Flipping over While Sleeping

My pediatrician says once a child has the muscle control to turn over not to worry about them flipping in the middle of the night. They are then strong enough that you don't need to worry.

With that said, soon enough he will learn to turn over in reverse of what he does now and you won't need to worry about the problem. If he's not screaming when he is on his back, why turn him over though. Eventually he will fall back asleep.

Cosleeping is very controversial, but can be safe if that is what works for you. Look up cosleeping on askdrsears.com for suggestions on how to do it safely.

Quite honestly, the sleep on the back thing is a strong suggestion. My son refused to sleep on his back from about 2 weeks on. He associated back with play, so I had to put him on his stomach. He is now 7 months and healthy as can be. Besides, when my husband was little, that is exactly what his mother was told to do. Just because you are told to put him down on his back, doesn't mean he is still safe, it only REDUCES the risk of SIDS.

Your health is just as important as his. If you aren't able to take care of yourself, you will dry out and be of no use to your little one, yourself, or your husband (not necessarily in that order).

Yes, you are right about the sleeping with you thing! By this time he should be sleeping through the night, but since he isn't, here is a suggestion. Have Dad get him during the night. You little guy is smelling your milk when you get him, so he thinks it is time to eat. To break him of this, you need to have Daddy get him instead of you. Dad needs to hold him, calm him and then explain that it is time to go to bed and then lay him back down. (I know he doesn't understand what you are saying yet, but it will help for when he becomes a toddler and dows understand.)

You also need to transition him to his own room. You and your hubby need your room and space back. Your relationship with him is more important than with your son. He will learn from you regardless and he needs Mommy and Daddy to stay close in all aspects. Don't worry about neglecting him, you won't!

It is okay to let him cry for up to 20 minutes. I usually check in before then if he sounds absolutely irate. Just note that you are getting close to a growth spurt time, too, so he may need a midnight top-off from time to time.

I hope you find this helpful!

May God bless you!

M.,

I used an infant sleep wedge or positioner to help my son, Teeven, stay put while sleeping. Teeven hated sleeping on his back also. Usually they are velcro so you can adjust them to they babies size. Your son is getting older and my not be able to use it much longer. We used it to help Teeven sleep on his side which worked great for us until he was about 8 months.

I hope this helps.....good luck!
E.

Sleeping on the stomach is a danger. I am a daycare provider and have had the SIDS classes. The first thing to prevent SIDS is to put the baby to sleep on his back. The "experts" also say to not co-sleep... especially if he's on his tummy or around lots of bedding or pillows. The second thing to prevent SIDS is to clear the bed of any pillows or bedding other than the fitted sheet.

Babies do eventually get used to new sleep positions.

Moms DO eventually get a full nights sleep.

Try to START him out on his back. That way, if he rolls over, it will be onto his familiar belly position.

Good luck!

I too used the wedges to keep my son from rolling over in his sleep, which he began to do at about 8 weeks. They worked so well, I bought two sets. I also put a wedge under the sheet to keep his head elevated and this kept him more comfortable. You can buy them at any Babies-r-us store and they are relatively inexpensive, of course there is no way to put a price on piece of mind and a full night's sleep!!

Hi M.,

My daughter continued to do this restless sleep thing off & on when she reached big milestones, and then the novelty wore off and she'd realized she'd rather sleep than wiggle. We co-sleep too so I know that feeling. Good luck and may you have lots of patience. Mine wears thin sometimes too.