"Back to Sleep"

If she can lift her head she'll be fine. When you and I were babies the doctors recommended stomach sleeping to our parents. We turned out fine.

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When they can roll, they pretty much can make the call on how they want to sleep and are ready for it. I stressed over it some to, but found we all got a better nights rest when my son could snuggle up tight on his belly. Just keep extra blankets and pillows out of the bed.

She is fine to sleep on her tummy now. Since she knows how to roll over, it is fine.

hi my name is A., i have an eleven month old daughter named elexis. i know that when she a little baby she rolled over from her back to tummy while she was sleeping around 6 months. i would just make sure her face wasnt in the mattress and that there were not a lot of extra blankets, she was fine. this is the way she was comfortable.

We always placed our son to sleep on his tummy because he would sleep any other way (he's just about 4 now). At 5 months old, she will be fine as long as she doesn't roll into a pillow, stuffed animal, etc. Even bumper pads are okay as long as they are tucked under the mattress and tied top and bottom.

I had the same concern as you when my son started doing this. I called the doctor and they said there's nothing you can do about it and no reason to try. They will be fine. Be sure not to use blankets or a pillow in the crib especially now that she's turning over. If you think they need a blanket, just use a sleep sack.

I had the same fear with my five month old. She is 8 1/2 months old now and has been sleeping on her tummy for three months now. I had many sleepless nights worrying about her but it will be fine. My baby loves sleeping on her tummy and sleeps much better and longer that way. If she can roll on her own she'll be fine.

Ditto what Tasha said.

My son is 6 months and he recently started rolling from back to front in his crib or on the bed. I was worried at first too, but then realized he sleeps more comfortably like that. And at this age it seems like they don't like laying on their backs as much. Well, as long as her little face it to the side & not straight down into the mattress then she will be fine. Make sure there are no pillows close to her head or anything. I always check on my son several times when he is napping or sleeping just to make sure his face is looking to the side. Hope that helps! :)

Watch your childs neck. If she can mover her head to side to side when on her tummy I wouldn't worry but if she keeps it strait down and can't move it to so she can breath then I would invest in a pillow.

The official position of the american pediatrics association is not to use any special devices to keep the baby on her/his back... I guess they cause more problems than they solve. I have always heard that if the baby can roll over on her/his own, it's not an issue... we continue to put our 7 month old to sleep on his back, and he almost immediately rolls onto his tummy... he also sits up and stands up in his crib when he wakes up, so I think it's okay.

A.,
I had the same concern with my first born. But the Dr. told me that if he was able to rotate his body to be on his belly, then he would be able to rotate back, and it was O.K. He now is two and he still prefers his belly.
A..

Ditto. Sleep positioners aren't recomended for mobile babies anyway.

All three of my babies slept on their stomachs, all the time. The more important things, re SIDS, is that no one in the house smokes cigarettes, and that there's hardly anything in the crib (no multiple stuffed animals, blankets, pillows, or a stack of dirty diapers in the corner). Not kidding about the diapers -- a police officer told me that homes where kids have SIDS are sometimes surprisingly filthy.

Some children will just naturally get SIDS, despite all precautions. Please remember that it's extremely rare.

I know you have a millions responses, but my 5 month old started doing this last month and I was very nervous about it and would always try to roll him back over. From what I've read and from what everyone told me on here is that once they can roll over by themselves, they are fine. SIDS really decreases once they are able to roll over because they can hold their own. Still put them back to sleep and if they roll over, fine. Just no blankets or bumper pads or anything in the crib.

Once they are able to roll over, I think the situation is out of your hands. My daughter would lay with her face directly in the mattress when she first learned to roll over, and I went nuts trying to turn her over all the time. I asked my doctor about the positioners, and he said he didn't recommend them. She finally quit doing this after a while, and then I let her sleep however she wanted.
When you put your daughter down to sleep, still put her on her back, but don't worry if she rolls onto her tummy. Many babies like sleeping that way better.

My 15 month-old has been sleeping on her tummy since she was just a few weeks old. I heard everything everyone said, but she preferred it and has done just fine.
You'll probably spend a few sleepless nights checking on her or listening to the monitor intently. I agree, no positioners or bumpers or blankets. It'll help ease your worry.
Good luck!

My pediatrician said, always put your baby to sleep in their back but if they roll over it's fine because it shows that their neck muscles are strong enough to move her head so she won't suffocate. As long as there are no blankets or crib bumpers, she'll be fine.

I have six children, the oldest 34 years old. She slept ONLY on her stomach, as did the other 5, the youngest whom is 14. Not one of them died because of it. Now they say a baby SHOULD sleep on their stomachs because it will strengthen their necks. She's five months old, and should have a very strong neck by now. She can sleep how she wants because she can roll. If you try and force her to sleep the way YOU want, you are going to have a VERY unhappy baby. Use your intuition when it comes to YOUR baby, and don't live by fear. Sounds like you're a great Mommy. Keep up the good work!

Totally fine, my son did the same thing at the same age.
Just make sure there are no bumpers or anything else in the crib with her but if she is strong enough to flip herself over she will be fine.

Once they can roll, it's fine for them to sleep on their tummies. Sleep positioners are not recommended once a child can roll.

My two did the same thing. My doctor said that if they are rolling themselves over both ways, that is fine. She thinks that trying to "pin" them is actually a bad idea as they want to get to their tummies and will struggle. This could cause them to get caught up in stuff. She suggested to pull out all the loose stuff in the crib at this point except a balnket sleep suit and maybe a small doll if they have found a comfort baby already. I think the main concern is that they get tangled up at this point...assuming she is lifting her head, she will be abe to react, like a infant could not as it can't control its head. But call your doctor.

I agree with the other posts that she is okay to sleep on her back or her tummy, whichever she prefers. I just delievered my fourth, five years since my last, and things have changed---the pediatrician didn't recommend sleep positioners at all and also said no blankets, toys or bumpers should be in the crib. I have even heard of a 13 month old that suffocated from the crib sheet---this surprised me because my kids seemed pretty strong at that time and I wouldn't have expected that kind of tragedy but then most of us think these kind of things won't happen to us.

I know a lot of us slept on our tummies as infants and are obviously okay because of it but I feel compelled to state that the incidence of SIDS deaths decreased by more than 50% the first year after the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended putting babies on their backs to sleep!!!! WOW! (http://www.cdc.gov/SIDS/SUID.htm) True, it has been discovered that there are many factors contributing to SIDS deaths but this was one thing that truly made a difference.

Best wishes.

Both of my children were belly sleepers, they never liked to be on their backs. If it makes you feel better watch her during a nap and see how she does, ie; does she have a hard time turning her head, does she sleep face down.....
I hope this helps,
Good luck,
A.

Your baby is probably fine. If she is old enough to roll herself over she can probably hold her own head up too. I wouldn't worry about it.

My kids always slept on their stomachs when they were old enough to roll over. If I tried to keep them on their backs they woke more often and didn't sleep as well. I know SIDS is scary to think about but sleep is more important, for both parents and child. My sister always wrapped her kids up tight. My other sister lays them on their stomachs while in her bed. You have to do what feels the most comfortable for you. As soon as I let them sleep on their stomachs, they slept through the night. Getting the rest I needed seemed more important. Maybe, I was wrong and just lucky but I don't see the problem. Ultimately, it's your comfort level that counts. Good luck!!!!

I would just make sure you have a firm mattress. Don't have bumpers, blankets, or stuffed animals in the crib. I've never been very satisfied with sleep positioners. Start her to sleep on her back. You can't really prevent her from rolling over. My second son not only likes sleeping on his belly, but he also wants a blanket over his head (now that he's older).

It's not politically correct because of everyone's concern about SIDS, but babies love to sleep on their tummies. I let all 3 of my kids sleep on their tummies as soon as they could pick their heads up and look around while on their tummy. Keep the head of the crib free of stuff and take the bumper guard out if you haven't already. I think positioners discourage natural development (like rolling and scooting) and I know there has been some concern about their safety especially when babies are getting mobile.
Good luck.

Both of my babies did this. I ALWAYS put them on their back, and they ALWAYS roll onto their tummy! They are both avid tummy sleepers and there's just nothing I can do about it. I think that if they're strong enough to roll over to their tummy, it's safe to leave them there.

i have a 6 month old who started doing the same thing at 4 months. his doctor told me if they are strong enough to get in that position they are strong enough to get out if they need to. you still need to put her down on her back but if she rolls then let her be. when my son started doing that i spent the first night in his room and ever time he rolled i would wake him up by rolling him back but then i saw when he would go face down he would wiggle into a postition where he could breath fine, so let her sleep however she wants and dont worrie to much!

once she is old enough to roll over, she should be old enough to lift her head in case she throws up or something. Once my kids could roll, I let them sleep in whatever position they felt most comfortable. Just my opinion though, not that of a doctor. (I am a mom of 5 though). Good luck!

When I had my last baby (20 months ago) the nurse told me that the new consensus is if your baby can get themselves onto their tummy during the night it's okay to leave them there.

Don't worry about it. The only time to worry about babies sleeping on their stomach is when they can't roll over. If she likes to sleep on her stomach than let her.