My 5 Month Old Son Is Now Flipping in His crib...BUMPER/sleep Issues...

My son too was flipping over to his stomach and I was also concerned. After consulting with my doctor and several others, we decided to let him sleep that way. He sleeps well on his stomach and we were just waking him up more by trying to turn him over constantly. He has good strength and the doctor was not concerned. He also likes to put one arm through the slats! At first I thought he was struggling, but now I know he prefers it.

I'll respond to your second question first. When he gets upset that he has flipped over and can't get back, DON'T run in there and save him! Leave him to fuss and get frustrated. Don't help him until he cries. The only way he will learn to flip back again is to get frustrated and try harder. He will also learn to sleep in whatever position he is in. He needs to build different muscles to be able to flip the other way, so be sure that you are giving him tons of floor time during the day to practice. You can encourage him with a tiny bit of help, or lure him with toys.

As for the bumper issue, you are absolutely right to be worried about suffocation with the crib bumper. The risk is smaller because he can roll over now, and he is strong enough to lift his head away from the bumper, and he is old enough that he will probably cry if he gets stuck up against it. But, it is not worth it. I'd say keep it off.

You are also right to be worried about his arms and legs getting stuck. My son has hurt his legs pretty bad a few times by getting them stuck between the slats and either rolling over or falling from a standing position. Luckily nothing worse than bruises, but there was one time that he had the "scream of death" and had his leg bent in such a way that I was very suprised it didn't break. I recomend you spend the $25 and buy a breathable crib bumper. It will also help keep toys in the crib if you choose to leave some in there for him in a few months.

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work with him, during the day, on learning to turn back over--if he's so strong he's flipping that much, he's strong enough to go back over.

My babies mostly led with their leg/hip on the roll-onto-front move, and kept their arms kinda bunched. So... I guess they turned their head to look, then rolled their leg+hip (keeping their head looking where they were going), and then got he torso pulled into line with the legs+head that were already turned. After they learned, they unbunched their top arm to gain speed ;), but I guess they instinctively kept their arms both bunched at the beginning to get the nice round roll-over shape.

Anyhow, that might help him be less frustrated.

Have you recently introduced a new food or such that might be upsetting his tummy or something? Apples gave my kids gas, and all citrus juices caused instant diaper rash upon peeing ...

I have twin boys and I use the bumpers. Not only will the bumbers help keep in those legs and arms they will also help them from bumping there little heads. My boys are almost two and one of them toss and turn all night long. I would put the bumpers back on if I were you. I know that you try and take every precaution when your a first time mom, but I really don't think you need to worry about the bumpers. Good Luck

Is he waking up when he flips over? if not he is probably a tummy sleeper and you are uselessly fighting his nature. i would just let him sleep on belly. as for the bumper thing, we would be lost without our bumper. in fact we use two because out ds crawls around and hits his head lots. the whole no bumper thing really doesn't make sense to me.

I have 2 sons and nurses told me not to have a bumper so I have never had one. Both boys move around like crazy when they sleep. I have never had them hurt themselves. they also flipped over very early and prefered to sleep on their tummys. A nurse told me that if they are strong enough to lift their head when on their tummy they won't suffocate, just don't have loose blankets in with them. Just let them sleep and figure out how they can sleep on their own. I have never been one for crying it out, but I let them fus and cry for 10 mins, and if they are still crying hard I go in. If not I leave them be. An don';t go in, usually they are still awake and trying to fall asleep. Babys move aroud a lot and don't sleep very sound. they have to learn to work it out themselves.

Wehave pictures of my son at about that age sleeping with one leg hanging out (all the way up to his diaper lol) so I know what you are talking about but he shouldnt get too hurt unless its in the struggle to get out and bending his leg the wrong way (we got a couple ows that way) but we have never had a bruise or anything from it. We had the metal round bars on his crib so theres not even an edge in the way! Every child I know of did this do no worries. If you want you could move him to a playpen (my daughter sleeps in one) where there is no holes just soft netting.
During most every physical growth stage kids quite sleeping. When my boy learned to stand he would pull himself up in his crib but be afraid to get back down and would cry and cry. This happened for a couple weeks until he had mastered the art of sitting down (it took him SOOO LONG!). So yes it will pass. You could possibly try rolled receiving blankets next to him to keep him from rolling all the way and making it easier for him to roll back. Anyway, know that this will pass, good luck, Jen

I keep articles from Parenting Magazines and fliers from the Dr's office in a binder so it is easy to refer to. I pulled it out and this is what it says on SIDS, "some mothers worry if their baby rolls over in their sleep, but once the baby can roll over, the risk of SIDS is REDUCED. The greatest risk is between 2-4 months." I have a 7 mo old son that started turning himself over when I would lay him down on his back and has been sleeping on his tummy this last month and he sleeps much better doing so.

I praise you for being such a loving and caring mommy, but I would not worry about him turning over on his tummy at night and I would definitely not get up 50 times at night to turn him back over on his back. If he is really upset when flipped over to his tummy at night then that would give reason to go in a help him out. You can help him practice during the day with flipping back to his back. It took my boy a week or two to finally figure it out so the time is coming close, hang in there.

My son also likes to occassionally move himself around and he ends up across the width of the crib like your little one. I just let him sleep that way and figure that if he is that uncomfortable sleeping that way that he can move himself into a new position. As for your little one still learning to move around, I would let him sleep the way he positioned himself unless he starts to cry. He will let you know when he is uncomfortable.

As for the bumper pad, both of my kids never had a bumper and they never had any crib rail injuries. If you are that concerned about it I would suggest getting the mesh type bumper that way you will not have to worry about him smothering and suffocating with the traditional bumper and you also would not have to worry about his limbs getting hurt.

The less worrying you have the less stressed you will be and the more you will be able to relax and enjoy your new role as a mommy. Lack of sleep has been one of the hardest things for me. I notice a big difference in my mood and energy with the amount of sleep that I get so I try take naps while the kids are napping.

Sounds like a mother group would be a good outlet for you to find a balance. This is something I should look into as well since finding that balance the past 3 yrs has always had it's ups and downs. It takes a few months to get a routine especially with your 1st child. Eventually you will find a balance with your new identity. It will come, give it time. Good luck with everything. You're doing great! J. (31 yr old Stay at Home Mom of 2 & a babysitter in NE Portland)

Hi S.~ we have a mesh bumper on our daughters crib. It's great because I don't have to worry about the slats and there is no worry of entanglement either. I got mine at BabiesRUs.

I also completely understand your struggle with finding a balance between Mommy and Independent Person. I did the same thing, especially when I quit working to stay home with my then 18 month old. As my first daughter got older, I came to realize that my previous self was now a better self because I was a Mommy. Now that I have two daughters, I feel even more complete. Now that all of my friends have children too, it feels as if we've just evolved into semi-new people, but are still the fun, wonderful friends that we've always been. Hope that helps!

S.,
I was your age when we had our first child. We had issues with the bumper too. What my husband and I did was each time we changed the sheets, we would tuck the bumper down in betweenthe mattress and the rails of the crib. It fit very snug and prevented him from getting stuck between the crib slats and under the bumper.(This was very traumatizing for me) As far as the crabpot, babies r us carries foam triangles that go into a case. You put the baby on it and the foam triangles being one on each side of him keep him from rolling over. They make them for newborns for sure so you'll want to check if they have bigger sizes. We used that and it gave me some rest.
Lots of luck!
A.

Good morning! I would say leave out the bumper. If you have witnessed seeing him slip his leg in and then out of the slats, then he is figuring it out, maybe? Check with your pediatrician. Maybe you could even call and just ask the advice nurse? Sorry not too helpful. My kids did the same thing (3) and none of them ever got it REALLY stuck where there was pain or damage. It even became a game if I remember correctly. About the maintaining balance, which is why I wanted to reply to begin with... I would say get involved with a MOMS group in your area! I relied on mine at a local church that I did not even attend. It was a real lifesaver! I looked forward to that EVERY Wed morning for years and it was awesome to share feelings and questions with other moms. Also, get outside! With this wonderful weather, put your lil guy in a stroller and go for a walk. Sunshine does us all good! :) You will feel better. And don't lose touch with your friends. I remember counting down the minutes when my DH would come home from work and just feel so alone. It doesn't have to be like that. Reach out! There are a ton of moms just like you who could use encouragement, friendship, advice, bouncing board, blah blah. You get the point. Enjoy this time, oh, and sleep when he sleeps. :)

my 6month old is the same way. I finally gave up flipping him as well and find putting him to sleep on his side helps prevent him waking when he flips over. I used to worry with the slats too but he learned quickly to turn he has to pull his arms and legs back in and never hurt himself! I even watched him bonk his head on the video monitor once and i went rushing in and guess what? it didnt bother him in the slightest!
I hate to say it but try letting him cry a little bit longer each time and see if he soothes himself. I DO NOT ferberize but did find that if I dont rush in right away...he will often calm himself down. Dont know if it will work for you but it is worth a shot! Oh and if you are worried about the suffocation thing if he can lift his head as another poster said it should be o.k. Get him a wearable blanket and you don't have to worry about him kicking it off or suffocating on it!(G-d forbid!)
I feel for you and hope you get some zzzzs real soon!

Babies R Us in Tigard has those mesh breathable crib bumpers. If you have a crib that is slats all the way around it will work with that. It helps for arms and legs sticking through, and heads getting bumped.

My Son is 5 months old and he is definitely a traveler. Please remember that for every person who says "No you shouldn't do that, there is a Mother who has had 5 kids who all did OK". I am starting over, my daughters are 19 & 16. My Mom had 5 children, my sisters and my brother have children and grandchildren. Everytime I hear something "NEW" I tell them and we all agree that some things are truly age appropriate. My Son rolled over from tummy to back when he was 10 days old. But he wouldn't sleep on his back, he would twitch and wake himself up everytime. He screamed if we tried to swaddle him! He has always been able to hold his head up. As for the bumpers, wow, that is new to me as well. Always had bumpers to keep the hands and feet in. In fact we call him turtle because he was able to pick his head up to look over the edge of the bumper at 3 months. Those of us who are on Mamasource are Moms who care. We watch and learn about our children. I do believe that your son will figure it out by being left alone to do it, but I do not believe that a screaming child should be left to scream for long periods of time. After all, they are learning to trust. All that does is create frustration. He will work through it, You will work through it, believe me. Take care, enjoy your little boy.

Let me start by saying this is only my opinion and you have to figure out what you are comfortable with. I have an almost 4yr old and a 2 yr old. When my first was born I was given what I felt was great advice from a friend who was an "expert" mom. She told me that if the baby is moving- then they will usually remove them selves from "hazards". My concern was mainly with blankets- both my kids were early movers, I left the bumpers in the crib until they grew out of the crib- my daughter is now 2 and using the crib as a toddler bed and there is actually still one piece of the bumper in there- I would rather they roll into something soft rather than the hard crib anyway. I also put my kids to bed with a loose blanket(baby sized but just layed over them)may be I was lucky but we never had any problems. Good Luck! J.

Hi S.,

I've heard they have mesh bumpers now, that will protect your child from getting stuck in the crib slats, but will allow them to breathe if they get their faces pressed against them.

My advice is to swaddle. We started swaddling our daughter at 6mo after stopping at 4m when she would wiggle out, and she still does at 8mo.

I find that a big blanket works the best and we have the best luck when she is calm before swaddling. A lot of blankets are too thick and make her sweaty so I sewed together 4 thin infant swaddling blankets and it works great.

Good luck! I hope your sleep gets better!

My kids are much older, 15 & 18. Not sure what the MAJOR reason for not using a bumper pad is these days, but the one I used was made of really stiff foam, (covered) then wedged down between the mattress & crib rails. Was about 12 inches tall. maybe you could try a mess fabric. As for the sleep issue, THANK GOD you are able to stay at home with him, NAP when he naps. Now please understand (for the next comment) I am not a believer in the "let him cry it out" theory. (How would you like it if your husband did that to you when you were scared, upset, didn't' feel good, or what ever. However, if you always rescue him right away, you will delay his learning to to get himself back over to where he is more comfortable. So maybe go to him, & rock him gently, & show him how to get back. He will figure it out soon enough. Then you can all get some more sleep. Just remember, this too shall pass, & you will miss the days you could contain him in a crib.

A. V, Single mom of 2, East Portland.