Find out How to Win an Organic Crib Mattress!

As a newsletter subscriber you have an entry for the sheets, but if you want to win the mattress, you'll have to do a little more. Enter by May 31st via the contest page.

Also In This Issue:

Here's a quick, fun poll related to this month's theme. You can choose as many answers as are applicable and we'll share the results in next month's newsletter. Thank you for participating.

(Just in case the poll doesn't show up in your email browser, you can go to the new poll page on Organic Baby Resource.)

The Organic Baby Organization of the month is First Candle/SIDS Alliance. They are a national nonprofit health organization whose mission is to unite parents, caregivers and researchers nationwide with government, business and community service groups to advance infant health and survival.

The group started in the early 1960s as the National SIDS Foundation. At the time the organization’s primary focus was to support families that had experienced the death of a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Since then they have expanded their focus to help reduce other factors that might inhibit children from reaching their first birthdays.

Here are just a few of the sleep safety tips I found on their website.

1. Place infants to sleep on his or her back on a firm mattress.

   

   You've probably heard of the "Back to Sleep" campaign to help new parents remember to put babies on their backs. Since the campaign launched 13 years ago, SIDS rates have been reduced by 50%.

   Remember to share this with your baby's grandparents and caregivers because the recommendations have changed over the years.

   When selecting your mattress, look for firmness and quality. Read mattress reviews before making a selection and if you're shopping organic, make sure you're getting what you pay for.

2. Place a pacifier in your baby's mouth.

   A pacifier can bring many hours of sleep in the house of a newborn. It worked like a charm in my house. Remember to look for pacifiers free of PVC, phthalates and other allergenic materials.

3. If you're able to breastfeed, it helps reduce the risk of SIDS.

   This is for moms contemplating whether to start or continue breastfeeding. If you're facing challenges, here's an article that may help.

4. Leave your baby's crib in the room for at least 6 months before relocating it to the nursery.

   Parents sometimes disagree on how long to leave the baby in the room after she comes home, but now you have this recommendation by First Candle and the American Academy of Pediatrics and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to help you decide.

   One benefit is you have more time to add finishing touches to the nursery decor.

5. Remove excessive bedding accessories from the sleeping space.

   Bumpers, pillows and quilts are absolutely unnecessary in your baby's bed. If your baby kicks and wiggles his way out of the swaddle blanket you might enjoy a product such as the Halo SleepSack Wearable Blanket, to eliminate the possibility of the blanket covering the baby's face. I swore by these when my daughter was an infant.

   To get more tips or learn how you can support the organization, visit the First Candle/SIDS Alliance website.

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Happy Mother's Day!

Photo courtesy of Scubadive67

I couldn't end this newsletter wishing you a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I hope you get many hours of pampering and sleep this weekend. You deserve it.

To celebrate we are highlighting mom-submitted reviews on the site blog this week. Like this cute one from Alisa from British Columbia, Canada.

Also congratulations to our April contest winner, Shannon from Edmond, Oklahoma. She will enjoy the anti-aging skincare set from Natures Paradise.

By the way, in between newsletters you can stay on top of updates to the blog, website and more:

• Following us on Twitter
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Finally, let me know what you'd like to read about in this newsletter. I'm happy to answer some of your burning questions and share some of the tips I receive from you.

Until the next time,

Erika
Organic Mom and Publisher
http://www.organic-baby-resource.com

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