Baby Sleeping on Tummy - Norfolk,VA

My DD won't sleep on her back either, but I'm terrified of SIDS, so I didn't do the tummy. I did, however, let her sleep on her side, and that's been great. I would roll up a blanket in front of her so she can't roll on her tummy. You might try letting him sleep on his side.

My girls are in their 30's now, and I was told to put them on their tummies. With the grandchildren, backs. I would say it doesn't really matter.

Backs and stomachs are 5 of one, half a dozen of another.

SIDS is higher with tummy sleepers
Death by aspiration is higher with back sleepers (spitting up, or vomitting, but unable to turn head = inhaling vomit and suffocating on it)

It's really 5 & 6 because with aspiration we can sometimes save them by suctioning the vomit out IF they don't die while their parents are sleeping.

Yeah.

EVERY generation the medical advice changed. When I was a baby it was tummy only...my mum was a baby it was back sleeping only. When my grandmother was a baby it was tummy sleeping only.

Literally EVERY generation (it's something we studied in schools in my stats for healthcare professionals req), the advice is completely different. Because it's a human problem; cot death.

Although... by the time WE'RE grandmothers... the sudden upsurge in "upright sleeping" (which was common 5 generations ago... the rockabye baby in the tree top comes from this kind of sleeping... babies were placed in swings and tied to tree branches while mothers worked in the farm. In city areas, babies slept mostly in veggie bins - slanted drawers, and when in cradle or crib, babies were placed on their backs ON PILLOWS under the upper half of them, slanting them).... makes me suspect our kids will have slings/nests/car seat like "cribs" that keep infants semireclined (to prevent both aspiration and sids).

Anyhow... the rule of thumb is: Once they can roll over you're 100% good to go in either case, and once they have full control of their head, you're not quite at 100%, but pretty durn close (as far as stats go).

((Do know... SIDS or "cot death" can happen any time in the first year or so. It's a diagnosis of exclusion. Meaning... we don't know why it happens. CO2 posioning often gets put into SIDS, even though it's a separate diagnosis. The number 1 suspected reason for SIDS is a kind of sleep apnea. It happens whether your baby is stomach OR back... but the chance gets lowered when they're on their back. This is in part why I suspect we'll be told something different soon... because more and more autopsies are finding CO2 posioning in deaths that would previously be classified as SIDS... which means the pendulum will probably swing in about 10 years. Don't know which way it will go, though. CoSleeping has also been found to reduce cot death *tremendously* ... the thought is that the mother's breathing pattern helps to pattern the infant's so they don't do the apnea thing. So whether it will go to carseat semi upright, cosleeping, or tummy is anyone's guess.... but in the medical community in SCHOOLS it's really starting to be rehashed again. ESP because so many babies (esp reflux babies) need to be on their stomachs to prevent them from aspirating in the NICU... anyhow. It's a medical controversy. 5 : 6.))

These ages (for being able to roll over and to have full head control) are different for all babies. Some babies don't have head control until 6mo. Others have head control in the first week. (My son was born with full control of his head, and could hold himself steady / focus with his eyes... had half the hospital peeking in on the '6mo newborn'... but he didn't even roll over until MONTHS later than most babies. Babies just don't develop on the same line. That phrase we're all sick of "Every baby is different" is just too apt.

My son was early and they always had him sleeping on his tummy in the NICU. So when he came home that's what he did, and over 5 years later he's fine

If your baby can roll over he can sleep on his tummy or where ever he wants to sleep. He is going to continue to roll over while you sleep and when you sit and watch. They do this naturally. It is one of those things, it is your option of course but if the kids were fighting to sleep on their tummy that much I would let them sleep however they wanted.

I let all my children sleep on their tummy,they just like it better that way.
They have been all 9# and up, so they were very strong from the get go...
We actually did an experiment with the third one, we let him sleep on the back and he screamed all night, we let him sleep on his tummy, quiet all night.

both of mine were tummy sleepers.
They don't know what REALLY causes SIDS
When I was a baby it was put um on their tummies so they don't spit up and choke on it at night, not it's put them on their backs, In the next 10 yrs some one will come up with put them on their right sides , in another 10 it will be put them on their left side facing south and before you put them in the crib turn counter clockwise three times and throw baby powder over your left shoulder.

Anyway you get the point . . this stuff changes all the time and chances are he will be fine, I always let mine sleep how they would.

I let my son sleep on his tummy. I did a bunch of other things that lowered the SIDS risk though. He slept very close to me, he breastfed, he wasn't exposed to smokers, etc, etc.... he's almost 4 and still sleeps best on his tummy

My daughter slept on her stomach and survived just fine.

My youngest never wanted to sleep on his back. I would roll up a baby blanket and prop him onto his side to sleep, but facing slightly more towards the back, so he wouldn't easily roll onto his tummy.

I think it's fine as long as there are NO blankets, stuffed animals, or anything else in his crib - including a bumper. If you have a crib bumper, take it out. Be sure you have a crib in great condition that is not going to be a risk if he's sleeping near one of the the crib sides that his head could in any way get stuck between the mattress and crib side. One of the ways SIDS supposedly happens is when a baby gets too warm and can't get enough oxygen, or suffocates. Dress him appropriately in well-fitting clothing that cannot be squirmed over his face/head. Keep a fan on in the room - I've heard having direct air circulation also drastically reduces the risk of SIDS. Pacifiers also supposedly help.

The incidence of SIDS has dropped hugely since the 'back to sleep' campaign. EXCEPT in communities that still practice 'tummy sleeping' . Sorry - so not worth the risk. Now, once he can roll over, he will sleep however he wants. He can learn to sleep on his back. And honestly - it doesn't really matter for most babies - because SIDS is rare. It matters a lot to the two couples we know who lost their babies to SIDS.

If your baby can lift his head and move around well, I would let him sleep on his tummy. Make sure your baby's crib is completely free of any blankets, bedding, toys, stuffed animals etc. All that should be in there is the baby and the baby should be in a halo sleepsack and warm enough pj's. The crib mattress should be firm . Best wishes and some babies just sleep better on their tummy--its ok~

M

Our child could lift her head at 8 weeks and so the Doc said it was fine to have her sleep that way. She always wanted to sleep on her tummy.

Can your child lift his head?

You can try propping him with a rolled up towel during the day and see how it goes.

J. my baby did the same and I felt terrible until I googled "terrible mother sleeps baby on tummy" .... I stumbled onto www.stopsidsnow.com. Turns out SIDS is not what we think it is. --- I bought a $25 mattress cover and we all lived happily ever after. :) --- Check out the stats on the sight, it's for real!

My daughter would never sleep on her back either. She was a side sleeper. We used to roll up a blanket too so she wouldn't roll over. Worked just fine.

My ped said that his daughter only slept on her tummy and that sometimes that's how they'll sleep. He said as your doctor I can't recommend putting them on their tummy, but you got to do what you got to do as a parent to get some sleep for everyone. I think if you're checking on them periodically (I do this and my 2 month old sleeps on his back ;) you should be fine and that it's to some extent a personal decision.

My son did good on his side and his belly, so during the first 3 months, I would let him sleep on his stomach in his pack-n-play that was in the same room with me during the days, so that I could still see him. At night, he slept on his side mostly (and we used a rolled up receiving blanket to keep him proped). When he started to roll over, we would just lay him on his side and let him move around as he did. I also made sure there were no blankets, etc. that he could get tangled in.

I did nit let my child sleep on his tummy until he could roll over. It wasn't worth it to me to risk it. As soon as they can roll on their own they then they are fine on their Nellie. I couldn't live with myself if something happened that I could have prevented!

This is tough one J.. I don't know what to tell you! My first daughter wanted to sleep on her tummy, and was just like your son - fought and cried, etc. until we were all exhausted (when trying to put her to sleep on her back) One night I let her sleep on her tummy and I actually got a few hours of uninterrupted sleep - it was heaven! But I will never forget when I told my SIL about it. She said, "It is just NOT worth the risk. Please put her to sleep on her back." So, I did. And I literally didn't sleep myself until that kid was about 8 months old. She just was the world's worst sleeper. It might've been better if I'd let her sleep on her tummy. I don't know. What I do know is that I now have a happy, healthy 10 year old. I would never have forgiven myself if anything had happened to her. That being said, I also was the mom who turned her second kid around to a forward facing seat at 11 months b/c she was SO BIG - she was literally squished when in the rear facing infant seat. I can't remember how tall she was at the time, but she was 25 pounds. I don't know what my point is. I guess if you're comfortable that he can move his head around while sleeping then you shouldn't worry about the tummy sleeping. Being a mom is so hard, isn't it???