When my little one is born, I plan on following the checklists, or at least trying. The times given for each activity means the whole program takes less than an hour a day, which I think I can find. And some things will be adjusted, for example once I know my baby startles I don’t think the hearing program needs to be as intense as the book suggests, but I can’t say I’ll exclude it entirely! The pinching I can do without though.

I agree completely with their article about SIDS. I was born when putting babies to sleep on their tummies was recommended, obviously I turned out fine, though not the point. Of all my family and all their friends, only one infant died of SIDS and she slept on her back in her own room, down the hall from her parents. Her parents were heartbroken and worried for years if her death was because they let her sleep on her back. (Then the government decided that back sleeping reduces SIDS, and the parents deemed it an act of God and became very religious.)

In my opinion it doesn’t matter which way a baby sleeps any more than it matters which way an adult sleeps. (Although in adults snoring and sleep apnea are more common in back sleepers!) What does matter is limiting the possibility of asphyxia by removing all toys, pillows, crib bumpers, and excess blankets from where the child sleeps. And there is growing evidence that babies just sometimes forget to breathe! It’s a scary thought, but one that is easily remedied.

As long as the baby can hear another human breathing, it appears he continues breathing just fine. This also supports the anecdotal evidence that cats “suffocate” babies. A cat breathes at a rate approximately twice that of a human. If a baby is alone, and the only breathing it hears is the cat, he may attempt to breathe that rapidly as well. Hyperventilation causes a decrease in blood oxygen levels, and continued hyperventilation can kill.

I intend on having my baby sleep very nearby without anything that could suffocate him (including the cat, just in case), and on whichever side he is most comfortable. If he sleeps best on his left side with his right foot tucked behind his head, that’s how I’ll let him sleep. (My husband has made attempts at this position in his sleep, it’s not entirely out of left field)

I think anyone interested in infant development should read this book. The colour-coded chart of developmental stages alone is worth it. I hope that this book is as helpful to me as it appears it will be. I still have a couple more months of baking before my little bun arrives, but once he’s a few months old I will come back and let everyone know how it went.