Mum's heartbreaking warning after 8-week-old baby's night feed tragedy
'It greatly pains me and shames me that this happened but I have to ask you all to please share and spread the word'
There's nothing quite as powerful in parenting as a warning from one mum to another, especially around the everyday things we all do with our little ones. And this story, we have to say, we felt was vital to share – as heartbreaking as it is.
Mum Kristin Hoffman from Indianapolis, USA, has published a post on Facebook telling how her 8-week-old baby, John Thomas Michael Abernathy, died when he slipped off her breast and under the covers after a night feed.
Kristin writes:
"WARNING:
More like this
"It greatly pains me and shames me that this happened but I have to ask you all to please share and spread the word.
"No matter how tired you are as a mother, GET UP AND GO TO A CHAIR or somewhere you won't fall asleep when you feed your child at night.
"My precious son slipped off my breast and into the covers of my bed early Sunday morning and into heaven.
"The way we discovered him was a tragedy I don't want to hear happens to anyone else. John Thomas Michael Abernathy 4/10/17-6/4/17
"Revived to be baptised in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit."
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We can't even imagine how hard it must have been for Kristin to write this post – let alone to be going through such a heartbreaking loss.
Many shared their condolences on Facebook. One person wrote: "
?
?
? I can't express the sympathy I have for you Kristin Hoffmann.
"May you find comfort in the rough days ahead and surround yourself with your loved ones. My deepest and warmest condolences go to you and your family."
Another had been through something similar: "Sorry for your loss. My wife knows how it feel to wake up to find your baby dead next to you. We lost ours at 7 weeks old in the bed."
Know the bedsharing risks
What happened, so tragically, to Kristin is why safe-sleep campaigners like the Lullaby Trust are so keen to warn parents about the increased risk to your baby of suffocation or SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) if you and your baby share a bed.
The Lullaby Trust advises that you should never bedshare with your baby if you or your partner smoke or if you or your partner have been drinking alcohol or taking drugs (including prescribed ones that might make you drowsy). They also urge parents not to bedshare if their baby was born prematurely or weighed less than 2.5kg at birth.
If none of the above applies to you and you do want to bedshare, do make sure your bed is free of suffocation and overheating dangers, such as pillows, blankets and top sheets.
Kristin's advice to move to a chair for a night-feed may work for many of us. We're sure Kristin means a hard, upright chair rather than a soft squishy one – because a squishy armchair (or sofa) can still be a SIDS risk if you doze off and your baby accidentally slips down and suffocates under the soft cushions or covers (check out our safety tips for all the advice you need).
We admire Kristin so much for sharing her story in the hope of helping others, and our thoughts are with her and her family ???
Pic: Kristin Hoffman on Facebook
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Authors
Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015
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