Help!!!! Baby Keeps Rolling onto Stomach During Sleep!!

Hi S.,
When my daughter started doing this I asked our pediatrician what I should do. He said that once a baby starts rolling over on their own the risk of SIDS goes down and to not worry too much. He also doesn't recommend a sleep positioner as they can actually do more harm than good.
Sincerely,
L.

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letting him sleep on his tummy probabally won't cause him to suffocate if he can roll. sounds like you are plenty diligent. just be sure his sleep area is firm and there are are no pillows or soft objects that will cover his face...my daughter sleeps better and longer on her tummy, maybe your son prefers it as well!
Peace!

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Let him roll! If he can roll himself, he is OK on his tummy- just put him on his back to sleep at bedtime and let him take care of it the rest of the night. Congrats on your "babies" and their accomplishments!

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Your concerns are valid. My daughter would not sleep on her back at all! I spent the first three months of her life sleeping in a reclining chair with her.
Then I looked up the statistics of babies dieing while sleeping on their stomachs and it is VERY low. Don't get me wrong, SIDS cases have been cut dramatically since the "back to sleep" program but the facts are if your baby can roll over, they will probably not sophisticate. Our bodies are hard wired to stay alive.
I was so afraid of the her sleeping on her tummy because so many people scared me silly. You baby is fine.

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Follow your instincts..not the hype. Tummy is fine.

It is my understanding that as long as they can roll over well they are at less risk. Remember for many years sleeping on the stomach was all we did.

Hi S.,
My daughter did the same thing and still does (she's 19 months now). I spoke with my Ped. and he said it will be fine, just put baby down on their back to start sleeping and if they can roll over and lift their heads they will be able to move if something is in their faces. My daughter is in her own room so I checked on her often to make sure she was ok, but with your child so close to you it will be easier just to hear him breathing. Let him sleep. Everything should be fine. Keep up the good work!

I think it is okay, at 5 months he can lift his head and move if he needs to- my son started sleeping on his tummy around 3 months and still does, I know SIDS is real but I think the fear is bigger than the statistics. keep him sleeping close so that you can check on him and he will be fine

Hi S., My daughter refused to sleep on her back from day one. I was really big into her sleeping on her back prior to having her but you can only do so much and most books will tell you that if they roll over, leave them be they will be ok. You will disrupt their (and your) important sleep time if you are constantly rolling them back over. As long as there are no blankets near their face you should be fine.

S.

Hi S. ~ I had this very same problem w/my daughter only she would only sleep on her tummy from birth! It freaked me out - but I spoke with my Dr. about it, and he said that if she wants to sleep on her stomach and that is the only way that she will sleep then to let her! He said 10 years ago they said always on the tummy to sleep, now they say always on the back, and that they will probably change their minds again, and he doesn't think that it really makes any difference! Boy was that a relief! I actually got a little bit of sleep after that, but I totally understand your feelings, and maybe you should speak with your own dr. about it if that would make you feel better! Also I think that once they can roll over it is fine for them to roll over onto their tummies, the whole thing about them not sleeping on their tummies is that they cannot roll over if they need to for some reason ~ but that is just my understanding of it! Good Luck!

Hi S.,

You are very cute. =) He is fine. If he is strong enough to roll over, he is strong enough to cry for help if he needs you. I know how scary it is, I struggle with the same fears. However, it sounds as though he is strong enough not to smother himself accidentally. Take heart and get some sleep! =)

S.,

No need to worry this is very normal. He's probably more comfortable on his tummy. None of my kids slept on their backs after they began to roll. In my opinion, it's actually better for them especially if they tend to be a bit colicky...it's a way for the air to escape, if ya know what I mean.

Good Luck!!!
CM

Wow, you have a lot on your plate. No need to worry. Once they can roll over, they can sleep safely on thier tummy. You worry about SIDS when a child is not strong enough to pick up thier head, or roll off of thier mouth. You're finally "safe" and can get some rest yourself.

Just my opinion (which is why we're here, right?) but, unless you enjoy being awake with him a lot, It's a good time to put him in his own bed. This bed can be right next to yours. I personally, LOVE the middle of the night stuff as much as any of the stuff. I have a 6 month old though, in his own bed, and only waking once or twice during the night. Here's another thought - if you are constantly rolling him over, is HE getting enough sleep?

Hi S.,

Can you put something on both sides of him, like rolled up towels? They also sell something similar to that in the baby section at Target or another retail store like that. That is what I used to use when my daughter was younger.

Good luck!

Hi S.,
Congrats on your little one. I am an older Mum too, and it has been wonderful, so far.
Anyway, my son was the same, he never stayed on his back. We worried all the time. He stayed in his crib in our room until he was 9 months, so it was easy to turn him in the night , but we also placed him on his side with a toy at his back and stomach and it was difficult for him to fall on his face. He is 2yr and 9 months and he still sleeps on his face, ( I do the same ) but now it is so easy for him to lift his head up.
Good luck
Y.

They make something called a Baby Sleep Positioner... or sleep wedge ..
They really work great ..

Hope this helps ! :o)

S.,

I agree with the other mothers. It is normal and you have every right to be concerned. As soon as my daughter was able to roll over on her own she started to roll to her stomach at night. I contacted her doctor and she said as long as I put her on her back when putting her down and she rolls herself over she will be fine. That just shows that she has the strength and knowledge of controlling her body and breathing. But if I was not comfortable with that she suggested for me to try the baby crib wedge & positioner. You can find at target, walmart, or babiesrus. I just made sure that there is nothing in her crib, stuffed animals, bumpers, pillows or blankets. I put her in warm PJ's and a sleepsack and she is doing great. She is now 10 months and I still worry about her health and safety.
Good Luck!!!!

My 3 girls ages 6 1/2, 4 1/2 and 13 months all did the same thing. If he is able to roll onto his stomach he is fine to sleep that way. I hope this helps put your mind at ease.

If your child is big enough to roll over on his own then he will most likely be fine. I was told this from my pediatritan. Although my daughter has sleep on her stomach from week one and she is a healthy 4 month old little girl. Sids is a scary thing I was also told that if your baby can move his head from one side to another and lift it up at the angle he should be able to then he will move it if his air is restriced. Also as long as he is sleeping and he seems happy let him do what he wants to do. Good luck and try to get some sleep!

I had/am having the same problem. I have solved it by rolling up towels and putting the rolls on either side of her. The towel material is thin/hard enough that it is not a likely suffocation hazard, and I only put the towel rolls starting under her arms so that her head does not have the towels next to it. Really at this age it is probably ok to let them roll over-- I only had to do this because my daughter hasn't learned how to roll back over yet, so would get stuck on her stomach and wake up screaming.LOL As soon as she learns how to roll back over and doesn't freak out when she gets stuck on her tummy, I will remove the rolled up towels.

If he can roll over he is strong enough and ready to sleep on his tummy. Get rid of any soft items like blankets, pillows, stuffed animals etc. Put him in a Sleep Sac when it's cold to keep him warm - you can get them at Babies R Us - they're like a little sleeping bag with sleeves.
Relax!!!!!!

I have always put my baby to sleep on his stomach because he sleeps better. I only put a light blanket on his legs at night. Keep everything out of the crib and away from his face. Basically I am having the same problem but opposite.. he is now rolling over to his back and cannot go back to sleep. Your baby is stronger now.

from what i have heard/read from my gurus babies are ok to roll onto their tummy once they do. Put them down on their back but if they roll then it is no longer unsafe for them to tummy sleep! Good luck

Your son is at the stage where he can move himself, obviously if he can roll, so if he can't breathe, it will be an automatic response to move and cry if it became that bad.
Your concern is valid, because the hospital tries to scare you about this. And honestly, before a baby can roll, sit up, and move themselves, it would be more of a problem. Afterwards, the risk is hugely reduced- even though it is already a very small risk.
Your son might actually sleep longer and give you more a break.
It will be ok.

HI i am a pediatric occupational therapist working with children for the last 30 years
It is perfectly safe for your baby to roll over on her tmmmy and sleep there. Let her sleep. Never try to hold her there if she can roll over herself she can sleep any way she wants to. I am sure that by your age your mother always put you on your tummy to sleep so you wouldnt choke. tummy time is so importtant for normal development Back to Sleep is only for newborns

Hi S.,

My youngest was (and still is!) a belly sleeper, she would sleep longer and more sound on her belly than on her back. I just had this article show up on my automatic google search. I hope it sets your mind at ease. It talks about placing a fan in the room your child sleeps in. It proved to dramatically reduce the risk of SIDS.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/10/08/healt...

I think once a baby can roll over on their own that the risk is reduced, but placing a fan seems harmless and may give you more piece of mind(and some more sleep!). Enjoy your little one!

hey S.
i just reading the other day in the what to expect the first years that if they are rolling over in their sleep not to worry about it and to let them go ahead and sleep like that. continue putting them on their back to sleep in when you put them down for the night. i would still check on them periodically though...i also read to have a fan on to in the room that it reduces the risk of SIDS...some new report found. hope that helps

Let him!!! Don't worry about it, sweetie!

Back then babies were "supposed to" sleep on their tummies, now it's "back to sleep" but babies, once they're strong enough to lift their heads up, can certainly have favorite/more comfortable sleeping positions.

I hate sleeping flat on my back, I'm sure many babies do too! It's just not as cozy or sheltering to be flat on your back.

The risk of SIDS is highest at ... (my son's 6 now and MY memory's slipping already too) either 2 or 4 months and there are a number of risk factors, such as soft fluffy blankets/pillows that create too deep a pocket for their heads and prevent air from getting to their nose, too warm a room, cigarette smoke, other allergens, and so on.

As long as baby can move his head (certainly can if he's rolling over!) and other risk factors are minimized and he's already past that peak age, you dont need to worry about SIDS anymore. (not saying it's impossible, but not something to worry about anymore. you need your sleep more!)

My doctor said that once they can consistently roll over on their own, there is no way to stop them! They are getting strong enough to handle sleeping this way. You need to be sure there is NOTHING in his crib - toys, blankets, pillows,bumpers, etc. They can still get wedged in a way that is unsafe if these things are in there. I used a Sleep Sack that goes over his jammies so I did not have to use a blanket (blankets comes off anyway because they roll around so much). They are available at Babies R Us.And many babies do grunt and roll around a lot. My 2 yr old just transitioned to a big bed and I hear him bump the rail or the wall periodically all night long because he still moves around so much.

it should be fine at this age for the baby to sleep on his tummy I take it that he is able to lift his head up. He will be able to breath if he sleeps on his stomach. I have three kids and they all ended up sleeping on thier stomachs and they were fine.

I concur. He's fine to roll on his tummy. My eldest would only sleep on her tummy (I couldn't get her to sleep any other way no matter how hard I tried!) when she was a baby and she's just fine. You're doing the right thing by moving things out of the way.

Hello S.,
I too freaked out when my daughter started rolling over, actually I freaked out before that =o) Always checking on her, putting my hand on her stomach to make sure she was still breathing. As everyone else has said, he's good to roll over, just make sure there is nothing else in bed with him. From my own experience, and you sound like me when it comes to SIDS, when you move him to his own room, you may want to get a video monitor so you can wake up, take a peek and go back to sleep. I was up every few hours checking on her (I know, a little obsessive =o))
Best of luck and enjoy!

Hello S.!!! My son has liked to sleep on his stomach since day one. At first, because of the scare of SIDS, I would have him fall asleep on my chest that way I knew nothing was going to smother him and if he moved then I would know it. I was worried about him sleeping on his tummy too until my mom reminded me that this was the way she would put me down at night. I used to worry because my son likes to snuggle up close. And yes he sleeps in between my husband and I, but I would wake up and move him everytime he rolled and snuggled up to me. (Snuggled up with his face into my side)After all of us getting more broken sleep then anything, my husband suggested that the next time he rolls against me, I should just lay there and watch him. (to make sure he doesn't smother) He would breathe normally and fine and then when he didn't want his face that close anymore he would move. His little face would feel all fogged up. LOL! But it never seemed to bother him and he never changed his breathing pattern. He never had to gaspe for air or anything. It's just when he was done laying that way...then he moved. Your son will do the same thing. Get some rest, and let him do the same. He'll be fine and so will you. Have fun with your little one. Talk to you later, Bye!

Don't worry. I went through the same thing(with 2 kids). 3 different pediatricians told me the same thing. Keep them on their backs as long as possible, but once they can roll over on their own, they are fine. Let him do his thing and get some sleep! Good luck. =)

I have the same problem with my baby (4 months). I can't keep him on his back. He rolls right over each time I lay him down. Occasionally he sleeps on his side but usually I find him on his tummy. I have no idea what to do about it but I did recently learn that putting a fan in the room reduces sids by about 70 percent (not sure exact amount). Also, pacifiers are supposed to reduce the likelihood of sids by a significant amount but my little guy wont take one.

It sounds like he is ready to sleep in his own crib! Let him roll away! We used a sleep sack at that age and our daughter slept fine.

I am pretty sure once they can roll over on their own it's okay for them to do so. I am sure you can call and ask his doctor if it's okay, he will let you know for sure.

you can stop worrying...your son is now 5 months old and is fine to sleep on his stomache. SIDS happens to kids who can't lift their heads up...usually under 6 weeks old! If you really are that worried, put him in a sleep positioner, here is a link...
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2585661
Good luck!

We used the Angel Care monitor for our daughter who was preemie (7 weeks early) and was in the NICU for 4 weeks, mostly to resolve sleep apnea. Needless to say we were very frightened to take her home without monitors. We purchased this monitor at Babies R Us (I believe it's in a locked case) for around 100.00 and it was worth every penny! Basically, it's a hard plastic pad that sets on the wire mesh of the crib. (Put a thin board on the wire mesh, then the pad, then the babies mattress on top.) The pad senses a movement from the baby. If no movement (due to breathing or rolling) occurs after 20 seconds a shrill alarm will sound. It also has a "tick" feature that you can turn on or off. It will "tick" when the baby makes a movement. One hint is to remember to turn it "off" before you pick the baby up out of the crib or else in 20 seconds you will hear the alarm (not so fun in the middle of a changing!) We loved it so much we re-bought it for our son who was born years later. Also, you may want to look into one of those little foam pads that you place the baby between so they can sleep on their back and not roll (if it does not frustrate your baby). I don't think you'd be able to use the Angel Care monitor with your co-sleeper, but maybe you could set the crib up in your room with the monitor? Best of luck,
E.

Once a baby can roll over, the risk of SIDS reduces drastically. All the info I've read says that once baby can roll over, if they roll onto their belly while they sleep, no big deal, they'll roll back if they need to, plus, you need sleep too Mommy!

Hi S.,

My boys did the same thing, but each one started a little earlier. I was worried with my first, but when I discussed this with my doctor, she stated that if they can roll over and lift their head, then they will move if something is blocking their face and they don't like it. My boys are 3 yrs and 1 yr now, and my youngest still rolls over onto his tummy as soon as I put him in his crib. I still check on them before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning (sometimes in the middle of the night too) just so I feel better knowing their fine.

Hope this helps some.

N.

hi S.!
my son started doing the same thing at 5 months. he is almost 6 months now. once they hit the rolling over stage their chance of sids drops dramatically. the idea is that if they can roll over, then they know how to protect their airway. trying putting him down with a pacifier. this also keeps them semi awake and reduces sids. a new study came out that says if you leave a fan on, this can help too. anyway, i stopped trying to roll my baby back and leave him on his tummy. he is much happier that way and the chance of sids is much less now. hope that helps!

Don't worry about it!!! My daughter slept on her tummy since she was born!!!! Especially now that he can lift his head and roll over he is strong enough to not worry as much about it! Besides they have recently found there are so many other variable associated with SIDS, Doctors really scare us into thinking it will happen if you put your kid on their tummy!!!