Safe sleep
On his back, in his own bed, every sleep.
Every caregiver on AfterDoula holds a current pediatric CPR certification and safe sleep training.
Your caregiver settles your baby the way the American Academy of Pediatrics describes, and the way you wrote it in the House Brief.
The sleep space
A firm, flat surface, with nothing else in it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics updated its safe sleep recommendations in June 2022. A caregiver on AfterDoula settles your baby by them, day or night.
On his back for every sleep, naps and nights.
A firm, flat surface that does not incline: a crib, bassinet, play yard, or bedside sleeper that meets federal safety standards, with a fitted sheet and nothing else.
No pillows, blankets, quilts, bumpers, or toys in the sleep space. A wearable blanket or one extra layer of clothing in their place.
In your room, in his own bed, for at least the first six months. Never in your bed, and never on a sofa or armchair.
Not too warm. One layer more than you are wearing, and no hat indoors.
Swaddled only on his back, and swaddling stops at the first sign of rolling, around 3 to 4 months. No weighted swaddles, sleep sacks, or blankets.
Car seats, swings, and bouncers are for travel and play. If he falls asleep in one, your caregiver moves him to his bed.
A pacifier at sleep time once feeding is established, if you want one.
The AfterDoula app
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Pick a caregiver by the background check date, the CPR certification, and a meet before you book.
Infant CPR
Certified in pediatric CPR, verified with the issuer.
Every caregiver on AfterDoula holds a current pediatric CPR and first aid certification from the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross, earned with a hands-on skills session. Online-only certificates do not count.
The certification covers infant and child CPR, choking, use of an AED, and first aid for the emergencies most likely with a baby. It lasts two years.
The caregiver's profile shows the issuer, the expiry date, and the date AfterDoula last checked it. A lapsed certification takes the caregiver off the booking list until it is renewed.
Caregivers on AfterDoula give non-medical care, to mothers and babies with and without special needs. Medical care is outside the service. Your pediatrician's instructions go in the House Brief, and the caregiver follows them.
Through the night
Red light with you, soft light with him.
Your caregiver reads the House Brief and tonight's tending card before knocking. When he wakes, they change him by a soft, low light in the nursery, then bring him to you by red light for his feed, or feed him the way you asked. They burp him, change him again if he needs it, and settle him back on his back in his own bed.
Between wakings your caregiver rests in their own room or a neutral space, with the monitor beside them.
Each feed, change, and stretch of sleep goes in the chart with a time. 2:51 a.m. A burp, a fresh diaper, and back to sleep. You read it with your coffee.
The House Brief
Written once, read before every visit.
The House Brief holds where he sleeps, how you want him settled and swaddled, the room temperature you like, and anything from the pediatrician. You write it at booking and change it any time. Changes reach the caregiver's summary two hours before the visit.
Bed-sharing is the one thing a caregiver on AfterDoula does not do. Everything else about his sleep is yours to set.
What to put in the House Brief
- Where he sleeps
- The crib, bassinet, or play yard, and which room.
- How you settle him
- Swaddle or sleep sack, and which one.
- The room temperature you like, and what he wears to sleep.
- Whether he takes a pacifier.
- Anything from the pediatrician, written as the pediatrician said it.
- When to wake you
- Every feed, or only when he needs you.
Questions
Is my night nanny CPR certified?
Yes. Every caregiver on AfterDoula holds a current pediatric CPR and first aid certification. The caregiver's profile shows the issuer, the expiry date, and the date it was last checked.
Will my night nanny bed-share or co-sleep with my baby?
No. He sleeps on his back in his own bed, in your room or the nursery, as you wrote it in the House Brief. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises room-sharing without bed-sharing for at least the first six months.
Can my night nanny swaddle him?
Yes, on his back, the way you showed them, until he shows the first sign of rolling. Then a sleep sack takes the swaddle's place. They never use a weighted swaddle or sleep sack.
What happens if my baby stops breathing?
Your caregiver starts infant CPR, calls 911, and wakes you. The training covers the minutes until the ambulance arrives.
The AfterDoula appBoise, January 2027
Be in the app the day Boise opens.
Leave your details and we send the download link, then match you with caregivers whose checks are complete.
Every caregiver on AfterDoula: a background check with the date on the profile, current pediatric CPR certification, safe sleep training, and a meet before you book.
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