How to Lay a Baby in a Crib

Parents often choose to put their babies to sleep in a crib. This is a smart decision according to Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Ann Brown, who claims, "The only safe place for babies [to sleep] is in a crib that meets current safety standards and has a firm, tight-fitting mattress." Using a crib can pose a challenge, though, when parents need to transfer the baby from their arms to the crib. With some practice, parents can lay their baby gently in her crib with a minimum of fussing and crying.

Instructions

    • 1

      Make the crib comfortable and safe for your baby. Use flannel sheets during cold months or warm cold sheets with a warm towel. Remember to remove the towel before putting your baby in the crib. Hang a mobile above the crib -- as long as your baby is under five months -- and pictures or bedding with bold patterns on a nearby wall, so he has something interesting to look at. Remove any loose blankets, stuffed animals, and pillows, all of which pose a suffocation risk.

    • 2

      Follow a relaxing bedtime routine that will leave your baby drowsy. Give your baby a bath, read her a few books and snuggle or nurse her until she starts falling asleep. If you lay your baby in her crib when she is already drowsy, she has a better chance of going to sleep peacefully.

    • 3

      Lay your baby into the crib slowly and gently. Put his head down first and then, supporting his body, smoothly lay his trunk and legs down. Place him on his back, the safest position for babies to sleep in to prevent SIDS.

    • 4

      Place your hands firmly on your baby if she whimpers or squirms to help her resettle. Pat her rhythmically until she calms and becomes drowsy again. Remove one hand and then the other slowly to prevent disturbing your baby.

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