Rolling over on Stomach to Sleep!

Hi J., at seven months, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If SIDS is your primary concern, it's true it can happen at any point in the first year, but it's most likely between 2-4 months. Your son sounds like he is just developing normally and showing normal developmental skills and since he does have that musculature and that ability, he is probably able to get himself out of any questionable sleep situations. However, I would suggest removing the bumpers and not using them for any future babies -- the folks who work in SIDS prevention say that there should be nothing in that crib but the baby in his sleep sack (or, even warmer months, his pajamas.). Of course, you also need to be sure that the slats in the crib are properly spaced -- you should not be able to fit a soft drink can through them. take care and enjoy your son!

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Hi J.,

Once they are strong enough to roll over there’s really nothing you can do to prevent it. I’m assuming that he can pick up his head really well at this point so don’t worry about him being able to breathe when he’s face down. If you have anything in his crib, remove things that he could suffocate on from his bed like stuff animals, pillows, blankets. I left the bumpers in my cribs, but tucked them in a little between the crib and the mattress so there’s no gap between. I totally understand you worries though, even with my 9 month old twins sitting and pull up on their own, I still go check on them 3 to 4 times a night just to make sure they are ok. Congrats on your little one and being a good mom.

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J., congrats on having a baby who is independently moving!!! not everyone is so lucky. to answer your question- how do you get him to stop rolling to his stomach? - you don't. it's called development and it's a beautiful and scary thing, isn't it! my 7 month old son does the same thing, however he doesn't sleep on his stomach - he just whines for a while until he finally rolls himself back over. i also used to get worried and go in and help him turn back over to his back, but too much of this will only create a bad habbit - he will learn to do it on purpose to get your attention and put off sleeping some more. (these amazing little beings are more intuitive than you think) so i started just watching him from the hall for a while and..... given enough time and opportunity to practice, he started flipping back over on his own. i know SIDS is still a scary thought, but the biggest risk is for babies under six months old. if he is moving around that much he is probably safe. as far as the crib bumper, i have questioned removing ours as well, but haven't, as it has helped (preventing legs and arms from getting stuck) more than it has hurt, so far. just try not to worry so much about the things you can't control (easier said than done, i know!) and be thankful your baby is healthy and thriving!! good luck!

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Hi J.,

I can understand your concern for SIDS, but your son is doing something 100% natural, and will continue to even more. I have an 8 month old, and he started rolling over in his sleep around the same time. I would turn him over, but stopped because it becomes pointless and disrupts his precious sleep. Since the begining of time babies have slept on their stomachs. It's natural- I would simply leave him alone and relax.
A.

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Does he sleep well on his stomach? All of my kids slept on their stomachs from the time they were infants. You will not be able to keep going in there his entire first year just to turn him over. He will discover his own freedoms in himself ( like rolling over and crawling, etc.) and will eventually keep himself comfortable enough to stay asleep.

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I have 2 sons 22 and 30 so it's been a while since I dealt with this. Rolling over is a natural skill for you son. He WILL continue so don't fight it. The question is how to keep him safe. I would remove bumper pads and all blankets he could get caught in and put a sleeper on to keep him comfortable. Keep the baby monitor on and get some sleep. It won't be much longer before he flips both ways while sleeping. You are obviously a very consciencious mom. Please try to relax.

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I truly wouldn't worry about him sleeping on his stomach, except when he gets stuck. I wouldn't remove the bumpers, because then he'll start to get his appendages stuck betweenthe slats. As long as he can roll front to back and back to front, he's not really in any danger.

And remember, he's going to grow and then you won't have to worry anymore! Soon he'll be in a bigger bed.

I do not believe there is anything you can do. Once babies can roll over in their sleep they continue to do so. They just find what is most comfortable to them. Unless you hear him because he is stuck I'd leave him alone. Also I would take the bumper off so that if he gets stuck with his face there he can still breathe. I really didn;t think wedges were for infants that old. I thought they were for newborns...

Relax. Some babies are tummy sleepers. My first child was a tummy sleeper and I made her a back sleeper because I kept reading "back to sleep". We would have both gotten more sleep if I had put her on her tummy! My daughter was also developmentally delayed because I did not give her near enough tummy time. Your son is doing the normal crawl mode and will be crawling very soon. Relax, and let him sleep on his tummy. He is strong enough. You may already know that it is strongly suspected that SIDS is related to environmental toxins such as vinyl (as in wallpaper), new furniture that isn't allowed to air properly before putting new baby in it (think varnish and polyurethane), mattresses that contain formaldyhyde, paint (non-VOC), carpet, especially new, etc. If you feel nervous, you can always move the crib to your bedroom until he is a year old. Relax and good luck.

Any pediatriccian will tell you that once a baby can roll over by themself at night the SIDS risks diminish greatly. Sleep well at night and don't worry. If you want to take extra precautions like removing all blankets and bumpers from the bed it can't hurt. If he wants to sleep on his stomach, and rolls over its ok, but still lay him in the bed on his back.

Uh....what's wrong with letting your 7 MONTH OLD sleep on his stomach? He obviously prefers it, so why are you fighting it? He is way past infancy and can move himself around, so leave him alone!

He will be fine as others have responded. I have a nineteen month old and I had him sleep on his back as the pediatricians say to do now but he started flipping at about 5 months. I also have a 22yr old and 19yr old. When they were babies, you were told to place them on their stomachs to sleep. They too would flip. Once they get going there is no stopping it. He is old enough now where you should have no worries.

Our daughter likes to sleep on her tummy too and we could not prevent it either. She did the same thing with the wedge. So, we invested in a Angel Monitor at Babies R Us. It monitors their breathing and movement. If it does not pick up a breathing pattern or movement, an alarm goes off. Its supposed to help with SIDS.
Hope that helps.
B.

I wouldn't really worry about this. My son has been sleeping on his stomach since he was 5 months and he is perfectly fine. Your baby will learn to wiggle themselves from the corners of the crib. You definitely need to take the bumpers out of the crib though. The bumpers give suffucation possibilities.

My daughter has just turned 7 months. She started doing the same thing at 4 months. My pediatrician said not to worry about her flipping over in the middle of the night. She said we should still put her down on her back, but once they are able to roll from back to front and front to back, the chances for SIDS reduces to less than 2%. She did advise me to remove the bumper because my little one "travels" as well and likes the corners too. Also when he can "sit when sat" you need to drop the mattress down.

He's fine to sleep on his stomach. Once a baby can roll over by himself, then there is no stopping him. My son has been doing this since he was 4 months and my pedi says it's fine.

At 7 months it is perfectly ok for him to choose his own position. Many babies prefer their stomach. What's important is he is big enough, old enough, and strong enough to lift his head. His instincts will protect him from suffocating, as a newborn's will not. He really is fine like this. When they are old enough to choose and flip over, they can manage. Plus, as you said, he can flip both ways, so there really is not a danger.

And yes, I would take the bumpers off, personally. You'll want them off when he learns to pull up because he can climb them eventually! If he seems to be caught under it, then the bumper is posing more of a danger than a help at this point.

GL! He really is just fine sleeping on his tummy at 7 months old.

He is totally fine. They do start flipping all over the place around that age. I was also concerned about the bumper thing so I found this bumper called the breathable bumper. You can get it at Babies R Us or online for around $30. It is mesh so it allows air to flow into the crib, it has velcro on the outside to secure it so no strings to worry about either. If he gets "stuck" he will be able to breathe just fine and can learn to get himself unstuck. I did what another mom did as well, I have nothing in the crib not even a blanket. He would only have it on for two seconds anyway! If my son fusses during the night I just wait to see if he can comfort himself and work out whatever is going on. It usually only takes a few minutes and he settles down and goes right back to sleep. But as far as the stomach thing, once they learn that trick, good luck getting them to sleep on their back ever again!! Best wishes, hope that helps!

Hello, At our son's 4 month well baby his doctor asked if he has stared to roll in the crib, we said no not yet. And the Doctor said when he starts to let him because the risk of SIDS is almost non existing after 4 months. Now he is almost 6 months and rolls all over the crib. I know the scared feeling about it though.

My son is 9 mo old and has always loved to sleep on his tummy. As an infant if we put him on the floor for tummy time he would play for a few minutes and then be sound asleep. They say that once the can roll over on there own they are ok to sleep on there tummys anyway. So I wouldn't worry about it untill he gets "stuck" in that corner and fusses about it. (Did I mention that was my sons favorite place to sleep)

Hi J.! I think by 7 months old they just roll around alot. You can't stop that with a wedge by the time they are that active (not sure what the doctor was thinking) I think he's old enough now that sleeping on his stomach doesn't hurt him as long as he is able to pull up his head. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone, but I think that he is at that developmental stage and doing great!

If he can easily roll over on his own, he should be ok. However, I recommend reading up on the information that is now linking SIDS deaths to the mattress itself. http://www.johnleemd.com/store/more_crib_sids.html

We bought a mattress cover and it has been a great peace of mind for our tummy sleeping baby.

The only way to keep him in a sleep positioner is to wrap him up like a newborn. Sleeping with his knees under him is not dangerous. He can still breath. It's when his face would get stuck that he can't move his head. Stuff towels down the sides of the mattress if it is too spacious to keep him from getting stuck between the mattress and crib. Take the bumpers off, in my opinion. Make sure there are no pillows, loose blankets, etc. Then, let him sleep. If there is nothing stopping him from moving, then if he can roll himself over, then he should be able to move his head if necessary. That's all you have to worry about - being able to move his head in order to breathe and not suffocate. If the bed is safe to roll around in, then he should be safe for the most part. Do what you can, as best as you can, but unfortunately, you can't protect him from everything. The best thing to do really is pray hard! Once they start rolling - then they roll no matter what. Just keep the bed completely clear of everything. Including moving it away from the wall!

I totally understand your feelings, I was the same way. My pediatrician said that if mine was sitting, holding her head up and rolling on her own then let her do what she wants. He did make sure I took EVERYTHING out of the crib. the toys, the pillows, the bumpers, anything that can squish over the face. I still didn't feel comfortable with out the bumpers now that she was moving I thought that was when they were needed, So the Pediatrician and I came up with...weaving them in and out of the crib bars, they were there a little bit not loose in there as before. But if yours is scooting to the corner I would take the bumper out entirely. Good Luck, There are a lot of different responses to every question, find the one that feels right in your heart.

I would take the bumper pads off that has already been listed as a suffocation hazard. I took the bumper pads off my bed and I feel more comfortable that is all I can tell you. Once they roll over you can not stop them and maybe the bumper pad makes him feel captured see if it helps

Strip his bed of anything that could get in the way of his breathing (or whatever else you're afraid of), and let him sleep in the position that's comfortable for him. I know that you're concerned and want to do everything by the book (somebody's book?), but imagine if someone came into your room and flipped you into an uncomfortable position just as you had found that right fit. Part of having him sleep alone is learning how to comfort himself and how to put himself to sleep. It's also important that he learn how to wiggle himself out of "jams", as long as they aren't dangerous. Watch him and give him so much time to figure it out for himself. Then, come to his aid. Maybe you can get baby bumpers and dress him in something a little warm so that he doesn't need a blanket. Play that part by ear, watching ot ensure that he's not too hot, etc.

Congratulations on your new baby! Enjoy!!

My daughter started rolling over in her crib onto her stomach to sleep also around 7 months (she's 8 months now). I was concerned about SIDS for a bit, then I called my Pedi and they said that I didn't need to worry about it at her age since she had strong enough head and neck muscles (she was able to lift her head up from left to right while on her tummy in the hospital at birth).
I also remember having to 'rescue' her from getting stuck in the corner or just that she was not used to being on her tummy to sleep. Tummy time meant time to work! So she'd get mad is she found herself on her tummy in her crib. Oh, and she was just fine rolling to tummy and back to her back when she was out in the living room.
I left her crib bumpers on because I figured if she was rolling/flailing around that much, I didn't want her getting an arm/leg through the crib slots - that would upset her even more!
I didn't do this with my daughter, because she wasn't waking us up at night, but you may want to try during naps (to make sure it works okay) tying the crib bumpers in a way that round off the corners of the crib? I know the ties aren't that long, and it may be considered hazardous to use them this way, but it's a thought.
My daughter go used to being on her tummy after maybe 1-1/2 - 2 weeks. Now she sleeps on her back, sides and tummy about equal.

Good Luck! The next hurdle will be trying to keep him from 'crawl practice' in his crib - instead of sleeping! This is what my daughter is doing right now.

How mobile, or how well does your seventh month move around??
Once he is on his stomache, does he have the ability to roll over?? If he does, then don't worry about it! I also had simular concerns for my first(who turns four on Monday), and my pediatrican told me once he can roll both from back to front, and front to back, if he falls asleep on his stomache leave him there!

For peace of mind, do remove the bumper! You won't have to be as concerned that he will wind up with his face in bumper, and cannot get out! Wedges at this age, will probebly not work, as babes at this age do have some mobility! As long as there is nothing else in the crib but your child, then if he should move, he has nothing to hurt him!!!!!!!

Good Luck, and get some sleep!

From my experience my son slept through the night once I finally got the idea to put him to bed on his stomach. My son is now five and still perfers to sleep on his stomach. Againist the doctors advice(they perfer the baby sleep on back or side) at 6 months old I was so tired of him waking up every 3 hours when I knew he wasn't hungry(ate 12 oz) but uncomfortable b/c the Dr. said he must sleep on his side or back...after MANY LONG nights of having to rock him to sleep and as soon as I laid him down on his back would wake up. One night at 2am he was sleeping soundly on my legs on his tummy in a reclinder and the light bulb went off....try putting him on his tummy and watch him to see what happens....unbelievable!!!! He slept through the night for 10 hours. The first night I watched him every few hours to make sure that what was happening was true and that he was ok...after that....slept through the night like that for a long time. Trust your gut...if your baby sleeps good on his tummy and can hold his head up...I woulnd';t be to concered about it. You need to bummers to help him from getting stuck too much....I would recommed the breathable bumers that at mesh that if the baby gets wedged in the corner or on the side he can still breath through it.

I imagine that you are worried about SIDS, but if he can turn himself over, then it is fine for him to start sleeping on his belly. He will find what position is naturally comfortable for him and move to it. As far as him getting stuck, if he found a way intot he corner he will find a way back out. I read that he can pick up his head, so just know that he will move himself into a position to where he can still breathe. You could probably leave the bumper pads in, but I would take out any other toys or stuffed animals as they will just get in his way.

Hi J.,

Just to ease your nerves, I went to a child development class over the weekend and what they advised was that if the child is able to roll to their bellies while they sleep, this is okay. No worries. They advised that this is best because, 1) they will continue to do it again and again, in their sleep and 2) if you go to turn them, you may chance that you will wake them. If that happens, then you are sure to never sleep;) Anyhow, if your baby is developed enough to turn and to call out to you with their cries when they are stuck, they will be a-ok!

I would say let him sleep on his tummy and to figure out how to move out of the corner. I had to let my daughter do the same.