As a bit of background, we currently are having a horrible time getting Katie to sleep without the swaddle. She will be 4 months old on April 4th and needs a binky to sleep and she startles easily...waves her arms and smacks herself in the face. She sleeps VERY well with the swaddle when she relaxes, but it's a 50/50 shot as to whether or not she'll let herself relax enough to get to sleep--sometimes she just grunts and strains against the swaddle.

I've been pretty religious with SIDS guidelines--she never has loose blankets or loose toys in the crib, she doesn't have bumpers, her mattress is firm, and she has always been on her back to sleep (except for the past few days when I've tried using a sleep positioner to keep her on her side...and she HATED that.)

But...

Here is what I just posted in my journal...

Soooo...just how bad is tummy sleeping? I swore I would NEVER let Katie sleep on her tummy (you know, not until she was 90 or something like that)...but she's sleeping upstairs in her crib on her tummy right now. I'm paranoid that she's going to die from SIDS now that I've left her up there--and I'm not joking. (I think I'm going to go check on her right now.)

Okay, so I don't want to claim naptime victory yet, but I was doing some thinking. Brian and I both were tummy sleepers (knees pulled under our hips and bottoms up in the air) and Katie loves having her back patted and she startles so easily...so wouldn't having her sleep on her tummy reduce the startle reflex...and it would make it possible for me to pat her back.

I tried repeatedly (again) with and without the swaddle to get her to sleep for nap #2 today--and she couldn't do it unless she was in my arms. So, I rolled her onto her tummy (she's not swaddled but she is in the sleep positioner...maybe I should take her out of that :dunno: ) and she was rather confused and kept lifting her head up...but she didn't complain (which surprised me) and she eventually put her head down. I patted her back (through all the head lifting and everything) for twenty minutes...and she's now asleep.

I can't believe I'm letting her sleep on her tummy.
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Madison has been a tummy sleeper since week 1. She slept with me for the first week then I tried her on her back and side in her cradle, it was not happening. Once I put her on her tummy she started sleeping in her cradle until we moved her into her crib at 4 months. Im willing to bet that if I wouldnt have put her on her tummy she would have slept with me alot more. I hated when she had to sleep with me because I didnt sleep well at all. At almost 5 months shes still a tummy sleeper even though she rolls over when she wakes up. I doubt she could sleep if I tried her on her back. Thers no way I can sleep on my back. The hardest thing about being pregnant was not being able to sleep on my stomach. I thought I was a horrible mother for putting Madison on her tummy to sleep until I found a thread on UB about tummy sleepers, I was ok after that. Now I tell people she sleeps on her tummy because thats what worked for us, they look at me like i have 2 heads but those same people were not willing to hold my baby while I sleep at night so they have no right to say anything. Madison has always slept with a blanket, never swaddled. She has a bumper on her bed and TWO stuffed animals tied to the crib. I sound like a devil parent but it doesnt bother me one bit.

I don't think you're a devil parent--I was just listing out the SIDS guidelines that I *do* follow so that people could see where I'm coming from! Thank you so much for posting your story...it really helps because I'm freaked out right now...but the tummy sleeping seems to be working (at least for the moment.)

Dont worry, I didnt mean that towards you. I felt the same way before Madison was born but now I know that I have to do what works for us.

Sarah, we had to have Xander sleep on his back for some of the same reasons. AND, I know that Keri had Davis sleeping on his tummy too. The thing with SIDS guidelines is that they DON'T have any statistics for tummy sleeping alone; they're always factored in with the things like bad prenatal care, smoking in the house, etc. I searched high and low and even asked my Dr. but there AREN'T any statistics to be found about completely healthy babies, in non-smoking houses, whose moms got excellent pre-natal care but let them sleep on their tummies. :dunno:

I think it has to be whatever you decide is best for your family and Katie. For us, it was tummy sleeping. :nod:

Great point!

ITA with Carrie. Emily slept on her tummy for the first couple months of her life, and I also struggled with that decision. But... the more I thought about it, the more I realized that back-sleeping alone isn't what helps reduce the risk of SIDS - it's all sorts of other factors, like keeping the room from getting too warm, keeping the mattress firm, keeping the sheets tight, etc. Plus - if Katie can pick her head up when you put her down on her belly, it also means that she can pick her head up well enough to breathe just fine!

Thank you--you're making me feel better about this. And yes, Katie is VERY good at lifting her head up and has been since birth. :nod:

Emma is also a tummy sleeper. As a newborn, she slept mostly on her side. I asked the doctor about this and she said it was fine. As soon as Emma started rolling at around 4 months she started sleeping on her tummy. At first I was constantly going into her room at nght and turning her over. I even tried putting her in a sleep postioner but she was out of it in less than 10 minutes. I was then told since she was able to roll and lift her head up she should be fine.

I have a FP monitor and can hear Madison breathing at night. I swore she was right next to the monitor it was so clear but when I went in there she was still in the middle of her bed.

tony slept on his tummy since we brought him home from the hospital :nod:

i tried putting him on his back but he wouldn't stay asleep, he'd keep pulling his arms out of the swaddle and whacking himself awake. i put him on his stomach, threw a light blanket over his butt and all was good.

oddly, he sleeps on his back a lot now at age 2 :lol:

Nick would litterally not sleep on his back... He would fall asleep for like 5 minutes. Now that we have a bigger bed he sleeps with us, but before than he slept on his tummy. We kept his bassinet in our room though, which made me feel more relaxed.

Usually by the time the babies are 4 months old, they usually pick the sleeping position that is best for them. If Katie finds it easier to sleep on her belly then do. Aiden stomach sleeps when he's severely tired and he won't do on his back. He can roll himself off his tummy if he's got a problem and it seems that Katie doesn't have a problem lifting her head. You aren't a bad mommie to think that the SIDS scare would keep you from putting her on her tummy but eventually she'll pick how she likes to sleep.

IMO.

Isaiah didn't start sleeping though the night till he could roll to his tummy and I wonder if he would have slept though the night sooner had I put him on his tummy.

I didn't let Janelle sleep on her tummy till she put herself there (rolling over), but she was only 10 weeks old then. She sleeps on her side now and has since she was 6 months or so...but from 10 weeks till 6 months we layed her down on her back and within half an hour she was on her tummy for the rest of the night.

I fretted like you Sarah, but in the end, we let Ali sleep on her tummy. She started sleeping on her tummy for naps and at night around 3 months. I felt comfortable with it because she was still in our bedroom in her pnp bassinet and she was able to lift her head. Once we started letting her sleep on her tummy things got much better with her sleeping. The only thing that I did do that was probably wrong was not tell her pediatician - he probably would have fallen out.

thread on UB about tummy sleepers

I wonder if it was my thread :)

Neither one of my kids ever slept on their back. Emma slept on her side because her back was so curved she wouldn't lay flat.

Adam has been on his tummy since week 1 as well. He sleeps much better and through the night and I cover him with a blanket.

He has great head control can lift it up from side to side, he can't roll ovewr yet though.

Do what you think is best.

I'm not sure tummy sleeping is the magic cureall I was (foolishly) hoping for. *sigh* Now she screams if I put her on her tummy. :(

:bighug: Sarah I hope you get it figured out. Do you put her down awake? What about rocking her to almost asleep and then laying her down?

What we did was nurse Janelle to sleep in our bed (I don't know how you feel about co-sleeping), so I layed down and nursed her to sleep...she woke up every 2 hours (sometimes more, sometimes less...) but she did at least sleep...she'd actually sleep for a total of 14 hours, it was just really broken up, but since I am a sahm mom I'd end up getting enough sleep in that time period. Anyway, it's not ideal by any means, but like I said, we all 3 got the sleep we needed. Once she turned 1 (and I was in my first trimester with hyperemesis) we night weaned her.

I do rock her to sleep when I put her down on her back (except then she often wakes up) but I can't figure out how to put her down on her tummy asleep--she wakes up as I turn her over.

Jillian, I would love to cosleep with Katie...but she hates it--she kicks and rocks her head back and forth. :(

I rock Adam asleep then I pick him up so his head is on my shoulder and rock a few mins like that when I get to crib I put one hand on the bottom and the other hand by the shoulders and lay him down and pat his butt. I know I didn't describe that well hopefully you can get the picture. It may work. I wouldn't use the sleep positioner though for tummy sleeping.

Carrie: good information & well said!

Sarah: Well you know I started putting Abby on her tummy to sleep this past week. And I of course worried at first but I really don't see any problem with it because she has such good head control. And I'm very happpy to report that she has slept through the night for all 4 nights in a row sleeping on her tummy!!!!:banana: Last night she slept from 9:30 - 6:30!!

It make sense, I sleep on my tummy and she has always fallen asleep on her tummy while laying on daddy's chest.

When its her bedtime (9:30 - 10:00) I just put her in bed, wrap a blanket around the bottom half of her, give her a pacifier and turn on her FP aquaruim and she falls right asleep.

I hope Katie starts sleeping for you better soon. The whole sleeping thing is hard for everyone!!

I couldn't do it. I was getting fed up with Anna's half hour naps, and one day I went in her thinking I might try tummy sleeping. When I got in there and saw her sweet face, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I know that the chances are small, but if anything did happen, I would NEVER forgive myself. No, there haven't been any studies of just back sleeping done ~ I imagine that such a study would be unethical. All that they can do it look at the stats, and since the back to sleep campaign has started, the number of SIDS deaths in the US has dropped from over 5000 to under 3000. http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/safety/back_to_sleep.html I don't look down upon parents who choose to let their infants sleep on their stomachs, but I just couldn't do it myself.

Sarah

I am glad I found this thread but I am still worry... I first put Emma on her tummy two nights ago when she had gas real bad and was too fidgiting on me. I did not sleep at all but she slept so well. Tonight I rocked her to sleep and the third time I put her on her back she started crying so I turned her to her tummy out of curiousity, and she calmed down, and went to sleep. She can lift her head good, but has yet to roll over (I think the one time she did it weeks ago was a fluke!). Well, I am going to see how tonight goes and feel it out. Once I get her down for the night on her back (takes -3-4 times sometimes) she only wakes a couple times so it is not too bad, just hard to get her down the first time.

Anne

Emma now sleeps however she wants, but if you say she likes the swaddle I would keep doing that... Emma was swaddled until about 6 months or so because she really liked it... She will outgrow it and there is nothing wrong with it...

Do you have a husband or anyone around at night to help transfer. DH would always put 1 hand on nicks forhead slide the other under his tummy and lay him in the bassinet.

Tyrus slept on his tummy from day 1. He would always wake up as soon as I laid him down on his back. He would fall asleep against my chest where it was all warm, and then I would force him to turn over onto his back, and his arms would go flailing all around and he'd wake right up. He seldom woke up when I laid him on his tummy.

Alexis is also a tummy sleeper. She spits up constantly and actually has choked a few times while lying on her back. I think there is less of a chance of her choking if she's on her belly so that it can come out. She does have good head and neck control and can move around very well for her age.

And, each night, I pray for God's protection over both kids...

Nathan is also a tummy sleeper. I tried his back and his side, but he would wake up as soon as I put him down. I guess at about 1 1/2 weeks, I decided to try his tummy and he has done well since. He also spits up a lot, and I feel safer with him on his tummy spitting up then I do with him on his back.

Mary
Brendan Michael 1/17/02
Nathan Ryan 3/25/04