On first glance, the baby wedge might seem like a cursory item for a baby. However, if your little one has trouble sleeping, it may be due to acid reflux. And the use of a wedge pillow can come in handy in the management of this condition.
What is Acid Reflux?
Acid reflux is a condition that causes the acid in the stomach to back up into the esophagus. This can be incredibly painful and cause baby to wake up in the middle of the night bawling. More frequent spitting up is also common with this medical problem. While medications exist to treat it, it has a tendency to wear off, which can make for numerous sleepless nights for the both of you. Instead of dealing with a fussy baby each night and establishing potentially harmful sleeping patterns, you can encourage proper sleep by adjusting his positioning.
What Are Wedge Pillows?
Wedge pillows are shaped like a wedge and allow babies to sleep on an incline. That is, her head is angled higher than her heart. A high quality wedge is essential to ensure baby will be both comfortable and stable. The last thing you want to happen is to have her roll off of it during the night. The key is to find a wedge that fits snugly within her crib. This way, there will be nowhere for her to roll off of the pillow.
You may even be able to have the pillow wedge covered by health insurance, as it’s used for the management of a health condition. For small babies, a sling arrangement can be used to help lift babies up. Older babies tend to respond better to the pillow wedge, however.
Proper Use
Using wedges the right way is essential to reduce acid reflux symptoms and to prevent further complications. Some think just having the head and upper body elevated is enough to reduce reflux, but this is wrong. Babies need to have their legs on the same angle as the rest of their body. This means, their entire body must fit on the wedge, with legs extended. Otherwise, the baby would essentially be in a seated position, which can increase the pressure in the abdomen and actually make acid reflux worse. In short, the waist should not be bent and the legs shouldn’t be flexed in any way.
The same applies to babies with sleep apnea. Baby wedges are sometimes used in the treatment of this condition as well.
The key is to find a kind of wedge that allows your baby’s entire body to rest on an incline, is washable, and is comfortable enough so as to not interfere with normal sleep. Once you check off all of these qualities, you should be all set to purchase a baby wedge. Just be prepared for an adjustment period. Baby might be a bit uncomfortable sleeping in this fashion at first. But she’ll soon learn to grow comfortable and when she doesn’t wake up in pain in the middle of the night anymore, you’ll both rest a lot easier.