A step by step guide, to safe sleeping habits for your baby

We’ve all heard the saying ‘back to sleep’ and ‘feet to foot’ when talking about safe infant sleep practices, but what do they really mean? As part of Safer SleepWeek we at Moba want to help new parents understand exactly what the guidelines mean in practice and how to form good habits from day one.

Firstly, you need to decide where your baby will be sleeping when you bring them home. The safest place for your baby to sleep at night is in your bedroom; ideally close-by so you can respond quickly to their cues. It is recommended that you don’t move your baby into their own room until they are over six months of age.  

Safest Sleeping Spot
But there are other aspects to consider when planning the safest spot for your little one’s bed. Firstly the temperature needs to be fairly consistent, so a position away from radiators, heaters and direct sunlight is a must. One of the key aspects of a Moba moses basket is its ability to maximise airflow to your baby, we do this by incorporating more than 300 air holes around the sides and base of the basket ensuring superb ventilation. Our moses baskets are also designed without a hood, this is because a hood will reduce airflow and can create a heat pocket, making it harder to regulate baby’s temperature. Hoods also restrict the view of your little one; by using a Moba you have an unrestricted view and unrestricted peace of mind.

The sleeping spot you choose also needs to be away from blind cords and electric cables, as these can pose a strangulation risk. We chose to incorporate integrated handles in our design, as woven or cotton handles can flop into the moses basket potentially entangling your baby.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Back to sleep
Once you’ve decided where to position your moses basket, it is important to understand the safest way to put baby down to sleep. The back to sleep campaign was introduced to reinforce the fact that the position in which your baby is put down to sleep, is one of the most important and easily influenced safety factors.

Feet to foot
You should put your little one down on their back with their feet at the foot of their moses basket. Being at the foot of the moses basket means your baby can’t wriggle down underneath any blankets covering them, therefore stopping them getting too hot or ending up with a blanket over their face.

Bedding 
If you choose to use a blanket, a cotton cellular blanket is the safest choice as they allow for air to flow through them. Blankets should be tucked in firmly under the mattress by baby’s feet and should not come above shoulder height; this is to limit the chance of your baby wriggling underneath them. Our light and breathable Moba blankets are made from the finest 100% cotton cellular material. Available in six great colours, including a number which are woven from 100% organic cotton, these luxurious, super soft blankets can also be used for swaddling.

It is safest for your baby to have a sleeping space free from teddies, bumpers and any other clutter which they could pull over their face. At Moba we have taken advice from Health Professionals and have chosen to make each of our luxury white cotton Moba Moses Basket Liners from 100% unlined white cotton waffle. Not only does the padding often used prohibit airflow through the sides of the basket, but the polyester fibre padding used in most moses basket liners is also highly flammable. To combat this, the fibre is treated with strong flame retardant chemicals, which babies can potentially inhale, we at Moba are not comfortable with this.

Mattress
Choosing a mattress can also seem a bit of a minefield. The mattress you chose needs to fit snugly into your moses basket, it should be kept clean and dry, the simplest way to ensure this is to buy a mattress with a waterproof cover. Every Moba moses basket comes with our luxurious Moba matress which has a wipe clean top cover which does not contain PVC, but is temperature regulating, fully air permeable and reversible.

You can view the Moba collection here or drop by our boutique in Naxxar.