher risk for SIDS if they are exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb or in their environment.

 

The Safe to Sleep® campaign has up-to-date information and materials to help you learn more about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death. Remember, your health is i mportant for baby's health!