Crawling/sleep Question

B. my suggestion to you is to just be patient. Some kids do things quicker than others and some kids take forever. My daughter was completely healthy but she did not walk till she was 17 months old. All my friends children were walking but Krissy wasnt. Sometimes I felt she wasnt going to do it at all then she did. Just be patient. Marcy mom of 5 2 recently adopted.

Have you tried just leaving him and let him cry I suspect it is a ploy to get you to come get him or get your attention. If he can crawl he can flip it's just a matter of wills and if he gets mad enough he will flip. It may just be a faze you have to wait out the first of many I'm afraid.

Hi B.,
It sounds like your son may have an issue with his neck. I am a chiropractor who specializes in the care of children and pre-natal care. Usually when moms tell me that they won't flip one way or the other or if they favor turning their head one direction to the other, that is an indication that the vertebrae in the neck are not moving together well. How was his birth and pregancy? Was there intervention, like forceps, vacuum or c-section? Anytime there is intervention, there is a possiblity of traction or pulling on the neck which may not show up as a problem until they are older. This can happen with a "natural" delivery also. The type of symptoms that would show up range from limited range of motion to ear infections to colic and many, many more health problems. Usually babies that don't crawl and go straight to walking also have spinal issues that need to be addressed. Your pediatrician will typically not know about this because they are not trained in this like chiropractors are. I honestly don't think this is an issue of a "strong willed" child, I think this a structural issue that should be addressed. Here are some websites that will further educate you on why children should see a chiropractor. www.MCPAkids.org, and www.icpa4kids.org
Good luck and feel free to contact me for more information.
Dr. Heather S.,
O'Dell Family Chiropractic, Lathrup Village, ###-###-####

It may simply be nothing more than he is outgrowing that nap, or that you're putting him in his crib before he's tired enough and relaxed enough to sleep. Try waiting another 30-40 minutes, particularly in a quieted house, before putting him down. He may also just be needing more quiet lead-up to sleeping than he used to. What do you tend to be doing coming up to the nap?

B.,
Have you tried seeking out help from a chiropractor for your son’s trouble flipping over? Chiropractors are not neck and back pain doctors, we are nervous system doctors. Our bodies are self healing and self organizing. The central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord and go to the cells, tissues, and organs in our bodies) control how our bodies heal and organize itself. If there is any interference in the communication of our nervous system with the body, then there will either be increased activity or decreased activity, either way the body is no longer functioning at it’s highest potential. Chiropractors call this interference a subluxation (sub-lux-a-tion). This interference/subluxation is caused by three major life stresses- Physical stress (trauma, repetitive motions, poor posture); Biochemical stress (preservatives in food, drugs- prescription, alcohol, smoking); and Mental or Emotional stress. Everybody is effected by these stressors not just adults.
Infants are constantly developing new neurological connections. If there is interference in their nervous system, some of these new connections could be hindered. He may also have trouble turning his head to the side due to a mechanical problem in his neck or upper back. Having him assessed by a chiropractor is simple, safe, and may help shed some light onto his trouble sleeping crawling and rolling over.
I am a chiropractor at Khalil Family Chiropractic in Eastpointe, MI. Please feel free to contact me by phone at ###-###-#### or email www.khalilwellness.com, if you have questions about anything.

Yours in health and wellness
Dr B.

B.,
All kids develop at their own pace. Although, that is not to say that there is a specific reason why he can't roll back the other way. I bet that even though he gets really mad when he gets stuck, he isn't in pain, he's just frustrated. Maybe if you don't come to his rescue every time it happens, he will get mad enough to flip himself over by accident. And once he has done it one time, he will be able to do it again. Worth a try? Good luck.

J.

My son who is now 17 months did the same thing. I think as the other posters said he was just frustrated. Once he was more mobile crawling his arms got stronger and it wasn't long before out of frustration or just plain trying he had the stomach to back thing down pat. I would also put him on his stomach during the day and show him how to roll over. I tried to make it as fun as possible by singing songs or "teasing" him to get a stuffed animal etc... Good Luck! D.

My daughter went through something similar. She didn't sit by herself until she was at least 8 months old; will be 1 in a couple of weeks and is just now starting to crawl on her hands & knees (currently doing the army crawl). She would get frustrated as well...seemed like she would only try things in her crib! We went through a good week or so (no sleep for Mom), but she eventually figured it out. She now LOVES to sleep on her stomach. I know it's tough, especially when not getting any sleep, but he will figure it out. In the mean time, take lots of naps and go to bed early!

What's wrong with him sleeping on his back? I don't understand. The last I heard, stomach sleeping was discouraged because a baby can potentially get its face so comfortably sunk down into the sheets that it cuts off breathing. Back sleeping is highly encouraged. Maybe he's trying to tell you something.

I am going through this very same thing right now. I just let her cry until she has had enough (usually 20-30 mins) then I go in and lay her down and hope she is tired enough to go to sleep. I do it many times usually. These days she has been real tired - last night she was up til 10:30!
The good news is... this won't last forever. He will figure it all out soon. So just patiently continue to move his body to what he should be doing.

Hi B.,
I agree with Jessie. He probably is just frusterated. I don't know if there could be another reason for not flipping from stomach to back. If you think there is talk to you ped. Both of my kids started standing early and they would stand in their crib when I put them in there for nap or bed. Well the couldn't figure out how to get down so I let them cry a little and eventually they learned to get down. It didn't take long for them to figure it out. I would maybe practice and put him on his stomach during the day and try and teach him to flip on his own. After a couple of weeks he will get it and it will be something else. Good luck.
Chris

Side note.... I have been told you are supposed to put babies on their backs to sleep to prevent SIDS.