HELP! Roll over Problem

Once he can get to his tummy, don't worry about flipping him. Just clear everything out of the crib and let him go!

Sounds like he is a stomach sleeper. If he is strong enough to roll over then he can likely lift his head with no problem. My little one did this too. At first I was paranoid but I mentioned it to her pediatrician and he said it was fine..just to keep on eye on her.

I have heard that you should not use bumpers in the crib though...I never have.

Good luck.

Hi, T.

My daughter started to roll over at 12 weeks and I tried the pads for wedging her as well. She rolled right over them too. Same as you, I was really worried, so I spoke with her pediatrician and he said that if she can roll over to get comfortable, then she can roll over when she needs to breathe too. That made sense to me, and so I let her go, and she still rolls around in her twin bed 2 1/2 years later! Good luck to you!!!

I know it is hard not to worry, but my pediatrician told me if they can roll over by themselves, not to worry. their little bodies tell them if they need to roll over. You could check with your pediatrician for peace of mind. He is pretty young but if he is doing that well rolling over, he's probably fine.

If he can control his head & he's able to roll over on his own you should have nothing to worry about. To ease your mind I would just take everything out of his crib, bumpers, stuffed animals, etc so there's nothing for his face to get stuck on.

T., Try not to worry to much about this. hee is old enough now to roll over so he has the muscle control to move his head also. both of my kids slept on their stomachs pretty much straight from the hospital. My first was ten weeks early and spent over a month in the NICU and all the nurses put the babies to sleep on their bellies. I was taken back by this but they all said they do better sleeping this way. With my son we did the back sleeping and tried side sleeping also but he tended to wake up alot so after a couple of months of terrible sleep for all we put him on his belly. Try and relax a bit and get some sleep I am sure you need it. I know how stressful this can be.
L.

T., my daughter was like that when she was in her crib. We finally put her in the crib with nothing else- no blankets, no pillows, no wedges, no toys and made sure her crib sheet was tight on the mattress and the mattress was snug in the crib. In the winter we put her in a blanket sleeper so she would not get cold. So I suggest you put the little one in a sleeper and remove any "loose" bedding-also make sure his mattress isn't soft-but generally crib mattresses are pretty firm so this shouldn't be an issue. He should be fine and you should be able to get some sleep.
there is nothing you can really do to prevent him from rolling over onto his tummy.

Congratulations on both of your children!

Hi T.,
Congratulations on the finalization of your adoption!
I agree with the previous posts that when they can lift their heads, the odds of them suffocating are low. I, also, would keep his crib clear of blankets, pillows, stuffed animals etc just to be on the safe side!
Give him LOTS of tummy time to strengthen his neck muscles throughout the day as well.
Enjoy your son!

Hi T., I can totally relate to your problem. I was told by my children's doctors that once they roll over, there isn't much you can do about it. I was told that SIDS is greater between 0-4 months because their neck muscles arent as developed for them to move their head. However, if your son can roll over, he has developed muscles. Just don't use loose bedding (like blankets). Use the sleep sacs that you can get at Baby's R Us or Craigslist. They will keep him warm without the extra bedding. Good luck to you!

A. (mom of 3-12, 3, and 3 months)

Horray for your adoption finalization!

4 1/2 months is a perfectly normal age for him to be rolling over. I know you are scared, there are so many SIDS warnings and back to sleep messages which are all very good advice. BUT once baby has head control, neck strength and the ability to roll over he has demonstrated significant development. Just make sure there aren't stuffed animals, extra blankets or loose fluffy things he could tangle in and he should be just fine. I always breathe a sigh of relief when they are able to roll because then I feel like they can roll themselves away from anything that may come in contact with their face. That is how I look at it anyway. Hope this gives you a little peace of mind.

T.,
RELAXXXXXXXXX! Congrats on your adoption! He is just fine. Make sure there are no blankets or animals in the crib if youa re that worried but he is OK sleeping on his belly! He will move if he needs to! Get some sleep and relax he will be just fine!
Good luck
Christina

Hey T.,
My husband and I had a lot of sleepless nights after our son was born as well. I think it's pretty common with a new baby. I know this is much easier said than done, but I would try not to worry so much about his rolling over. My son always preferred to sleep on his stomach rather than on his back. It drove me crazy for a while, but once he got the rolling down and lifting his head it helped me relax a bit. Just be sure there is no loose bedding surrounding his head. If he can roll and lift his head, he should be just fine. Like I said... I know it's easier said than done!!

Good luck
E. B.

Congrats on the addition to your family. Here's some great advice: get an angel care monitor. It is a pad that goes under the mattress and detects breathing. It will alert you if your son has stopped breathing or simply rolled off of the pad. It is a lifesaver. It helps you sleep so much better.
Besides that, even though you will still worry, don't. Once they can roll over, they are strong enough to pick their heads up if they need to. I'd definitely NOT use the wedge because some babies have actually suffocated on them.
Best of luck! If you get that monitor, I know you'll sleep better. For us, it was a Godsend.

As an Occupational Therapist, I would encourage you to provide your little man with some belly time for development. For a few minutes once or twice a day sit with him on a blanket on the floor and let him be on his belly while he is awake. Help encourage him to lift & hold his head and to use his arms for support. This will help him to develope the muscles he needs to roll from belly to back. That should come soon after a baby has learned rolling back to belly. Once he can roll both directions you won't need to worry so much about his safety at night.
However, I was told by a doctor not to worry about them when they are rolling over at night but as a mom I know I always worry. I hope this helps. Good luck! R.

We purchased a Bebe sounds Angel care monitor and LOVE it. It has a sensor pad that will sound an alarm if no movement is detected for 17 seconds (a single alarm) and 3 seconds after that (a series of alarm sounds). I have never slept so soundly with an infant. We ordered ours from Walmart.com and had it shipped to the local store so we didn't have to pay shipping. Good luck =O}

Wow! What an exciting day for you & your family!! Congratulations!!!!! :) As far as your question~ I would make sure there is absolutely nothing in his crib- bumper pads, blankets, stuffed animals & any other fancy crib goodies. Not sure how you keep them "where they need to be"...our son is all over the place, too. ;) At our birthing class, the county coroner spoke to us & she didn't even suggest using the wedges- nothing in the crib but the baby. Hope this helps?!
God Bless you & your family on your new "venture"!

Hi T.,

I don't have a solution to your problem, but I wanted to say hello. I also adopted from Kazakhstan. My daughter just turned two this month. I live in Gloucester county if you ever want a playdate. What region did you travel to?

E.

PS: Congratulations on your finalization hearing!

hi,

congratulations on your adoption!

i had the same problem at 18 weeks old!! i was so proud of her and scared at the same time.
i kept flipping my daughter all night for two nights. both of us were exhausted. i finally let her sleep on her belly, and since then she's been sleeping longer stretches than ever before! (she's almost 6 months old) as long as your son is able to turn his head to the side by himself, he'll be fine. just take everything out of the crib- bumpers, toys, etc.

good luck!

Don't worry so much. Millions of babies spent their first year of life sleeping on their bellies before we got so freaked about the whole SIDS thing. I am the oldest of 6 and remember clearly my mom putting all of my siblings on their bellies to sleep because they sleep better! When I had my own two, I put them on their bellies as well and they did fine. SIDS happens when babies have underlying health problems, smokers in the house, or some other type of issue that you are not aware of. If your baby is healthy, vigorous and strong (which, at 17 1/2 pounds, it sounds like he is), he WON'T suffocate himself. He'll move his head or roll over or do whatever it takes to keep breathing. Give yourself a break, and HIM too, and let him sleep however he wants. He'll be fine.

I got so worked up over this too and found myself rolling my son back onto his back, which sometimes woke him up. Not exactly the best solution. When I finally talked to our pediatrician, she quickly calmed me down and told me that if my son is strong enough to roll over and get into that position, he's strong enough to roll out of it. It's totally normal for kids to roll over and sleep on their tummies at some point. It's actually quite cute with their little bums in the air! Call your ped for the same reassurance and enjoy watching your little one sleep!

DON'T WORRY! His ability to roll over actually lowers his chance of suffocating. If he is uncomfortable, he can move. I'm sure he'll be fine. Try to get some sleep! :D

Congrats on the adoption!

I had some difficulties also when my little man started to flip- however he woke up screaming at first (another issue)! I would hover over his crib- just like you are doing- it was ridiculous! We finally had to let him just get used to sleeping the way he wanted and , perhaps it sounds corny to some, but I left it in God's hands. He is just fine today! He wanted to be on his stomach and as long as he could do it himself, the doctor said it was okay- just remove everything from the crib.

At his age, he should be just fine! If however, you are still freaked about it, you can get a sensor that you put under the sheet that senses heart rate and if it drops, it beeps to indicate the change. I forget where I saw such a thing, but they are out there. If it gives you peace of mind, it is worth looking up!

Congrats again!.......Jen

My rule of thumb was always that if they were flipping over themselves, I would just let my boys sleep on their stomachs. He sounds old enough that it shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially if you keep his crib empty of stuffed animals, etc.
In other words, let sleeping babies lie!

my doc told me when they can roll over then that are old enough to be rolling over. So take everything out of the crib and he will be fine. Check on him periodically before you go to bed but I wouldnt sit over his crib at night. Everything will be ok and good luck with the adoption.....my husband and I are at the begining stages of domestic adoption.

Don't worry so much about it. This is the time when babies are rolling over. Make sure that there isn't anything in his crib that could cover his mouth and nose at the same time like thick fluffy blankets, large stuffed animals, etc. As long has he can move his head to the side when he turns over on his stomach, there shouldn't be a problem.

All three of my kids did the same thing. Your son will be fine too.

Can your son roll over from his belly to his back? Can he hold his head up?

Once your child can hold their head up, then they can move their head if something is blocking their breathing. Its an automated response.

If so, then I don't think you have anything to worry about. All babies eventually roll over- its a milestone! So just be proud of your little guy.