Rolling on Tummy

Ah, I remember those days. It is so stressful when they start rolling over but good luck preventing it. I did use a positioner with my daughter which had two foam pads that went on each side of her middle until she was strong enough to maneuver around them. That helped for a short time. Remember that when they are strong enough to roll over they are strong enough to prevent themselves from suffocating. If by some chance his head does get smashed down in the mattress he will be able to lift it.

My pediatrician always told me that if the baby is strong enough to roll himself over, they can sleep whatever way is comfortable. You aren't going to stop them now that they know they can do it. I have 3 children and all of mine did this.

relax mom,

once they can roll over on their own its ok for them to sleep on their tummys. whatever way helps him sleep better is the way to go. cause when he can sleep better then you can too.

They don't actually KNOW what causes SIDS. there are things that reduce the likely hood of it happening like sleep to back , but once they are rolling over on their own its ok for them to sleep on their tummys.

15 - 20 yrs ago it was put them on their tummys to reduce SIDS risk. its likely that in another 10 or so years it will change again.

Oh J., I know exactly where you are coming from. 1 of my twins boys (2 now) did this around 4 months & it literally terrified me too. I too stayed up for hours on end continually flip him back over, time & time again. It was pointless. He wouldnt have it. He kept flipping & i kept flipping him back for hours....Finally, I just thought that it was hopeless & he was just determined he wanted to be on his belly. I prayed over him & asked that the Lord protect him & send angels to watch over him while he slept & prayed for the Lord to wake me if they needed help. He is now a rowdy 2 yr old who still sleeps on his belly. My point is that i had the same fears of him blocking his ability to breath or of him rebreathing exhaled air vs oxygen. To this is a truly legimate concern, but when they are old enough to start flipping over, then he most probably is able to get himself out of a situation. Having said that, you as his mother have to make the call & use your own motherly instinct to make the end decision whether or not to try & make him sleep on his back. Personally, i struggled with fear alot when it came to my twins - but fear doesn't come from the Lord. I have learned to cast my fear on the Lord (although that is a daily effort). I will tell you too that both of my boys have special blankets & on numerous occasions I have gone in to check on them & they have their blankets over their heads & that scares me (they didn't have them in the crib until older though). But they are still fine. I do understand your concerns, especially since your baby is still so young. Do what you think is right, whatever that may be.

**make sure the sheets are tight
**make sure he has on warm pjs
**no pillow or toys or stuffed animals
**mine didn't have blankets until they were older, i just dressed them warm enough in pjs - if you wanted a blanket you could get a swaddler & just swaddle him starting under his arms & down. We did this with the other twin because he liked his arms out.

Bless you,
V.

Hi J.,
If you'd prefer to keep your little boy on his back or side, you can always try a sleep positioner (like this one: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2585661). We used it with our little girl and it worked well. By the time she was about 4-5 months old, though, she wanted no more of it. :)

When my second child was born the nurse's (just 5 years ago) had taken my son to the nursing station why I finally got a wonderful shower (had toxima) and was in the delivery area for 24 hours after delivery. Anyway, after my shower I got into bed for at least a nap before they brought him back for me to feed so I got a little sleep...I woke up he still wasn't back I went out to the nursing station and he was asleep 3 hours they had wrapped him in his blanket real snug turned his head to the side put his little hat over his eyes..he was sleeping and I said hey shouldn't he be on his side they said he can but he as other babies like to sleep on there tummies and his head is turned to the side he's breathing well and we do this all the time...let us show you. Well, he was fine and when he started rolling it was natural you'll find if you don't let him on his tummy some of the time he won't sleep well. I'd so as the other mom had said have tight sheets, good fitting sleeper and no blanket. I worried also but it's going to be hard to get a baby at 3 months old not to sleep on their tummy, I tried and it just didn't work.

In my opipion, yes-I do think you are being overly cautious and silly. I have 2 girls and both of them have slept on their tummies since day one home from the hospital. Ashlyn will be 7 in April and Sage is now 8 months old. I also know a lady who just had baby # 14 and every single one of hers have slept on their tummy. Only in my opinion, I think it is more dangerous for them to sleep on their backs. On their back, if they spit up-they could possibly choke on it b/c of it going back down their mouth and throat. Also, on their back, they tend to startle theirselves b/c they will jump or flail their arms and scare them awake. Plus, my pediatrician actually told me that babies with reflux are more comfortable and better sleeping on their tummy. If all you have in the crib is his crib sheet and the blanket that is over him, he should be fine and not worry about him smothering. Now if you have abunch of blankets or pillows, or toys in there with him-then I would worry. In our crib, we have thin pad under the crib sheet to catch the spit up if she does, the blanket that covers her, and a little bear that she loves. I make sure the bear is closer to her feet. Plus on their tummy, they move and will slid up-Sage is always in a different spot in the mornings when she gets up. I hope I didn't offend, and I hope this helps you out. Good Luck!!

My son was a tummy sleeper from the moment he came home from the hospital, yet my daughter needed to be swaddled until she was six months! All babies are different.
If your baby can turn his head then I see no problem putting him on his tummy but please don't just take my opinion as open season for babies sleeping on their tummies!

Our next baby is due in April and I am going to make sure he gets a chance to sleep on his tummy once he is strong enough to turn his head.

I suspect that tummy sleepers sleep better and sleep through the night sooner than back sleepers.

Hi J.,

My daughter did the same thing and I was so freaked out. I kept trying to put her on her back, but she would just keep rolling over to her tummy. I finally just let her keep sleeping like that, and she slept really well. I think some babies are just more comfortable that way. And I think since your baby can roll over on his own, he's strong enough not to be stuck with his face in the mattress. Best of luck!!!!

S.

J.,

You have nothing to worry about. My little girl started rolling just before her 3 month mark. Once a baby is able to roll on their own, they are capable of making sure their head is not in a smothering position so long as they are on a firm crib mattress and do not have any loose blankets or stuffed toys in the crib with them. My little girl is now 7 months old and every time I look in on her she's changed positions, rolled all over the crib and is just fine. I asked the pediatrician just to make sure (when my son started to roll over) and he told me the same thing. Worrying is normal but believe me, get the sleep you are due when able. I hope this helps ease you a bit.

M.

I have a new one who is less than 2 weeks old, and a couple of nights ago she was having a hard time falling back asleep after she was nursed. finally, I put her on her stomach, head to the side, and she was down, for hours. She can lift her head up and turn it to the side herself so I'm not worried about it. She also sleeps next to me which helps me sleep better, and the rythm of my breath will also remind her to breathe. Use your instincts. But keep in mind, most of us were tummy sleepers. Personally, I think it is kind of weird they want babies on their backs since they spit up and can choke on it.

Jamie - I don't think you have anything to worry about. I have a 3 yr old, 18 mo old, and a baby on the way. Both my daughters once they were able to roll over, were happier sleeping on their bellies. Just make sure you have snug sheets, no blankets, and snug pj's. I was much more nervous with my first child then my second because I was a new mom. Hang in there - sounds like you are doing a wonderful job with your son. Blessings, J.

I wouldnt say stop worrying because face it we are moms but lots of kids including both of mine like sleeping on their bellies (just like mom). My kids started as soon as they started rolling over. Make sure there is nothing in his crib and let him roll. If you want you can check in on him since he is young but he probably won't stop. If you don't want to let him be there are some baby holders that put little pillows on each side of them until they get older.

Every mother thinks about these things so it is most certainly a normal concern but I don't think you need to be so concerned. If he is rolling over then he can lift his head, his natural instinct to survive will overpower him being sleepy. Just no big fluffy blankets and a bunch of toys in the crib and I think he would be fine. Just my own personal opinion but I hope it helps.

I worked as a pediatric nurse in the 80's, and we did teach mom's to put babies on their stomachs to sleep because it was thought that choking on milk or formula was what caused SIDS. Then this was changed in the 90's. This was based on the fact that cultural groups that had babies sleep on their back had less incidence of SIDS than those in other cultural groups.(I haven't done Nursing work since the mid 90's, so don't know other updates on this specific subject.) Other things have improved to decrease the risk of problems: cribs are made better with less room between the mattress and the sides of the crib(before that, some babies got stuck there), cribs have narrower spacing between crib rails, and people know to not put pillows or stuffed animals in bed with the baby, etc. Otherwise, for my children, I had the oldest sleep on the tummy and the others on the side as long as I could, but they do get moving around after a while. You might want to be a little more cautious if they are very congested or have some reflux, but you need some rest, too.

J.,
rolling over is NORMAL 3-4 month old development. Does your baby hold his head up? If he does and does it well, I don't feel like he will smoother himself while he sleeps.

I worked in daycare when the "Back to sleep" campaign first began and my class was the infant room. Several moms panicked the same as you are, so please don't stress over this new milestone. Call your doctor and put your mind at ease.

Both my kids were tummy sleepers, and one is 24 years old and the other 12 yrs old. All is well with both my kiddos.

Hope this helps! :o)

B.
deaffmommie

Good Morning!!

For years doctors told our Mothers to put us on our tummy to sleep, then they said to put us on our backs...when my child was born it was put them on their sides...my point is...I am 35 years old and I am still here!! After sleeping on my stomach as a baby and also allowing my babies ages 9 and 6 now to do that also, I dont see a problem with it. I know you are afraid of what could happen, but I have talked with too many Moms who let kids sleep on their stomach and I have never heard of a problem with it. I wish you well.

Have a great weekend!!

With my son I was very nervous about him sleeping on his stomach and we came to realize that he preferred to sleep on his side. He's now 2 1/2 and has a new baby sister who is 3 months old. She has been sleeping on her stomach since she was 2 weeks old. She prefers it and sleeps much better. Honestly, I wouldn't worry as much some babies prefer their stomachs while others their backs. When I talked with my mom about it her response was - you slept on your stomach as did an entire generation. I think it's interesting how 30 years ago parents were told to make sure they put their kids down on their stomachs and now it's been reversed. I would say if he sleeps better and you're okay with it let him stay on his tummy. I hope this helps you a little. E.

My pediatrician said it best, "If he can roll onto his tummy he can roll back. It's a lot easier to roll from your tummy to a new position than to roll from your back." So don't fear. He'll be fine! keep putting him on his back to sleep & if he changes positions, know that he's in control & can change back if need be. I remember a few months back when my now 12 month old did that the first time. It scared me to death! But I trust my doctor. It's wonderful & terrifying sometimes to see them grow up even in these little ways!

best wishes,
~P..

My doctor always told me that when a baby is old enough to roll over on their tummys and sleep, they were to old for SIDS and can most of the time lift and turn their head so smothering would not be an issue either.
All three of my kids hit about 4 months and wouldn't get off their stomachs. Every book and every doctor I consulted told me that this was ok...

My baby did the same thing. I gave up trying to put him on his back and he has been sleeping on his stomach ever since. I would talk to your doctor, but I think that its ok as long as he is strong enough to lift his head.

Mine slept on his belly since about 3-4 months and thats the ONLY way he will sleep. I was worried at first too. The crib matresses are made speciall for babies, so they are not really soft enough to "smash" their face in it.Yr son knows what he wants, so if he rolls over to sleep on his belly then let him. Just make sure there is no pillows and loose sheets and he will be ok. Try not to worry too much, and get some rest

J.,
Don't sweat it. Go out and get BebeSounds Angelcare monitor. You can get it at Babies R Us and it doesn't cost all that much. It works like a regular monitor except there is a sensor that you put under your baby's mattress. This sensor detects any lack of subtle movement (including breathing) for 40 seconds. That means if your baby stops breathing for more than 40 seconds (a lot of babies will occasionally stop for a few seconds) an alarm will sound in both your room and the baby's room. My pediatrician said it will sometimes give a false positive, and we've found that if the baby scrunches up to the top of the crip the alarm sounds. But we also found him not breathing one time after the alarm woke us, and were able to rouse him and get him breathing again. To me, it can give all the false positives it wants because it saved our son once. And that one time could've been his last.

Because of this monitor, when our son started rolling onto his stomach on his own, we had no anxiety about it. We knew the monitor would wake us if he stopped breathing again.

J., I too felt the same way. I did lose a lot of sleep. However, I did make sure he had snug fitting jammies, that his sheet was tight, no blankets, etc. So I knew he wouldn't really smother. Also , try a pacifier. I have heard that paci kids are less likely to die from SIDS. You can always wean off paci later. Babies also have a natural instinct to move their face to breathe. Try not to worry too much, but do try a paci. It worked for us. Good Luck!
Johna