Tummy Sleeping?? What Would You Do?

ok. here goes.......I let my baby girl sleep on her stomach. (say what ya want people!) I did and so did my brother. I tried laying my baby on her back at the beginning and she used to startle in the middle of the night because she had no control over her muscles. She has been sleping through the night since she was 2.5 months old and now sleeps in her crib (all night long!).She is 4.5 months now. I was nervous about this at first and I realized that I am fine and so is my baby. You can also try keeping him on his back with the back elevated if you can accomplish this. This position also helps when there is congestion. You can also try a soy based formula for lactose intolerance. I think it depends on how 'strong a sleeper' your little one is. I would let her nap during the day on her stomach....I mean literally watched her. Can he turn his head good enough while sleeping? Is his breathing pattern good while napping? I did not let her sleep on her tummy until I was certain she could do this on her own. Also, be sure that the bed he sleeps on has only a fitted sheet, no padded sides, and no comforters or blankets. Dress him warm enough if it's too cool in the house or dress him down if it tends to get warm. making sure the baby is not too hot is a major factor with SIDS (I even hate typing the word....lol.) I hope this helps out and God Bless you and your little one!

I have a 19mo old little boy. He's my first and he has been sleeping on his tummy since he was prob 2 months old. He did not have reflux; however whenever I would put him down for a nap or at night he would only sleep a short while before waking himself up. When he was swaddled he would manage to get one hand out of the blanket and then in his sleep would raise his arms and it would wake him up. I did the same by letting him have tummy time and take naps on his belly and then realized he slept so well that way. Thus, into the bassinet and then crib...he slept on his belly. I am 31 urs old and now that I, and my cousins and friends, were raised back in the day where tummy sleeping was "the norm". When my son first started sleeping on his tummy, I would get up often throughout the night to check on him. Eventually the times I got up lessened, but they have never stopped. He's my baby and I will forever get up to check on him. I do know that there is a product (sold at babies-r-us) that you can put under his crib mattress and it has a monitor - if the baby stops breathing an alarm sounds. I personally have not used it but had a friend that did. She said the alarm went off once and thank goodness it was a false alarm, but it provided her with comfort having this "monitor". Also, they baby monitors with video are great. You can look at your little angel without having to go in his room, another sense of comfort :o) Good luck. You are the mom and you know what's best for your child. No matter what anyone says.

V.-- my second son was a tummy sleeper. Even when he was very little, he would turn sideways in his infant carrier and swing, trying to turn onto his tummy. People would always say to me, "Do you know your baby is twisted in his seat?" But every time I straightened him out, he would instantly turn sideways again. Then, as soon as he could roll over, he instantly rolled onto his tummy in the bassinet and crib. I would pick him up and lay him down again on his back, and he would instantly roll onto his tummy again. I was really worried about SIDS,so I asked my pediatrician what to do, and he said, "You could set your alarm for every hour and keep flipping him over, but he'll probably just keep rolling onto his tummy." So I bought him those breathable bumpers (have you seen them? They're kind of a padded mesh material. I got them at Babies R Us-- here's the link:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266849) I also made sure there was nothing he could suffocate against (like a blanket or stuffed animal). My doctor said that once they can lift their heads, there's much less danger of suffocation, anyway. My son was bound and determined to sleep on his tummy; he would just keep rolling over no matter how many times I flipped him. I was so scared at first, but he was fine. My good friend later told me that she let both of her kids sleep on their tummies because they slept so much better that way and actually slept through the night. She also told me that she had some kind of baby monitor that would beep if the baby was completely motionless for 20 seconds. I looked online (babiesrus.com) and I guess you put a sensor under the mattress which detects motion and alerts you if your baby becomes motionless. I do remember my friend saying that sometimes it gave her a false alarm and scared her to death for no reason, and the product info online says that sometimes, if your baby is in a very deep sleep, his breathing may not be detected. But the product reviews seemed mostly positive-- I think they gave it 4 1/2 stars. I didn't know about these monitors when my son was going through this (maybe because we had such a tiny house that we didn't need a monitor, so I never checked into them), but if I had, I think I would have invested in one for my peace of mind. If you do get it, though, I'd save the receipt just in case it starts giving you a bunch of false alarms and waking you up needlessly all night. And by the way, my son is now 15 months old and still sleeping on his tummy. I still lay him on his back at naptime and at night, and he still instantly rolls onto his tummy. It was a battle I just couldn't win, and he ended up being fine. Maybe look into getting one of those monitors if it'll keep you from worrying?
Here's the link:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=297030...

By the way, my mom made fun of me for worrying so much because she said all four of her kids slept on their tummies because that was what doctors recommended then, so babies couldn't choke if they spit up. :) Oh well-- we just try to do what we're told, right? But my baby seemed to know what was best for him. I'm the same way-- I absolutely can't fall asleep unless I'm curled up on my side, so I can imagine his frustration when I kept flipping him over! :) Sorry this is so long. Good luck!!

In another five years, doctors will likely be recommending that infants be put on their bellies to sleep, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure the mattress is firm and the crib is clear of blankets, toys, etc. My twin boys absolutely refused to sleep on their backs almost from day one. One trick we used until they were about 3-4 months old was to let them fall asleep on their bellies and then flip them over onto their backs. That worked pretty well until they were old enough to start rolling around on their own. At that point, we just let them sleep however they wanted.

I'd be glad to have a break and see my son sleeping without pain I must say, but I would be watching him like a hawk as cot death has been linked to tummy sleeping. Do you have a monitor? That would solve the problem.
My sister's child had a severe reflux problem and the paediatrician advised that the baby always sleep in a sloping baby chair (not one of those that makes the baby fold up double in it's sleep - they are awful!). So that little chair went into her baby's cot and the baby slept a treat.
Whatever works for you is best - a mom's instincts can never be undervalued - just as long as you take into consideration the safety aspect, and I am sure you do.

My daughter is 4 mos. old and is the SAME. She loves sleeping on her tummy and it helps her when she struggles w/ reflux. I spoke to my pediatrician about it and he said to NOT let her do it. So at night, we have a wedge under her mattress and a Tucker sling to help keep her propped up at an angle to help w/ the reflux (in addition to Prevacid twice a day and Bethanachol four times a day). I have in the past, however, let her nap occasionally on her belly during the day when I am right there. It may help to prop him on his side on occasion. My daughter enjoys that position from time to time. However, my parents all kept us on our bellies and we're still here to talk about it??? I would say if you have to have sleep time on the belly but are really worried about it, keep it to daytime naps when you are alert and nearby. Then you can keep the nighttime sleep to the back position (although my daughter rolls herself over when she can...good luck! Ha ha).

From what I understand there's a direct link from tummy-sleeping to SIDS and I just can't imagine what would happen if I lost her. I could never live with the guilt. Ultimately it is your decision and trust me I know it's a difficult one. It's so nice to see our babies sleep so soundly but I just can't risk it. Good luck with your decision...I know it's not easy!

I had my first child in 1989 and she always slept on her tummy with no ill effects. Just be sure the mattress is firm and the crib sheet is pulled tight. You don't want anything around that could possibly suffocate the baby like stuffed animals or even a crib bumper.

Personally, I think I would let him sleep on his tummy if he rested better that way. Although I probably would also move the crib into my room for a few months so I could hear his breathing too.

Blessings.
D.

I have two boys, neither of whom ever slept soundly on their backs or sides. I spent the first few months of both of their lives desperately trying to keep them asleep on their back/side, but it just never happened. I read a lot of the original medical research that had been published at the time (about 2 years ago for my youngest). Although there is no solid conclusion, there is some evidence suggesting that SIDS is sometimes due to an error in the child's arousal mechanism...meaning the child sleeps so deeply that they have periods of stopped breathing. I made the decision to let my children sleep on their tummies because they were clearly light sleepers, no problems with arousal AT ALL (they would literally startle themselves awake). By sleeping on their stomachs, they extended their sleep cycles from about 20-30 minutes each stretch to between 1.5 and 3 hours each stretch...still hard to cope with, but better!

There is so much pressure to sleep on their back that it was a hard decision, and even though I logically knew it was an okay thing for my boys (no history of SIDS in the family, etc), it was hard to get over the fear that has been instilled by the medical profession regarding sleeping. I also made the rather unpopular decision to have my children sleep in my room with me in a co-sleeper. This has also been shown to convincingly reduce the SIDS rate, since the regular breathing of adults helps trigger a regular breathing rate in babies. I have the literature if you'd like.

Good luck with whatever you decide. It's an emotionally charged topic, for sure!

Hi V.,
Congratulations on your baby!! I wish I had asked this question when my son was that age! We had the same problem with reflux & I didn't even know that talking to the pedi was an option. I figured she would simply say no. I'm a 1st time mom, so I've learned a lot in the last year. Now I know there are so many things I would do differently & will if I have another baby. I know you're concerned about SIDS, so I think you should talk to your son's pedi. Then I would take into consideration whether or not your son is exposed to (or has) any of the other risk factors for SIDS (i.e. is he ever around smokers, etc.). There are also things that reduce SIDS, like breastfed babies are less likely to have SIDS. If he can hold his head up on his own when laying on his tummy, that would make me less concerned. Once you examine these factors in relation to your son, if it seems like he doesn't have any risk factors, I would try it. The breathing monitor one of the other mom's mentioned sounds like a great idea! Also, we had my son sleeping in a product called a CoSleeper. It's a small crib that attaches to your adult bed. Our son slept in that until he could sit up on his own because it was so much easier to have him next to me in those first months.
When I spoke to my mom about tummy sleeping when my son was 2 months old she said, "You & your brother & sister slept on your tummies & all 3 of you were fine!" Of course I didn't listen, thinking that was advice from a long time ago, but I really wish I would have trusted those mommy instincts. Every baby is different & I don't think all babies have to sleep on their back. Best of luck to you!
Sincerely,
A. W

Hi, V.,

Have you considered having your baby sleep in your room? My little ones have also had reflux, and reflux babies absolutely sleep better while on their tummies. I have avoided (most of) the anxiety and worry by having them nearby, where I could see, hear, and touch them at any point during the night. My favorite arrangement is to "side-car" the crib to our bed. To do this, we removed the sliding side of the crib and securely bungee-corded the crib to our bed frame. I pushed the crib mattress against our mattress to remove any gaps, and used the bumper, folded in half, to fill in the space between the crib mattress and sides of the crib. Then, the baby has his own space, but it's literally in reach of me at all times of the night. It also makes it easier to feed him at night, as he's within reach, and we can both fall back to sleep together.

You may also want to address the reflux to try to improve his comfort. We've had wonderful results from chiropractic care of our younger two boys. Seeing a chiropractor experienced in working with children gave us almost immediate results in reduction of spitting up and in pain. Check http://www.icpa4kids.com/ for some in the area. My chiro that we've taken them to is in Katy: http://www.efchiro.com/

Hi V.,

First of all, congrats on your baby boy! I know just how you are feeling right now. My daughter, now 12 months, had silent reflux and trouble sleeping. At just a few weeks old, her pediatrician diagnosed her and basically told us that she NEEDED to sleep on her stomach and that she would be just fine. I was very concerned about doing this, but he said she would be in more danger on her back with the reflux. So, until she started sitting up and needed to be in a crib, we had her sleep in our room in a cradle on her belly. She slept much better. I would ask your pediatrician's advice on this, but tummy sleeping was the only choice for us. If you are really worried, there is a product called the Angelcare monitor. Along with the sound monitor, it has a sensor pad to place under the crib mattress that would go off if the baby stops breathing. Best of luck!

By the way, if you are still looking for fun kid things to do in Sugar Land, I highly recommend Mother Goose and Toddler time at the First Colony or Sugar Land libraries.

I have three kids. The first one I always put on his back, and he was fine with that. The other two were happier on their tummies, and I gave in to that and had no problems. I made sure there was no bedding that they could bury their noses in, the mattress had only a sheet on it and they had only a light blanket on if anything - they could always breathe - and was not obsessive about checking on them. After all, I slept on my belly as a baby! You may want to Google SIDS and check on the latest research, because if I remember correctly, they're starting to find reasons for these deaths. Not tummy sleeping, but other causes that make more sense. And I'll bet you find that when he can turn himself over, he'll choose to sleep on his tummy anyway!

I have heard that there is a new monitoring device that you can buy from Babies R Us that you place under the crib sheet under their tummies. The device monitors the baby's breathing and if they stop for 10 seconds then an alarm goes off in your room to alert you to go check on the baby. Might be something to look into.

The main reason tummy sleeping is a risk is because their muscles are not strong enough to always lift their chests t.o breath. So the risk of SIDS is much greater. If the swing works I would continue with that rather than allow him to sleep on his tummy.

Another option is to buy a special pillow to help prop him up. I know they make the pillows that prevent baby from rolling over on their tummy, and they make wedge shaped pillows for sleeping upright. I'm wondering if they make a smaller wedge type pillow that will help baby sleep in his crib in a semi sleeping position.

Let me clarify that these pillows are not soft, they are firm like a mattress. So it is not something baby can roll over and suffocate on. I would not reccomend using any regular pillows due to that risk.

But if you can't find an appropriate pillow, then stick with the swing. Reflux can make it very uncomfortable to sleep lying flat on your back. So sleeping in a semi upright position is more comfy for baby.

I'm sure he will grow out of it, my song did! Good luck!