Many parents worry about the risk of crib death in the first few months of their baby's life. The Canadian Paediatic Society recommends that babies sleep at night in a crib next to their parents' bed for the first six months. Other recommendations include:

• Put your baby down on his back to sleep, not his front or his side.

• Put him with his feet at the end of the crib so he can't wriggle too far down under the blankets.

• Keep your baby's room at a temperature of around 18 degrees C / 64 degrees F.

• For bedding, use a sheet and cellular blankets rather than a duvet.

• Check that your baby isn't getting too hot or too cold by feeling his stomach: if he's too hot, remove a blanket, if he's cold, add one. Don't go by his hands or feet, as it is normal for them to feel cold.

It takes a while to get used to having a baby around. Trust your instincts above all. Your baby will be fine and sleep well.

If you are going to co-sleep with your baby pediatric experts recommend these safety precautions:

• Make sure your young baby sleeps on his back on a firm surface and avoid placing him on top of soft, fluffy mattresses, waterbeds or comforters and quilts. One of the major risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is putting babies to sleep on their stomachs, especially on soft bedding or waterbeds.
   
• To avoid the risk of rolling onto your baby, never share a bed with any infant or young child if you're intoxicated or on prescription or over-the-counter medications that could interfere with your ability to awaken easily, such as antidepressants, sleeping pills and some antihistamines. Obesity is another risk factor for rollover accidents. If you are a smoker, you probably shouldn't share a bed with your baby, because infants of smokers are at increased risk of SIDS and childhood respiratory illnesses.
   
• Prevent your baby from falling off the bed by placing her between mom and a guardrail, or between both parents. In "The Baby Book" (Little, Brown and Company, 1993), Dr. Sears advises against the latter, saying fathers don't exhibit the same keen awareness of a baby's presence while asleep.
   
• Make sure the headboard and footboard don't have openings in which a baby's head or limbs could get caught.