Did You Break the Tummy Rule?

I did, both of mine were tummy sleepers.
15 or so yrs ago it was put them all on their tummies so they don't choke if they spit up , now it's put them on their backs, in the next 10-20 yrs they will change it again to side sleeping. I say go with what works for you.

The cause of SIDS is unknown.

No way Jose! Always slept them on their backs. I don't care if they didn't like it (although swaddled they were OK). I was not, never, ever, going to compromise their breathing by putting them on their tummies.

Well, the funny thing is, two decades ago we were SUPPOSED to lay them on their tummies -- it was laying them on their backs that was forbidden. So my kids all slept on their tummies.

.

I absolutely listened to the doctors! I wouldn't chance it, no matter how tired I was. We always put our newborn twins to sleep on their backs. I'm not willing to put my need for sleep before the health of my baby. If, heaven forbid, something happened, I would never forgive myself. The life of my baby is too important!

Co-sleeping, according to respected research, actually reduces your baby's chance of SIDS. This is, of course, assuming that you and your child are not in a high-risk group. Recent research also suggests that having a fan blowing in the vicinity of (not directly on) the sleeping baby will prevent a dangerous buildup of CO2 around her face.

And my own experience with central apnea strongly suggests that offgassing from scented laundry products (which are pretty toxic) and modern synthetic bedding (which would include poly-blend bedding and plasticized waterproofing and fire retardants in the mattress) is a good thing to keep a baby away from. I actually stop breathing during my sleep when I've been exposed to any significant amount of modern 'wonder' chemicals.

So, anyway, I had my daughter over 40 years ago. SIDS was not yet on people's radar. Every single mom I knew slept their babies on their bellies, because the babies needed sleep and got the best sleep that way. I'm not saying all moms should do this, because losing a baby is an incredible tragedy, but in my circle of women who knew women who knew women… not one baby was ever lost to tummy sleeping.

I also co-slept with my baby for her first two years and fed her on demand, and it was so sweet and bonding for us. There was no problem getting her transferred to her own little bed later on. Just my experience.

When I had my kids the rule was to put them on their tummy. They slept great.

my son had really bad gas too, and laying on his belly helped him push it through. honestly, i have learned to listen to his ques more than the doctor. as soon as he learned to roll over he started sleeping on his tummy. i would try to put her to sleep on her back (try swaddling, since she sleeps so good curled up on you) once she is able to turn over tummy sleeping isnt as scary.
for the gas... have you tried little tummies gas drops? i ended up giving my son some with every bottle just so he wouldn't get the painful gas. they also sell a wrap that you heat up and put it around her tummy when she's gassy. i use the heat wrap i have that has lavender in it. microwave for 30 seconds then lay it over her tummy. the heat breaks up the gas and the scent will soothe her.
congrats on your little newbie! :)

Putting a newborn in a crib on their tummy and walking away is probably not safe. It is a significant SIDS risk.

Letting a newborn sleep on her tummy on *your body* is just fine. I presume you would notice if she stopped breathing and take appropriate action!

When I was 19, I was woken up by a frantic phone call from my SIL (also 19). I jumped in my car and drove the 2 miles to their house to find my 3 month-old nephew dead in his crib. The cause of death was determined to be SIDS. It was heartbreaking for my whole family. This was my parent's first grandchild.

Over twenty years later and I had my baby daughter. I caught myself often putting my finger under her nose while she slept to feel her breathing. I didn't put her in a bassinet or crib or bed on her tummy. I DID allow her to sleep on my belly, my husband's belly, and her big sister's belly (she was 17) for naps. She slept well at night, mostly co-sleeping, but getting her to nap was a challenge and sleeping on someone usually worked.

The number of SIDS deaths has gone down very significantly since the "back to sleep" campaign. Being careful of too-soft mattresses, extra blankets and pillows has helped. And still, SIDS is not fully understood. Risk factors include young mothers (like my SIL) who didn't get adequate prenatal care (she pretended she wasn't pregnant until after the wedding at 6 months), boy babies (like my nephew), between 2 -3 months old, and other family and behavioral factors.

I am personally not comfortable putting my children on their backs to sleep until I'm convinced they can roll to their sides if they need to, so I put all of mine down on their sides for the most part and if they rolled to their bellies I left them. I let them nap on the floor on their tummies, too (like on a baby blanket in the living room when I'm doing stuff around). While I'm willing to tell parents that "it is recommended that babies be placed on their backs to sleep" for professional situations, I choose not to do that because I am not convinced that it is safer. All of my kids choked on spit-up (as in not able to breathe at all) while on their backs at the hospital at least once and I had to wake up and turn them so they could cough it out.

Most babies are more comfortable on the belly in a more fetal position. I will admit, too, I break a lot of "rules" with my kids. :)

From the time I brought my son home from the hospital he was a tummy sleeper and still is to this day. I would of never gotten any sleep if I wouldn't of put him on his tummy.

I did a couple of times, then I tried swaddling, and the baby slept so much better!

This is such a controversial one because of SIDS... with my first I followed the rules and put her on her back, well, mostly on her side because she slept TERRIBLY on her back, and I always worried she'd spit up and choke.

With my son I put him on his belly. He was born early and had early intervention services until age three. Interestingly, a nurse there told me that they actually see more children who have developmental problems due to sleeping on their back and not getting enough tummy time. She said that much of the "back to sleep" campaign happened when people were using soft mattresses and bedding in cribs and it had more to do with that than actual incidences of SIDS. So I don't know... my son's a great sleeper and never worried about it. Once they can turn themselves they usually sleep on their tummies anyway, which leads me to believe that this is a more comfortable position.

I know it's hard, but the main reason for sleeping on her back is to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. My friend lost one of her twins that way, I will never forget it.

My granddaughter took gas drops and they relieved her gas. Gas-X is about $5, (I bought it many times!) and there's also Mylicon and Little Tummys. Infants as young as newborns can use them.

Yep! One kid preferred tummy, the other preferred his back....you can only do so much & Drs need to learn they are not God. All they are doing is putting fear into us that if we don't do as they say & something happens it is our fault...as if even if you did things by the book you wouldn't find a way to blame your self..it's natural. They should be giving ADVICE, not telling us how to raise our kids...we gave birth, not them...yes they have a college degree, but does that mean I don't know how to raise a baby because I don't have one? All you can do is YOUR best! There is no perfect way to raise a child, although some think they have found it...lol!

my dr. told me that some babies are just tummy sleepers, and if that's the only way they will sleep, well, they have to sleep. so do we (moms!) once i did that we all slept better- and within a week or two of tummy sleeping, he found his thumb, and slept through the night from then on. taking that battle off my plate was one of the best things i ever did. but that's us. every baby is different.

Never did it. Has she tried having the baby sleep in her car seat or swing? The statistics are fairly dramatic.

all 3 of mine went on their sides when I put them in bed. if they rolled onto their backs from their side I left them that way, if they rolled onto their tummies from their sides I left them that way. And they had a blanket in the crib with them too. I'm such a rebel LOL

I was tempted to but I never did just because of the SIDs risk. It's very real and babies do die so I didn't want to take that chance.

I let my babies sleep on me or I laid them on the couch while I was watching TV or something, but I never put them in their crib this way or left them unattended this way for even a few minutes. I am way too much of a worrier and have read too much about SIDS. I do know a lot of women who did this though and their babies have been just fine. I always come back to the thought of what would I do if something tragic happened...and I couldn't take that chance, but sleep deprivation can make a person crazy, so I don't judge! ;)

I have a 9 year old and 6.5 year old. They both slept on their stomachs. I totally bucked the system. It took awhile to get over it. I kept having flashbacks to the SIDS conference I attended several years earlier.

Only you can decide. Good luck and congratulations!!

I have to agree with those who have older children. We were TOLD to put them to sleep on their tummies. Both my kids slept that way almost exclusively.

I did it with my oldest (who is now 23) and that was in the "olden" days when it was OK. My son is 10 -- he preferred his tummy. On his back I got no sleep, he got no sleep and we both were miserable. My youngest preferred her side. I listened to my kids and my mom.

My son never was a back sleeper, and still isnt. He always since he was an infant preferred being on his tummy to sleep. I think he felt more comfortable, and it seemed to make him wake less because he felt more secure.

Its all up to your judgement and what you feel is best. Try letting baby sleep on her tummy for a nap and see how she does and see how you feel then go from there.

Some children just wont, and refuse to sleep on their backs.

I most definitely broke the rule! My babies slept deep, comfortable and safely on their tummies for 6 hour stretches each night by the time they were 6 weeks old. Ahhhhh the gift of sleep. They were sleeping 12 hours a night by 3 months.

Yes, I started out doing the "back is best" thing, but both of mine did so much better on their tummies. I eventually gave in and they slept alot longer that way.

I have absolutely broken the tummy rule. Actually, when my son was born, they were telling you to place them on their tummies for sleep (you know, to prevent possible choking on spit up etc). My son loved being on his tummy, scooted, sat, rolled and walked early. Had strong neck muscles very early. A few years later, they started with the "Back to Sleep" campaign.

When my daughter was born, we tried to follow the recommendations but she woke every 15 minutes or so. I started putting her on her tummy when we were up and could keep a close eye on her. My hubby was a total nervous wreck with worry. She also loved her tummy time and did things early.

My nephew slept only on his back, hated tummy time, and did things a bit delayed.

From what I have seen and read AND experienced, a perfectly healthy baby can sleep on their tummies as long as there is nothing in the crib/bassinet with them (no stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, etc) that could block their airways.

My oldest was a belly sleeper. We put her on her side and one night she didn't wake up for her usual feeding, she was about two months old, and she had turned onto her belly. I was scared, but watched her and she was breathing and sleeping just fine. I let her be. At her next appointment we spoke with the pediatrician and she said it was okay for her to sleep on her belly. Just to watch her movement that she doesn't get close to the bumper and smother herself. We switched her to the big bed and she did great. My youngest couldn't stand to sleep on her belly or her back, but love to sleep on her side. So we found a wedge system to help her stay on her side until she outgrew it. So I would listen to your baby. Our pediatrician said some babies sleep well on their backs and some on their bellies, just depends. Good luck and God Bless.

We slept our daughter on her tummy. She had bad reflux and its the only way she would sleep. Our ped told us that back sleeping is better, but sleep period is best.

My girl slept on her side, would not sleep any other way. I used one of those sleep positioners that kept her from rolling onto tummy until she was old enough to lift her head up. If you have to put your baby on her stomach to sleep, I would just get one of the sids alarms. My angelcare worked great and made me feel so much more comfortable.

My son was colicky and had bad reflux, the only time he would sleep was on his tummy. Plus, I was scared he would throw up his milk in the middle of the night while lying on his back and drown from it. (where does it go? back in the throat...!!!) I know you are supposed to let them sleep on their backs because of the risk of SIDS etc.. but My whole family (from South Africa - and we are a HUGE family...) had all their babies sleep on their tummies, curled up with bum in the air. I have a picture of my son in that same position.

He is two and a half now, and we had no problems. He slept in his own room, in his crib at 2 months. He was in a bassinet next to my side of the bed from birth until we moved him to his room. (with a baby monitor, watching him all the time, and me getting up every 5 minutes to see if he is breathing - LOL thats what happens when its your first!!)

Updated

My son was colicky and had bad reflux, the only time he would sleep was on his tummy. Plus, I was scared he would throw up his milk in the middle of the night while lying on his back and drown from it. (where does it go? back in the throat...!!!)

I know you are supposed to let them sleep on their backs because of the risk of SIDS etc.. but My whole family (from South Africa - and we are a HUGE family...) had all their babies sleep on their tummies, curled up with bum in the air. I have a picture of my son in that same position.

He is two and a half now, and we had no problems. He slept in his own room, in his crib at 2 months. He was in a bassinet next to my side of the bed from birth until we moved him to his room. (with a baby monitor, watching him all the time, and me getting up every 5 minutes to see if he is breathing - LOL thats what happens when its your first!!)

put my kids on their tummys. I told my doctor and we discussed other sids risks and where she was sleeping (with us) and all, but he said some kids just don't sleep well at all on their backs. It's one of the many things you have to figure out for your family!

K.

My now 14 yr old slept on his tummy and it was" ok" back then! My 4 yr old never slept any way but if she would of slept on her tummy you bet I would of done it!

I would lay my baby on his/her back unless you have one of those covers for your mattress. I might sound a little crazy, unless you've read into this, but there is a pretty convincing study that shows that SIDS is caused from flame retardant material in baby mattresses. When it's combined with tears/saliva, a chemical reaction happens, and it turns into nerve gas. If a baby is laid on his/her back, they are open to fresh air, decreasing the chance they will be poisoned. If they lay on their tummy (and especially if the mattress is older and if the mattress has been used by more than one baby), there is a much higher chance for the baby to be poisoned by the nerve gas.

It's a very interesting study and it actually makes sense instead of this mysterious reason for babies dying for no known reason. It was New Zealand that did the study. All the SIDS mattresses they tested showed positive for the chemical reaction. Do an online search and you'll find info.

Anyway, so unless I have one of those covers that protects against that from the mattress, my baby will be laying on his/her back. Though, before I read that, I would have been more inclined to lay baby on tummy!

Here's a link to a random article I found by using the search words "new zealand sids prevention":
http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-sleep/has-the-cause-of-...

we were just talking about this at work the other day (a daycare) - my boss's granddaughter, 4 months, only sleeps on her tummy or she won't sleep and is crabby. We were then talking about my daughter who was very colicy and still wakes up at night at 21 months and I was wondering if she would have slept better on her tummy. I don't think I ever would have for night sleeping though. Maybe for napping if i was right there watching?

Our daughter slept best on her tummy. The moment she could lift and twist her head, the pedi told us it was fine to let her sleep on her tummy.. She was about 6 weeks old.. She was always trying to roll to her tummy. She slept so great on her tummy..

My oldest was a tummy sleeper. My middle one was a back and my youngest was a side swaddler until he was 4 months and then a tummy sleeper.

All 3 of my girls would only sleep on their tummny's - with my first I was SO worried and talked to my Dr. and he said - you put them down however they will sleep. That they really don't know what is the best way to prevent SIDS. All of my kids turned out just fine!

We let her sleep on her tummy too... she's been a crazy crier - and anything to help her is what I'm going to do. We also co-sleep, which I feel lessons the risks of sids - so I really don't worry about her on her belly. I could be wrong, it's just my 'feelings'. I think she has gas / belly problems too- and it does seem to help her...

Both my kids slept on their stomachs. I had that Angel motion monitor that made me less nervous. I never would have gotten an ounce of sleep if I had tried to keep them on their backs!

I put both my kids on their tummy. I know it is scary, and I did it to get sleep too, I was just very careful not to make sure there were any blankets or anything that would get on their face.

I broke the rule during the day with my third........! I was honest with the pediatrician...since I did not take naps during the day I could easily check on my son to be sure he was ok.....This made tummy time for playtime easily...because he was used to it and the flat spot on his head did not get bad.......Because I was routine with it, DS was used to tummy during the day and back to sleep at night.... :)

My daughter only slept on her tummy....she still to this day loves to, and sleeps best on her tummy!!
Meg ;)

Yes, I broke the "rule" with my last 2 children. I have 4 total and was religiously following all the pedi advise with my first for sure! With my 2nd, he prefered his back. However, with my last 2...(one is 4 and one is 16 months) they BOTH still sleep on their tummies and have since they have been home from the hospital. They just prefered it! They slept better, Mommy slept better, I checked on them MANY times during the night early on (before they could turn themselves over) and it just worked better. As a mom, our Pediatricians are wondeful and so very helpful BUT we also have to do what works for us! What we think is best is important too. Follow your gut and good luck!

I know someone who's baby died of SIDS at 3 months old, so at 6M old if I find my son on his belly, he gets moved back, can't help it. With my first son, he would only sleep on his belly, but still worried I get a side positioner and put his stomach against it, so he got the pressure, but his face was out and not down by the mattress. I strongly suggest it to anyone with a tummy baby, you really can get the best of both worlds. After 6+ months, if they can roll themselves over, they can stay that way.

Both of my newborns actually slept mostly in their carseat or bouncy seats, which I know is also a no-no, but they hated being in the bassinet! Both were sleeping thru the night in the crib by 4 months though...

I raised 3 of my babies before they started to say it. So by the time my 4th daughter came a long I felt entirely comfortable with allowing her to sleep however she was most comfortable. My grandson came a long almost 2 years ago and we bought the angel care monitor because I wanted him to be able to sleep on his tummy. He ended up liking his side and or back.

If it is because your baby has gas/colic they make a special pillow for them to sleep upright and help with symptoms. I wouldn't put them on their belly to sleep at all. My parents lost a baby to SIDS (before I was born and before the "back to sleep rule"), so that has always stuck with me. Have you tried letting the baby sleep in the carseat or swing? If your baby is tired enough, they will go to sleep anywhere.

I did put them on their tummy, but I had an Angelcare monitor that monitors movement/breathing. My youngest slept in the vibrating bouncy seat the first 2 months.

my daughter only slept on her tummy, i was right beside of her (she was in her crib right beside my bed) until she was just before a yr old. she hated sleeping on her back and still 90% of the time sleeps on her stomach

Back, sides, and turning the head like a pumpkin to avoid a flat head. :-)

We allowed tummy sleeping once the babies were able to roll over with ease from their backs to their tummies and back again. That's the general "rule" anyway if you have a child that doesn't care what the AAP says about waiting until they're a year old. :-) That's the model of baby I had with all three girls.

If a baby sleeps while sucking their thumb or a pacifier that's beneficial and reduces the risk of SIDS. Doctors think it's because it helps strengthen mouth and throat muscles as well as the tongue and helps keep open the airways for breathing. My girls were all either thumbsuckers or used a pacifier or a combination of the two.

But I had a bonus model with my middle daughter. From the time she was three DAYS old she insisted on tummy sleeping and would squirm and roll her way to her tummy even if I had the positioner. I had to stop using it. She would end up on her tummy with her fanny sticking up in the air sucking her tiny thumb and I had to let her. That's why she slept in her bassinet next to me with my hand on her back to check her breathing every single night for the first year of her life. Paranoia Mom, that was me.

Ok, I hope that you are informed about SIDS. But babies should always be put to sleep on their backs. If they are able to roll over, then its fine to leave them on their tummy if they get themselves in that position. But I would definitely put your baby to sleep on her back and if she isn't too thrilled with her back, place her on her side with a few recieving blankets rolled up to support her or use an infant support. GL

M

I put my third child to sleep on his tummy all the time. I won't lay him on his back because I'm just sure he'll wake up. I started doing this after I could see that he would jerk his head back if he couldn't breathe while breastfeeding. I started doing it only for naps when he was a few months old, and started doing it around five months for nighttime sleep as well. I make sure not to lay him on a fuzzy surface.

I thought long and hard about this with my 3 year old. But the thing that I kept coming back to was...we have been educated on SIDS and the fact that sleeping on tummies could be the cause...no matter how tired I was, I just did not want to be 'that' mom or 'that' family who even though we knew all the risks we still let them sleep on their belly and then I would not be able to live with myself if something did happen. My son woke up and ate every hour and half until he was 4 months old and then he could roll to his tummy and sleep great! But I always put him on his back and then if he want to he would roll to the tummy. Good luck! Question, if your child doesnt like the car seat...are you going to drive around with him without one?

She slept on her side. She actually did sleep on her back for a while, but started to not like it. I heard about the only back thing a little but they never really stressed it when she was born and I didn't put her on her tummy because they did say it was dangerous. I was always scared about her spitting up or whatever on her back. Doctors always told me they won't choke because they turn their heads but I just couldn't get that choking thing out of my head. My baby slept in her crib beside my bed.

What I was mad about (thought of it cuz my baby slept on me too) was pertussis (whooping cough) NO ONE told me about that and I have no idea if I got the shot or if she got the shot but that is something that I would've like to get just because she did sleep on me when she was 3 weeks to 6 weeks (we lived in my parents old 2 bedroom rental for a few weeks)

@lucy f. Oh my goodness, I almost cried. How sad. I had no idea it could be that random. I thought it only happened in their sleep.

But the bottom line is you are the mom with the experience and the knowledge of the latest research and findings and your baby is, well, a baby. He/she doesn't know that sleeping on his/her tummy can be a factor in SIDS. So while it's important to listen to our babies for some things we also have to make accomadations to keep our little ones safe. I have to think of it like this-would I hold my baby in the car because they don't like the car seat? Nope. And I wouldn't let them sleep on their tummy until they can physically turn themselves over on their own because I know that it puts them at higher risk for SIDS.

It's our job as parents to keep up with the latest findings and research and make decisions for your little ones to keep our babies safe. Sometimes what they may want may not be the best thing for them. We will have to make decisions that they don't like or are uncomfortable with until they leave our homes.

Well, I put my son to sleep on his back, and I also coslept. There's plenty of debate around that.... :)

My first was colicky and slept well on her stomach. I struggled with it due to Dr. advice however, after 3 consecutive nights of no sleeping for either of us, I was willing to go with whatever worked. She was totally breast fed and I did the elimination diet thing to no avail. I was super attentive when she slept on her stomach and we frequently co-slept. She also slept ok in a bouncy seat. I say you know what works for you and your baby and you should go with it. This is the first of many issues where your instinct conflict with expert advice. Your instinct usually is the right way to go.

I waited until I was sure that he could turn his head by himself so he wouldn't get stuck with his face down. As soon, as he coud do that, I started putting my baby on his belly. He seemed to feel so much more secure and slept so much better when he could curl up with his arms and legs under him.

Yes! Daughter was too fitful and waking herself up on her back, even swaddled. She could hold her head up on her own at 2.5 weeks. We flipped her to tummy at that time. She was sleeping through the night 6+ hours before 6 weeks old. So she was skipping a middle of the night breast feeding session, but made up for it at other feedings. Excellent sleeper now at age 4.

I have a ten week old and have been putting her on her tummy as she gets startled when placed on her back and she sleeps four to six hour streches on her tummy. I worry about the risk so I am constantly checking on her. My pedi advises that once she can roll over she can be left on her tummy.

With my first, NEVER. With my second, I put her on her belly while she napped next to me on the couch. I talked to my doctor about it and he said, "NO NO NO." So I stopped.

One of my former coworkers had twins the same age as my son. I learned through a mutual friend that one of them died of SIDS at a couple of months old. That made it REALLY real to me.

If there is ANYTHING you can do to reduce the risk, you should. Even if it means not sleeping for months. My youngest is 17 months, and I am FINALLY getting a full nights sleep - it was hard not sleeping, but that is a phase which goes by fast.

For my first, I was serious about only on his back, but he was also happy with it. For my youngest, I tried the back thing, but he only wanted to sleep on his belly. So, I made sure there was NOTHING that could get in his way and I would lay him on his back in his crib, but if he flipped over to his belly then fine. It did seem to soothe him (he had colic). However, when he was a newborn, I just didn't feel comfortable with him on his belly, so instead I'd put him in the little bouncer on the vibrating setting (so he was strapped in, up at a little angle, low bouncing mode and vibrating---he loved that, it soothed the gas issues he had, and that would put him to sleep). Got one for like $10-15 on craigslist. When he outgrew that, I'd put him in his swing (he liked swinging sideways) or lay him on me and hum until he would fall asleep and then I'd put him in his crib. Once he was old enough to flip onto his belly, he was also old enough to move his head to the side, so though I did keep an eye on him, I let him do what he felt more comfortable.

my daughter rarely slept on her back till she was rolling. she was either on her side or tummy. she had a strong back and neck so i felt ok doing this. my daughter was in the nicu and they had her sleeping on her tummy and said it was good for her lungs because it forces them to breath deeper. my daughters dr knew she slept like this too. do what you feel is right for you and your baby

blah blah blah! The doc isnt always right. My 11 week old ONLY sleeps on her tummy meaning she will cry all night if i put her on her back. As long as they are in the crib with no other blankets to suffocate on everything should be okay!

its definitely fine if hes on you for sure.
i have a hard time putting my babies on their backs, since birth they would find a way to either get to their sides or on their tummy and usually slept better that way!!
it stressed me out for a while, but they arent dead!

Do what you're comfortable with, but I wouldn't rely on people who gave advice on what they did 20 years ago. There has been so much research since then. To answer your question, I only let them sleep on their tummy (now 3 and 1) when I was awake.

our baby just started sleeping on her tummy, and even though she is 7 months old i still would worry if we did not have our Snuza Go monitor.It clips on the diaper and alarm sounds off if baby stops breathing.

both my boys slept on their tummies from the day they were born. in fact, with my second, he had not been born an hour when my midwife looked at me (she was holding him) and said "he's going to be a tummy sleeper". they both slept better that way. I think the "rule" about babies sleeping on backs is based on mis-information... and that the chemicals in mattresses is really what was causing sids.... but that's another post...

My baby sleeps on his belly. From the time he was born, he didn't really like sleeping on his back. I tried his side and he loved it. From the time he could roll over, about 4 months or so, he would roll to his side or his stomach. I would often roll him back over, only to find him on his belly again. He would never have his face down or in a blanket or anything, always to the side and able to breathe.

If my baby is sleeping safely and soundly, I am definitely not changing!

My son never slept on his back and he is still alive (at 8 years old lol)! He would not ever sleep on his tummy. I told the doctors and they lectured me, my response was then you come over at night and listen to him scream.

YES! broke it. My first one was such a clingy high needy baby (probably because of her vision issues) that she would scream unless she was held or placed on her tummy. Didn't leave her like that at night, but did during the day. She actually spent the first 6 weeks on my chest after she was born. She hated to be swaddled too, even wiggled out of swaddles the nurses did! Once she figured out how to roll over, she refused to stay on her back. Diaper changes were challenging then, lol!

And my second one was a reflux baby so bad that his pedi actually said to incline his bed and tummy sleep so in case he did spit up a massive amount of milk that he wouldn't choke on it. And there were many occasions where his head/chest would be on me and his feet/legs were curled up under him touching the bed and he would spit up/throw up so much I'd have to change my clothes, his clothes AND change the sheets. Once my hubby put him on his back to change a diaper right after i nursed him and our poor little guy started to spit up. hubby didn't move fast enough and our little guy start to choke! Talk about scary... and that was in middle of the day!

It was actually my third/last one that would sleep on his back. He was my easy baby! But by the time he figured out how to roll over @ 2.5 months, he would roll himself over to his tummy and fall asleep.

But then I also co-slept with all my kids. They all sleep in their own beds now and have once each turned about 3yo. And most pedi's hate hearing about co-sleeping even more then letting baby tummy sleep, lol.

S., our babies are the same age and I live in St. Louis too. Mine is crabby too. :( I nurse her nonstop. Im kinda going crazy! But, no, I wouldnt put her on her tummy to sleep at night. Its ok if shes on you, but I feel like I would have to supervise it. Im not sleeping at night either. Hang in there.

I have four. I just swaddled them so dang tightly, that they didn't know WHAT side they were sleeping on! LOL! I always put them on their back, though (unless they were sleeping on me like in a sling or something) ...until they were old enough to move around sufficiently.

let your baby sleep on her belly. we really struggled over this but our son would ONLY sleep on his belly. we researched like crazy and found this info: put a fan in the baby's room to keep the air circulating. that cuts the SIDS risk by 72%.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/childr...
and you already know the no blankets/pillows/toys thing. our son is well over 2 and STILL is a belly sleeper. you need your sleep too! :)

Well I did side sleeping because my boys wouldn't sleep on their back. When my dad watched my kids as newborns he always put them on their tummies and they slept like rocks. I however was too nervous of SIDS to do it but I also didn't flip them if they ended up on their tummy when I would wake up to check on them. I too keep a blanket in the crib!

The lowering of SIDS incidences does correspond great greatly with the reduction of soft mattresses, blankets, and stuffed animals.

Babies sleep better on their tummies, develop quicker and are generally happier. My Mother put us all to sleep on our stomachs. So did my Grandmother.

I put all six of my babies down on their stomachs. I was more worried they would choke if on their backs. My cousin choked to death on her back when she was two months old.