GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

• Ensure your baby’s head is at all times elevated above the rest of the body.
  (Suggestion: Place a wedge or folded towelling nappy beneath the cushion under your baby’s head)
• Prepare the nest by moulding the cushion to the position your baby will assume.
• Place your baby’s head between the sewn parallel lines.

 

BACK SLEEPING

When positioning your baby on his/her back, always ensure…

• head in middle
• band over tummy and hips
• shoulders forward which in turn will promote and encourage hands to the middle or face area
• support by moulding the stuffing of the cushion along the side of the baby

SIDE SLEEPING

When positioning your baby on his/her side, always ensure…

• band around hips for correct bracing
• head in midline with chin tucked in slightly
• knees and hips slightly bent
• hands/fingers to face/mouth
• support by moulding the stuffing of the cushion behind shoulders and back

All nurtureOne™ cushions have been designed with the same goal in mind - to ease baby's transition from the womb to the world. We do this by controlling the amount of stimuli they get in the early months of development (also know as the 4th trimester).

Each cushion offers the following benefits to baby;

• The cushion assists with the snug position for sleeping, which in turn encourages calm and relaxation.
• Allows for a smooth transition from breast / bottle to crib without changing position.
• Assists in sustaining good sleeping patterns
• Provides boundaries in the bed
• Reduces unnecessary stress
• Regulates body temperature
• Promotes containment and a sense of calmness

The cushions provide your baby with the ideal sensory needs for sleep while promoting development by allowing movement and self soothing to occur.

We always recommend using the nesting cushion together with the wedge to slightly elevate baby’s head and relieve symptoms of reflux.

Each cushion has been researched, designed and developed by medical practitioners. Endorsed by Occupational, Sensory and Developmental Therapists.

• 

  nurtureOne™ nesting cushion no.1

  This nesting cushion is designed specifically to fit into hospital incubators. It allows for the sick or premature baby to assume a comfortable position that promotes containment.
  The straps on the cushion aid in the correct positioning of the baby while not interfering with hospital equipment or lines.

  Dimensions: 75 cm x 45 cm
  Weight: 800grams (approximate)

• 

  nurtureOne™ nesting cushion no.2

  This nesting cushion is designed for the smaller full-term baby or the healthy premature baby.
  It can be used from birth and fits into incubators and hospital bassinets.

  Dimensions: 75 cm x 45 cm
  Weight: 800grams (approximate)

• 

  nurtureOne™ nesting cushion no.3

  The no. 3 nesting cushion is recommended for any full-term baby needing assistance in settling and regulating.  The no. 3 is slightly bigger than no. 2 so it is best used in a where there are no space restrictions.

  Dimensions: 85 cm x 50 cm
  Weight: 830grams (approximate)

• 

  nurtureOne™ nesting cushion no.4

  This cushion is the same size as no.3 but has an attached sleeping bag for added warmth.

  Dimensions: 85 cm x 50 cm
  Weight: 880grams (approximate)

The product was designed for newborn babies to simulate the womb, which is the ideal sensory environment for your baby’s development. This research formed part of a Master’s thesis in a neonatal ICU. The sensory system of the baby fully develops around 6-7 months, so ideally you should use the cushion until the baby physically grows out of it.

You can definitely swaddle and then put your baby into the nest.  Please note that you must place your baby on its back in the cushion when swaddling.

We find that some babies need to be swaddled initially and others don’t. 

What you can also do is put them in the nurtureOne nest and then tuck them in with a cotton blanket or sheet over them – what your little one is seeking is extra proprioception which is the boundaries they experience in utero.

If possible please leave arms or hands out of swaddling – it is important that they are able to bring their hands together and towards their face for self-calming and motor development.

You can use the nesting cushions until your babies outgrow them. When you are ready to transition them (around 8 - 12 months), first take away the nurtureOne™ nesting cushion during their morning sleep.

To help here, you can roll a towel and put it at the bottom of their cot with their feet up against it. Once they have adjusted to their morning sleep without their nurtureOne™ nesting cushion, then do the same with the afternoon sleep and only when they are happy with the day sleeps without the nesting cushion, then remove it from the night sleep.

In our experience, this is not a traumatic process.

The nurtureOne™ nesting cushion is perfect for side sleeping. Especially when a newborn can only sleep on their side, if they tend to vomit when on their backs.

See instructions below

When positioning your baby on his / her side, always ensure:

• band around hips for correct bracing
• head in midline with chin tucked in slightly
• knees and hips slightly bent
• hands/fingers to face/mouth
• support by molding the stuffing of the cushion behind shoulders and
  back

Sudden Infant death Syndrome (SIDS) –

is a highly controversial and unknown phenomenon – so much so that there are a number of different schools of thought regarding the risk factors, however many unproven.

The nurtureOne™ nesting cushions have been designed with babies’ safety top of mind, ensuring wherever possible the use of natural fibres (a combination of two products allowing for ventilation). We have also allowed for the face / head to be placed between the two parallel lines, ensuring no obstruction near the mouth and nose area and no airway obstructions. Back and half back / side sleeping is also encouraged when sleeping on the nurtureOne™ nesting cushion. To date, the nurtureOne™ nesting cushions have been used successfully worldwide without any negative consequences for over 12 years.

See below links to more research and findings on the topic:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/04/2/48715.aspx#.WC1UYxBvnwU.gmail

Sudden and Unexpected – SIDS

Please have a look at this video on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nurtureOneNesting/. 

It demonstrates how you can move the filling around inside the cushion.

The nurtureOne™ nesting cushion was initially part of a Master’s research thesis for a neonatal ICU where the incubators are raised on the head side. We, therefore, do advise you to use a wedge (available from nurtureOne™) or even fold a blanket/towel to place under the head part.

We know babies need food, warmth, sleep and love. How best to meet these needs? Prior to birth, a baby′s environment is dark, quiet and contained. For the first few months after birth, most newborns thrive in conditions that try to provide the same sense of calm and security that they felt in the womb.

Newborns transition from a secure, warm, and quiet environment in the womb to a world full of new sensory challenges. This transition is especially difficult for premature infants, whose underdeveloped nervous systems struggle to adapt to the bright lights, loud noises, and medical procedures of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Studies show that premature infants experience reduced tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive input in the NICU while being overstimulated by auditory and visual stimuli, which can negatively impact their development. This overstimulation may contribute to sensory processing disorders, stress, and developmental delays.

The nurtureOne™ Sensory Developmental Approach aims to create an optimal sensory environment that mimics the womb and reduces stress on the infant’s fragile nervous system. This includes proper positioning, gentle handling techniques, and the use of the nurtureOne™ Nesting Cushion, which provides:

• A supportive, moulding environment that enhances sensory development and helps the baby feel secure
• Correct positioning to prevent abnormal postural patterns and promote healthy motor development
• Support for breastfeeding by ensuring a comfortable position for both mother and baby
• Encouragement of Kangaroo Care, allowing skin-to-skin contact, temperature regulation, and exposure to maternal smells and sounds

This approach benefits both premature and full-term babies by promoting better organization of sensory input, improving sleep, and fostering caregiver confidence and bonding.

The nurtureOne™ Weighted Soother assists babies in settling. It provides deep pressure sensory input to encourage calm, soothing sleep. Place gently on baby’s body.

It is ideal to use to help baby settle but once settled, remove so that they learn to stay asleep unaided.

The nurtureOne weighted soother is filled with micro-glass beads which are perfectly smooth, hypo-allergic, non-toxic, odourless, and environmentally friendly.

The 100% cotton cover is removable for machine washing.

 

 

 

Please watch this video about proprioception and the weighted soother.

 

In terms of positioning and spinal development, the nesting cushion allows for appropriate positioning: a young baby is most comfortable in a slightly flexed position.

The cushion has been designed to simulate the womb environment so it is the ideal sleep environment in all ways for your baby.

Side lying is perfect and more advisable for baby. We can’t advise you to put your baby on his or her tummy, however sleep apnea monitors do work under the cushion.