After welcoming little tot, chances are that the new family member will start sleeping in your room, simply because it is considered the safest place and an ideal way of building and maintaining that close parent to child bond.
Additionally, your room is the best place you can use for late night feedings and for maintaining him/her warm. However, you will want to reclaim your space at some point. That is quite obvious, and it brings us to the big question: when should I put my baby in his own room?
This article covers expert advice on how to know it is time for the big switch, and tips on how to handle this transition. Read on.
American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that babies should sleep in the same room as their parents, but not the same bed, ideally for up to the first six to twelve months. They say that this reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. How it reduces the risk of SIDS by more than 70% still remains unclear but maybe it is due to the closeness of mom and breast milk which play a bigger role.
And then the strongest parent-child bond is built over the first 12 months, so your baby is comforted by the sounds of your breathing.
That said, 12 months is apparently a long time but it is totally okay and understandable. It is not harmful to have a baby in his own room even before then, but as Dr. Ashanti Woods of MMC medical center Baltimore pieces of advice, every baby is different and unique, and that is why pediatricians recommend that parents take into account what is best for every family member prior to making that major decision.
Everything is possible…
Babies become more aware and alert of their surroundings as from 6 months, but that is not to mean that having him in his own room at 4 or 5 months is not possible. It is also not to mean that transitioning to their own spaces at 12 months or even later is weird. If you happen to find the process challenging, the most effective way to handle that is by talking to a certified infant pediatrician. I mean it really comes down to whatever works best for your family dynamics.
How to Tell If The Baby Is Ready To Move To His Own Room?
It is great to move little tot to his own room at 12. However, if you are considering moving him before then, then there are a few things to keep in mind.
-Talk to a pediatrician to be sure baby is growing well and does not need night feedings and such
-If he can roll over unaided, he’s certainly ready to be moved
-If the baby can’t sleep for over 3-4 hours, he is not yet ready to live separately in his own room
Tips for moving baby to his own room
-Set up a safe room for baby
-Prepare him for a transition. Have him sleep at the nursery so he can start familiarizing with new spaces
-Install a video monitor so that you’ll hear and see him from any point in the house
Note: If you cannot let him sleep on his own, there is no need to move him to a new room. However, he will learn to love a new room even you’re having a tough night with him.