My seven month old has just learned to roll over from his back on to his tummy. He now does it while sleeping which really worries me; I know that it's recommended that babies sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS.
Just today he woke himself up from a nap crying because he had rolled over on to his tummy. This evening after my husband put him down for the night he rolled over to his tummy again about a half hour later, this time he didn't wake up but we CAREFULLY rolled him back to his side. How should we handle this? Obviously we can't keep checking all night but I'm not going to be able to sleep thinking about it. And I'm afraid that if he have to keep moving him eventually he's going to wake up and not go back to sleep (we recently successfully completed sleep training). Should we just leave him on his tummy or is he still too young and at risk for SIDS?
Thanks to everyone for their advice and experience. My husband and I now feel reassured that our baby will be just fine -- we were a bit nervous at first so it's always nice to hear from other parents. We've decided to back off from moving him on to his side or back. If we find him on his tummy we leave him as is, we realize that he's "matured" enough to shift around on his own. Amazing how quickly they move through stages. And of course, as always, we make sure there are no loose sheets, blankets (we put him in a sleep sack instead), stuffed animals etc. in his crib. Thanks again everyone!
My son did the same thing at this age. He is now 21 months (and healthy). I was also very concerned, but when I spoke with his pedi, she told me that once he can roll over on his own, he can hold his own head. So, I should not worry about rolling him back over if he is sleeping. I hope that this helps!
If you are concerned, I would talk with this pedi.
My kids did that too, Just make sure there are no stuffed toys or pillows in the crib, I know it sounds like common sense but sometimes it just the little simple things that parents forget.
Hi. Our four month old does this too. We roll two receiving blankets and place one on either side of her - from armpits downwards. She actually sleeps longer since we started doing this... just a guess but maybe she thinks we are still cuddling her?
Perhaps you can give this a try just for peace of mind, if you are still concerned about the risk of SIDS. Nothing better than feeling safe so you can sleep.
my son is 5 months old, hes been rolling over since he was 4 months. i find it help to put rolled up blankes on his front and back side while laying on his side. it does help him from rolling. they say not to put blankets in with them, but at 7 months old, they should be alright.
I've heard the same thing as Rachael. Once they learn to roll over that is one way of their brains telling them they are ready to sleep on their tummies. Most SIDS deaths are between 2 and 4 months. You are safe at 7.
Don't worry! Sleep well!!
Breath! My daughter is 7 now and when she was only 2 months old we found that she would sleep better on her tummy. she would only sleep for about on hour at a time on her back but her whole nap on her tummy. I talked to our doctor and she put her on her tummy face down and instantly she moved her head to the side. He did this several more times and found that she was very strong. He told us at that time that she would be fine sleeping on her tummy but make sure that nothing was in her bed like stuffed animals or pillows to stop her breathing. She did great! She now sleeps on her back but then it was of great comfort to her on her tummy. Also, take a think phone book and prop up the head of the crib to have a angle. This will help the bab breath better if they are stuffy.
You're right, you cannot check on him all night long, and now that he knows how to roll over, he'll move how he wants when sleeping, regardless of how you wish him to remain positioned! Take everything out of his crib including blankets and toys, and just put him in some warm pjs at night so he doesn't need a blanket and let him be. As long as the crib sheet is nice and tight over the mattress and there isn't anything extraneous in his crib, I wouldn't worry about SIDS. He is now at an age where he can consciously move his body in a big way, and there is no stopping that - most children that die of SIDS suffocate because of someTHING that gets in the way of their nose and mouth (stuffed animals, blankets, sleeping in an adult's bed) not just from being able to roll onto their tummies. Most babies actually prefer to sleep on their tummies, so let him be and just make sure his crib is clear of stuff for your piece of mind.
If you don't have Touchpoints by T. Barry Brazelton, go get it. This is the perfect book for new, anxious parents which describes the "why" behind the "how-to." Babies find great comfort sleeping on their bellies, and at 7 months, they can wiggle and scootch their way to fresh air without much trouble.
Darling R.,
You seem to have the anxiety of a first time mommy. Let me reassure you, your baby is okay. The risk of SIDS does reduce once baby can manipulate his own body well, meaning, he can roll, turn, lift, whatever in order to get a breath of fresh air. You don't need to place him back on his back if he is more comfortable on his tummy. He will probably sleep better on his stomach anyway. There is a huge range of normal. Both my babies rolled over at three months and refused to sleep in any other position. And yes, I too turned my (first) sleeping baby over out of SIDS paranoia until my pediatrician calmed my fears (three months is well within the SIDS scary period).
You are right to seek advice if it helps to calm your nerves. Congrats to you on successful sleep training! You deserve a full nights rest yourself. Try to focus on that. Trust me, I know how hard it can be.
Wishing you the best, Chante
at this age, once they can roll over... it's ok. can he roll back over onto his back?? once he can do that, you dont' have to worry about it at all. sids is always a concern but you can't stop them from growing and learing. i have 3 kids and each one, they changed what position your baby should be in. so i'm not sure really one position is better than another.
Usually once they can roll over there is nothing you can do about it. My daughter did this at 4 months old and it was scary at 1st. I wouldn't put any blankets or positioners in his crib, because that puts kids at a higher risk for SIDS.
Like the first two posts my ped said it was ok once they were able to roll back to front and front to back. I used a sleep positioner until each rolled from back to tummy while using it. Now they both spend most of thier nights sleeping on tummies.
Hi R.
I don't know if your son is too old for this, but I just bought the "Guardian sleeper" for my 5 month old who I recently am starting to train to sleep in his crib. It has been a real hard move just because I can't peek on him every minute now that he will be in his own room and with SIDS I wanted to be sure that he was safe. The nice thing about it is it fits directly on the crib mattress, so the baby can't kick off any sheets and will stay warm at night PLUS it keeps them in place. Here is more information on it. I spoke directly to the creator/owner of the company, Carol, she is great and can answer any questions you may have. Here is the website http://www.mlhllc.com/about.html
Let me know if you have any questions.
Marisa
I have two little ones and with my first I worried about the same thing. My doctor said (and the second one's doctor confirmed) that once they can roll over, the risk of SIDS reduces greatly and I didn't need to worry about rolling him back. He still told me to put him alseep on his back and if he rolled over, it was fine.
