Hi moms... I always put my babies to sleep on their backs but recently my almost 5 month old son started rolling over on to his tummy in the middle of the night and stays asleep that way. At what point do you allow them to do that? My daughter did that too but she was a bit older so I wasn't as concerned. He still seems a little young to be sleeping on his tummy but I hate to wake him when he seems to sleep so soundly.
When he is old enough to do it on his own, he is also old enough to move his head away from any air obstructions (which is the fear in letting them sleep that way as newborns).
Per my pediatrician...if he's rolling on his own, leave him be!
If he can roll over on his own and lift his own head, he should be fine. You could always call your pediatrician if you really want to feel secure about it.
Our daughter would not stay on her back at 6 weeks, by 8 weeks, there was no way to keep her on her back, so the doctor said not to worry about it.. I think this is why she slept through the night so early.
Is he able to consistently roll from his tummy to his back? Can he turn his head to the side when he's on his tummy? If you say yes to both, it is generally ok for babies to sleep on their tummies IF they start on their backs and roll over on their own.
If he's in a deep sleep and you're worried, you'd probably be able to roll him back over without waking him.
If they roll over on their own, it is fine to leave them that way.
When my son was born (22 years ago) the campaign was to put them on their tummy to sleep so they "wouldn't choke if they spit up". Most babies never have a problem with this provided you don't have things like pillows and stuffed animals in their cribs and they are not an "at risk" infant.
A few years later, it changed to "back to sleep" due to suffocations but my opinion is, at least with most, it wasn't being on the tummy that was the problem...it was them being on a soft mattress, a sofa, or with pillows etc.
My daughter is now about to turn 7 years old. We started with "back to sleep" and she hated it. Would sleep in short spurts only. She loved tummy time so one night I laid her on her tummy, she slept great (and so did I). My hubby was another story, he was worried to death so he kept checking on her (this was his first infant since we met when my son was about 3...he deferred to my motherly experience but was still worried).
Another result of "back to sleep" is kids tend to get less tummy time. This causes babies to hold their heads up, sit up, roll over, etc later due to delayed muscle development. It can also cause parents and doctors to worry about possible development delays...problems that are avoided with more tummy time and sleeping on their tummy. Perfect example...my nephew (same age as my daughter) had some early complications and slept in either his carseat or on his back. He spent alot of time in the car seat because it seemed the only way to sooth him. He hated tummy time and as a result didn't get to built those neck and core muscles so all of the related milestones were much later.
Babies were sleeping on their tummies long, long before SIDS was around. Some babies just don't want to be on their backs. If your baby is rolling over on his tummy, it's time to let him. Make sure that the room isn't too hot, that you don't have a heavy blanket on him, that there are no pillows or toys/stuffed animals in the crib. He'll be fine.
All four of my kids were tummy sleepers and they lived! My first two that was the suggestion. I tried back with my third and he was so fussy. I looked at the older two and figured they lived so flipped the poor guy over.
I think it would be different if my kids had issue but they all came out little bruits that could already lift their heads. Of course I never had anything in the crib they could suffocate on either.
So to answer, newborn.
I started allowing them to sleep on their tummies all the time when I knew they could roll to their tummies and back to their backs on their own without difficulty. My youngest and eldest tended to be side sleepers in general, though, so not really an issue most of the time.
My middle daughter was a tummy sleeper from day one. She would squirm to her belly relatively quickly no matter what I did, so I didn't force the issue. I just had her sleep in a bassinet next to me and the majority of the time kept my hand on her so I could feel her breathing. She was a thumb sucker and enjoyed the pacifier, so I knew her airways were kept open and that was another anxiety reliever. She had a breathable bassinet. No stuff animals or fluffy blankets. We reduced all other risks for SIDS. I was forced to adjust since she couldn't. It also seemed to help reduce her acid reflux, which it turns out was actually lactose intolerance (we didn't know it at the time).
I was always told with my 10 and 6 year olds that if they rolled themselves over, or could consistently roll from tummy to back, not to worry about it.
It never hurts to call the doc and ask if you're concerned.
When a baby turns themselves over they can sleep any way they want...unless you want to sit up and watch them all night to roll them back over every time...lol.
When my daughter was a baby it was recommended we sleep them on their tummies. I never knew a single baby that died from SIDS, that doesn't mean I'm saying they didn't but I just didn't know any. And I went to a church that had over 8000 members.
My daughter was a tummy sleeper since she was born. When she was on her back she couldn't relax and would fight the air. I always made sure there was nothing in her crib and bassinet but her. I kept the house warm enough where she didn't need a blanket over her. You may want to check on him more in the night. My daughter survived.
I'd let him roll if he can. But take everything out of the crib. No blanket (use a sleep sack) and no bumpers. Just a mattress with a sheet.
ZeldaGirl,
Pretty much everyone you see over say age 35, slept on their tummy as a baby. That was the norm and MANY of us survived. He'll be fine; let him sleep the way he's comfortable.
i think hes fine on his belly. Why wake a sleeping baby. As long as you don't see any potential health risks or problems,then i say let him be.
I allowed both of my boys to sleep however they wanted to as soon as they were able to reliably roll from back to tummy and back.
I also wanted to mention that the room should be kept cool and baby should be in a sleep sack or footie pajamas. Turning up the heat as another mom suggested is not recommended, as studies show that we sleep better when the air is a cool 64-67'F.
