SIDS Anxiety

[Rose1999]

I'm a ftm and my daughter is 12 weeks old tomorrow. I have a crippling anxiety about SIDS, despite following the guidance. I read today that it peaks at 2-4 months, which is exactly where my baby is now. I don't know how to alleviate this anxiety - it's eating me up 😢

Talk to your HV or GP. It could be post natal anxiety and there are things that can help- therapy, medication etc. It’s also incredibly common and nothing to be ashamed of; it’s the hormones (the sleep deprivation probably doesn’t help either). Practically you can also get breathing monitors like the Owlet sock if you think that would help you, but it’s also important to take care of yourself and seek appropriate treatment.

I had the same anxiety with my preemie and we invested in the Owlet. So worth it!!

I've been here, it's horrible :( I used this little device, it clips onto their nappy and has a little flashing light to show each breath. if it ever detects that breathing stops then an alarm goes off and it buzzes to rouse the baby. we did have a couple of false alarms where it just became detached (!) but overall it was great and helped me to get some sleep, and whenever I woke up I could see she was fine because the little light would be flashing. we'll always worry about our babies but this dreadful phase where It feels so overwhelming will pass xx

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Snuza-Hero-MD-Medically-Certified/dp/B01HIDTKPC/ref=sr_1_15?crid=2MPSIZ9IT9COW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iImQm9zEoSU_Zkj_IXBKtd7KOT8NRTvHzDoymqjX0ZSTgxNmgPzYSkEKPK4XP1SObekdeBcjWEf6UMvYicZ9mWpkOGeHFf6WpUSRaW4Mmmy9U1-dOX3HXeU1HcqsHSXKA0vcN7wsxgwhowi2Wn5hWAa22Nbv-pL5NMwnLlWApOldPvOCMfRLLdG5vhdofAX5td7pVnvHm0EpGxvrd_MHJadkI5CzOGE9NbZRb8V5skM.TIXwzH3-PG1IX8qMPrela2vJrR4IrEg4AfdAfE--AEU&dib_tag=se&keywords=baby+alarm&qid=1709635915&sprefix=baby+alarm%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-15

I came here to say this - my baby wore the owlet sock for every night sleep between 1 week and 7 months. It alleviated my anxiety because a loud alarm rings if oxygen or heart rate drop below a certain level and a gentle tune plays if it gets displaced on the foot.

Honestly, best money I ever spent.

Thank you for this. I'm going to order it. Would it be useable with a babygro on top? X

One more pro for the Owlet- it doesn’t give false alerts. If it becomes displaced and can’t get a good read it has an entirely different, less anxiety inducing alert. From memory it was a tinkly nursery rhyme and an orange light. So there’s no panic and if say it’s close to wake up time and you can see they’re fine you can leave them to sleep undisturbed. If you’ve got a red alert going then that’s everyone’s sleep ruined which is super fustrating when baby is just fine- we tried Nanit and had this issue, as it sounds
like the poster with the nappy clip one experienced it too. With Owlet you can also glance over at the base station anytime and see it’s green plus it does alerts on your phone if you’re not in the same room as baby (not for now but for 6 months+) and paired with the Owlet camera it’s the only monitor you’ll ever need. It’s really really good.

I came on here to say the same thing. We have this and love it. Helps me feel much calmer. You can even set it to make a quiet little beep every time they breathe too if that helps. Sending lots of support and well wishes your way. The anxiety postpartum can be so horrid x x

I felt the same as you when DD hit the peak risk period for SIDS. I also got a Snuza MD for peace of mind. It clipped to her nappy and went under her vest and sleepsuit and it helped me feel a bit more relaxed. Otherwise an Owlet is also a good idea.

I had the breathing monitor under the cot at night and she wore one of the clips on the nappy for daytimes sleeping in pram. Sometimes she had both on. It vibrates on their tummy if they forget to breathe. It gave me peace of mind. There’s all sorts of different types of monitors and I do think they’re worth every penny. Don’t really understand people not having them really when so much gets spent on fancy prams and nursery furniture

@Rose1999 yes it should be fine under a babygro, you can usually still see the little light flashing under most fabrics! I think it was harder sometimes when it got a little colder and had to use a sleeping bag, but by then she was older and I was reassured by the silence - as long as no alarms going off I was happy! We're going into warmer weather soon so you should be fine to see the light for the next few months. You can also choose to have it making a quiet 'pip' sound instead of the light flashing.

I used it up until she was almost 1 and it worked really well - she just got to the point where she was far too active and night and could fiddle with it and the alarm would go off😁but it really saved my sanity on those early lonely nights where you're desperate to sleep but too scared to take your eyes off them! Let me know how you get on with it xx