Sleeping on Stomach

[Mel's Belle]

My 4 1/2 month old DD has been rolling for a while now but has only recently started doing it in her cot. What do you do - leave them on their stomach to sleep or flip them over?

[sharvs]

I'm interested in this too. My 4 month old will roll back to tummy but isnt confident enough going tummy to back. He has been rolling onto his tummy in his cot but it wakes him up & we go in and roll him over.

[maddysmama]

When my bubs was 4 months she started doing this in her cot. She'd flip to tummy, cry cause she couldn't sleep, we'd flip her back and repeat this process over and over.....:banghead:

Then all of a sudden at 5 months she decided she likes to sleep on her tummy and no matter how much I flip her on her back she'll always end up back on her tum. So I've given up and decided at the end of the day she'll sleep how she's most comfy. I did try a sleep wedge but she just rolls/climbs over it and absolutely hates the safe-t-sleep strap (too restrictive). The SIDS thing is a worry tho:(

[bpato]

Hi

DS has slept on his tummy since day one. he is now 6 months old. he wont settle or sleep any other way.

Our Pead saw him doing this in hopsital and turned to me and said "we've got a tummy sleeper. oh well you get that". we had our 6 moth check up a week or so ago and he asked if he was still sleeping on his tummy, and when I relpied yes he said that was fine.

We did buy a breathing montior when we came home from hospital to monitor him, i think mainly for our peice of mind.

Hope this has helped

Belinda

[Ange&Seth]

I wondered about this too as a couple of weeks ago I went to check on my bub (he was probably 5 months at this stage) and he has flipped onto his tummy and gone to sleep. I might be wrong, but I think the major danger with SIDS is when they don't have enough head control/strength in their necks to lift their heads to breathe, or to get into a position where they can breathe freely iykwim?? Like I said, i may be wrong about this, but I tend not to worry about DS because he can lift his head up and quite often, when sleeping on his tummy will turn his head from side to side.

[cwsmum]

My DD, 5mths, sleeps on her tummy most times. I tried rolling her over but it disturbed her and she would wake up...so now I just leave her.

I agree with what Ange&Seth said, as long as they have enough control of their head/neck then they should be fine sleeping like that.
The only other thing that would worry me would be whether the cot mattress was firm enough so that bubs face didn't sink into it.

[bubbles28]

I left my DS on his stomach as he could'nt sleep on his back. He would always startle and wake himself up if he was on his back.
He is now 14mths and has'nt slept a day on his back since he was about 3mths.

[Briannabear]

Our DD is a tummy sleeper and always has been. We used to flip her over when she was younger but she always found a way to end up back on her tummy!
She has always been able to hold her head well so we werent too concerned. There's not much you can do about it anyway!

[Pixie]

oh glad this is here, as Eliza hates sleeping on her back say I put her down for a nap on her back she'll sleep like 1/2 hour wheras on her tummy she'll sleep 3-4 hours but I am so worried about her suffocating I have watched her sleeping and she lifts her head to put it on the otherside ( didn't realise newborns could do that?) So I am glad I don't just have a tunmy sleeper, even the midwifes settled her on her side or tummy, I figured if they were doing it, must be ok lol but I still worry so much one question is SIDS from suffocation? or just babies dying in their sleep?

[Briannabear]

I dont think they know what exactly causes sids. They do say to keep their bed uncluttered and their airways clear from obstruction. (blankets etc)

[Pixie]

OH OK Thanks was wondering as the sids website isn't very helpful!

[Baby Girl]

As soon as my girls could roll they both preferred to sleep on their bellies so I left them to it - as many times as I tried to flip them back they would roll over again so why fight nature.....

[zenifa]

Once my DD could roll (at 4mths), she would prefer to sleep on her tummy - we only flipped her over, when she would cry (due to frustration at not being able to roll back, or getting caught up in the cot). I agree with schmell, why fight nature.

Prior to her rolling, DD occasionally would like to sleep on her tummy, but I usually supervised her (as it is a SIDS risk), so my advice would be to keep bubs sleeping on back until he/she can roll.

[Mel's Belle]

Thanks everyone! I feel so much better that it's normal for babies to be doing this already :thumbsup: .

[bpato]

Hi

A Neonatal ICU Nurse told mum when DS was born and we were getting losts of flac for family and freinds about DS sleeping on his tummy, that when bub are on the tums it helps to open the diaphram making it easier for them to breath and more comfortable.

Devon_mouse for peace of mind we bought a Angelcare sound and movement monitor for DS, and it would have to be the best thing we have bought. i gives us peace of mind. I still check him regularly but at night I tend not to worry as much as before we bought it.

Belinda

[Issey]

I use a anti-roll pillow to keep bubs in one spot, but he doesn't roll yet even though he is 4 1/2 months. I have used this pillow since he is born. I am always worried about suffocating and blankets too.

Glad this has been raised and it seems like lots of bubs like sleeping on their tums and that is okay. I think the recommendations of sleeping keeps changing as years ago people were told to put bubs on their tummies.

[sharvs]

My DS always sleeps on his tummy now. I make sure i put him down on his back, but 10 minutes later he is on his tummy fast asleep. It did take about 2 weeks before he was comfortable though, prior to that we were up & down frequently putting him onto his back. Now he just gets frustrated when he wakes up

[youngbrismum]

My girl (now 17 months) has slept on her tummy from birth. She has regular treatments with a craniosacral therapist who says that sleeping bubs on tummy is better for brain development because no part of their skull is compressed.

Personally I believe that SIDS occurs when a number of factors play together not just for sleeping babes on their tummys.

[elissas]

The guidelines for SIDS are just that - guidelines. They are not "causes" of SIDS. Basically they've surveyed SIDS cases and found that there were more tummy sleepers than back sleepers.

The truth is they know very little about SIDS, despite all the money thrown at it. That's why their site isn't very helpful.

It seems that it's the "cause of death" for those bubs that fit certain criteria, when they can't explain the exact cause. Basically a grouping of criteria, like IBS or Chronic Fatigue.

I suggest removing the "rules" out of the equation, and go with what you feel is right.

And remember that our mums were told to never sleep us on our backs, in case we choke in our sleep. The rules change and probably will again.

DS is a side sleeper. Not many people are back sleepers and I think it's unreasonable to expect bubs to do it if they're not so inclined.

Remember what it's like when you have a belly ache? Lying on your back just doesn't cut it, but curling up on your side or on your belly can be so relieving. With their undeveloped digestive systems, I wasn't surprised when DS woke every 15mins when I put him on his back. I changed that habit quick smart.

[NZMama]

My daughter has been rolling from her back to stomach since she was 2 months old and now at 4 months can roll from her stomach to her back. However when she first started rolling I bought a breathable antiroll pillow, this works a treat! It also helped with the flat head that she was developing as I could lie her on her side.
That all said and done according to my mother tummy sleeping was not an issue when my siblings and I were babies, thats the way all of us slept and we are fine. Parents perogative at the end of the day I guess :)

[melbryan]

My son always slept on his tummy and I used to worry about it also. Everytime I would turn him over he would roll back. I thought now he can lift his head he should be fine. He also like a sheet over his face which freak me out.
He is now two and every night I check on him he sleeps on his tummy so do I though. I think it settles him.

[CJJHRA]

My DD liked to sleep on her stomach, slept better that way, why make them uncomfortable. When they can roll over, I see no point in putting them on their backs again, as they will roll back 9/10 anyway I have found.

I never had a pillow in the cot till my kids were 12months old, and the matress was firm enough