Sleeping/ worried mother

Brittany - posted on 11/29/2010

For the people who use sleep positioners, the FDA and CPSC have issued warnings to stop using sleep positioners due to 13 reported cases of infant deaths by suffocation.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtm...

Liz - posted on 11/29/2010

When my oldest ( now two year old b/g twins) started to sleep on their tummies I would let them because I knew that once they were able to flip they would be able to move back if they wanted to. But if you are concerned try buying those sleep positioners. We're using one for our youngest right now ( 4 and a half months)

Morgan - posted on 11/29/2010

let him be and buy an Angel care Monitor, total peace of mind in a box!!

Jessi - posted on 11/29/2010

personally, my son slept on his stomach from day 1. he wouldn't sleep on his back at all. in this case i would be more concerned about him sleeping face down b/c of rebreathing carbondioxide. if he is able to roll on to his tummy but not his back i would check to see his head is on it's side instead of face down.

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Sudden+infant+death+syndrome

Tiffany - posted on 11/29/2010

Sometimes you just have to do what the baby feels better with. You are doing right by checking on him, so I would just let him sleep on his tummy and make sure he can breathe ok. My daughter has been a tummy sleeper for some time now (now 14 months old). As long as he is able to turn his head like you said he can, I think its ok.

Jessica - posted on 11/29/2010

My 7 month old does the same thing, sleeps on her tummy usually with her face straight down. I'm not to worried about it though, she can roll over just fine in both directions and if I try and put her to sleep on her back she either cries or just rolls over anyway. They say once they can roll over the risk of SIDS drops significantly, just make sure you take all the other necessary precautions (no bumpers or stuffed animals, tight fitting sheets, etc).

Shelley - posted on 11/28/2010

My son also wouldn't sleep on his back. I always had to put him on his tummy because he slept better that way. It was pretty nerve-wracking for me, especially for the first few months, but all I did was make sure he could lift his head, or be able to turn it. Make sure there is nothing near their face. no blankets, no stuffed animals. When he was napping, I'd go in and check on him about every 20 minutes, and at night, he slept in a bassinet in our room. He pretty much slept thru the night since birth, so I had to go to bed praying he would be okay, then I'd just happen to wake up every few hours to check on him, and pray again, rinse and repeat. It made it hard to get enough rest, but he was always a cheerful baby because he always got plenty of good sleep.
Try different things, and see what works best for your family.

Jennifer - posted on 11/28/2010

Try one of those positioners so that he can't roll. I was worried sick about that with my son also. He likes to sleep on his side and not really his belly. When he does roll onto his belly in his sleep he wakes up screaming and we flip him and he goes right back to sleep. So I don't worry as much but I check on him before I go to bed and if I wake up during the night... and every 20 minutes during nap time.



I tried the positioner with my son for my peace of mind but he screamed until I moved it.

SONJA - posted on 11/28/2010

My DD also does theturning her head same. I let her stay on her tummy during nap time bc she is good about turning her head. But I am still very nervous at night. SO at night I lay her on her back propped up at a 45 degree angle (mainly for fear of her choking on her spit-up if layed flat + she seems to have acid reflux) and I also place a rolled up blanket under her knees to keep her from sliding. This seems to work well. Good luck.

Brittany - posted on 11/28/2010

Let him sleep. It's a little obvious that it's more comfortable for him to be on his tummy. Just check on him often until you trust him enough to sleep on his own.

I was terrified of putting my daughter to sleep on her tummy when she was a newborn and would freak out if someone suggested it but eventually, she was not sleeping at all, she would just cry and vomit everywhere due to severe reflux. I tried putting her on her tummy for a nap in her bassinet just once while I sat there and watched her back rise and fall and made sure nothing could block her nose and mouth for 3 1/2 hours. It was the most incredible thing! She could not roll either way yet but she had been able to lift and turn her head from birth. That's really the main concern I think. It helped her tummy a lot also to sleep on her belly and she was much happier to have adequate sleep. There are serious risks to lack of sleep in an infants also.

It's more important to make an informed choice based on your child's individual needs than to do everything perfect that works for the majority. It may not work for your kid and it's okay.

Shane - posted on 11/28/2010

My 3 motnh old son will not sleep on his back whatsoever. If I roll him over, he will wake within 5 - 10mins and start crying. I slept on the fold out couch for a month because he'd never sleep in his bassinette, only on me or his daddy, on our chest with bub lying on his tummy. One day I was so tired and frustrated that I put him on his tummy in the bassinette, sat by him the whole 3hour sleep and he had never slept so peacefully. I bought an Angel sound and motion moniter and it has given me peace of mind. I still check on him during the day when he's having a sleep. But the moniter is a godsend. I'd still be sleeping out on the couch if it wasn't for tummy sleeping and the moniter =) Some bubba's are just belly babies. My Mum was always told to sleep my sister and I on either our sides or tummies to reduce the risk of SIDS, and now it's changed to NOT sleep bubs on their bellies or sides. So who knows? No one knows what SIDS actually is, so how/why did the experts suddenly decide to change sleeping positions? My son has been lifting his head up and holding it steady since 3 days old, I wouldn't sleep him on his tummy unless he could control his head. I've left him and watched him when he's been face down and he'll stay like that no longer than a few seconds everytime, but I bought the moniter anyway...can't take things like him lifting his head for granted, if he's super tired, or feeling sick, he may not be as alert to be able to lift and turn his head. Personal choice obviously, but tummy sleep works for us. =)

Ricky - posted on 11/09/2010

During nap time I would leave him and keep checking on him. Some babys are more comfortable on their tummys and if he can turn his head (like you said he does) I think he will be fine. The main issue concerning SIDs and sleeping on their tummy is when the cant roll over or turn their head.
Just give him more tummy time during the day to help him learn to roll on his back.