Baby Sleeping on Tummy

My pediatrician said when they can roll over by themselves it is safe. He should be fine at 7 months.

As soon as he can put himself on his tummy (roling over back and forth) he is safe to sleep however he likes :)

Hi S.,
Once your baby can roll over to his back, it is safe for him to sleep on his tummy.
My baby has been sleeping on her tummy since she was just 3 weeks old. She had acid reflux and it was painful for her to sleep on her back. She actually started rolling over when she was three weeks also. Now she is 3 months old and she is a roll over pro =)

i know how you feel! my 4 week old insists on sleeping on her belly or her side we put her on her back and she just rolls right back. but i think if he can roll he should be fine my daughter did the same thing and i found myself loosing sleep b/c i would wake up and roll her over ever hour or so.... and she was only 4 months so i say let him get comfy and you will both sleep better!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Latest breaking news on the topic of sids is suggesting that we may soon be able to tell wich babies are at risk and wich aren't. My daughter has been sleeping on her belly since birth. My healthy families worker said that as soon as they can hold their heads up good, and roll good, then not to worry as much about it. I still do check on her often though.
My son was also a belly sleeper 15 years ago, as were all 3 of my nieces. Our family has no history of sids at all. If you think about it. Years ago they told us to put babies on their bellies, then for a while it was the side, now it's the back. Hold tight and listen to your parental instincs. After all it's all likely to change again in a few years.
At 7 months i'd suggest not using blankets unless it's cold. Also i've been told small hard toys (the kind you can attach to links, such as rattles) are ok in the crib. However nothing soft. Hope this helps.

After the child is capable of rolling over there really isn't anything you can do to stop the child from sleeping how they want. All you are going to do is keep yourself and baby up all night if you try and force it. Still lay him on his back when you put him in bed but just like all of us he will adjust himself how he is comfortable. I have 3 children and they all put themselves on their bellies when they were able. My doctor has actualyy told me that after about 6 months the highest cause of death in children is not SIDS any more it is accidents. I hope this helps

You don't have to worry about it. Once baby is able to roll easily both ways (which it sounds he is since he's getting out of the wedge) the risk of sids goes down significantly. I always put my kids to sleep on their backs but once my son hit 6 months he'd just immediately roll over onto his stomach as soon as I laid him down. My daughter was doing that at 5 months. The docs said it was fine since they were pretty mobile and crawling and stuff.

when they are able to roll over by themselves.

My husband is a first responder so I know a lot about this....he likes to bring his work home. If the baby can life his head it's pretty safe for him to sleep on his belly. Also if he takes a pacifier the risk of SIDS is even lower.

he should be fine. my 9 month old sleeps on his tummy and has since he was about 5 months old. even if you lay him on his back, he'll roll over.

If he is 7 months old, I assume he rolls over on his own both ways. By this age both mine slept on their tummies. My girls were never good back sleepers...as it makes since I do not find sleeping on my back to be very comfortable either. Anyhow, I asked the pediatrician if this was okay and she said it was fine, to just keep the crib free of suffocation hazards. Some docs even recommend putting them down on back but will say if they roll over during sleep, it is fine. You don't go in and turn him back over while he is sleeping obviously so I would let him sleep how he is comfortable as long as you feel fine with that. Good luck to you,

G. H

Does he use a pacifier? If so, you should not be concerned, but also, at 7 months he should be able to roll himself over, or getting close anyway. My son slept on his belly from 1 month, otherwise, nobody slept. Sometimes they just won't sleep on thier backs and that is a fact. Just make sure there aren't any blankets for him to pull up against his face or stuffed animals.

Once my kids were able to hold their heads up and turn it on their own during tummy time, I started letting them sleep on their stomach's. I know a lot of Dr's and parents would disagree with this, but neither of my kids would sleep on their backs...they kept waking up and jerking all night. Once I put them on their tummies, they started sleeping all night. At 7 months, I think he's old enough to sleep on his tummy and if he's not already rolling over, once he does he'll roll over to his tummy on his own anyway. I hope this helps ease some of your concern!

~S.

I would certainly keep a baby monitor close by and check in every once in a while!

Is he rollling over on his own yet? My doctor told me that once they could roll on their own that it is fine because they can reposition themselves if they are uncomfortable, etc. I would say by 7 months it is ok for them to sleep on their tummies.

My son was the same way and is a year old now and still prefers his tummy. Regardless of how he sleeps, as long as you have all stuffed toys and blankets away from his face, he should be fine. It is a natural reaction for a baby that old to tilt his/her head and find the easiest and most comfortable way to breathe. I wouldn't place him on his tummy to sleep but when they choose to sleep that way, just remember to keep him away from the crib's bumper pad and check to make sure he has a clear area around his nose and mouth. If you are still worried, turn him on his back after he is well into his sleep especially if he has allergies or a cold. I did that for a month or two because I was concerned with SIDS as well. Good Luck.