Newborn's Sleeping on Back

I wouldn't be too concerned about them not being comfortable sleeping on their back. My son, who is going to be 2 in July, was never comfortable sleeping on his back. When he was little, the only way we could get him to go to sleep (without being held) was to swaddle him and prop him up on his side. We got the idea from Children's Mercy. (He was in Children's Mercy for almost a week right after he was born and that is what they did.) He has never slept on his back. Even now, we lay him down on his back, but he always ends up on his stomach. That's just what's most comfortable for him. Once they start rolling over, you can't control the position they sleep in anymore. If you can't get them to sleep on their back, I would just recommend trying other positions.

I hope this helps!
D.

We used the sleep positioner from Babie R Us and it worked great! We alternated a few nights on her right side and a few on her left so her head would not be flat, my sister is doing the same for my niece and it works really well. I never laid my 2 yr old flat on her back, always side and she has always been a great sleeper! Hope this helps, good luck:)

Something one of my friends did was to use one of those wedge things (like two wedges that are on either side of the baby to keep them in place....velcro in the middle for adjusting size). She would always swaddle them tightly then place her baby on his side (alternating each time he slept so that his neck didn't get wonky). Maybe your twins would enjoy sleeping on their sides? I do know people though who are comfortable with their babies sleeping on their tummies. they just make sure that there are no blankets or loose bedding or loose clothing to get near their their face. It's up to you. But you might see if they like side sleeping!

All 4 of my daughters slept on their tummies. I simply don't understand the idea that the back is better. I don't believe there is any proof at all that sleeping on their tummy causes SIDS. For one thing, the very definition of SIDS is Sudden UNEXPLAINED Death Syndrome. If sleeping on their stomach was proven to be the reason, then it wouldn't be unexplained.

Suzi

Hi J.! I have a four month old who would not, I mean REFUSED, to sleep on her back from the beginning of her little life. She did not like to be swaddled either. It was a hard struggle at first for us because of all the horror stories of tummy sleeping, etc. Finally, I gave up and let her sleep on her stomach with nothing in her crib with her, etc. She slept through the night! I know it is scary, but trust me, millions of kids have slept on their backs from the dawn of time, so try it out! And sleep!

I had a little seat that my kids slept in because they would absolutely NOT sleep flat on their backs. When I was ready to transition them to their room I put them in their seat and the seat in the crib (with the sides all the way up) They slept in their seats like that until they were about 4/5 months and rolling over. They are 2 and 4 now and both sleep quietly in their own rooms for 12 hours every night! Good luck

I've always put my babies on their side. The have sleep postioners that work great for this. Best of luck getting them to sleep!

I can't put my girl (4 weeks) down on her back because she has acid reflex and gags really bad. So I bought a sleep positioner and put her on her side. She REALLY likes it. I think she feels secure and held. It's cheap $10 at Walmart. You could try that.

I know this is the safest way for a baby to sleep, but none of my kids liked sleeping on their backs. I think it makes them feel vulnerable Anyway I bought an AngelCare sensor/monitor system. That senses all movement including breathing. It helped a lot and made me more comfortable with having the babies sleep on their bellies. It's up to you, but if you feel that you can't get them to sleep any other way this is an option for you to look at. They have this monitors at babies R Us and Target. There about 100.00 It was worth it to me. I'll continue to use it even when my baby gets bigger and is rolling over and such. Of course you'd be looking at two instead of one so that may make a difference too.

I may get alot of flack for this, but to be perfectly honest with you, both of my boys slept on their tummies from just a few weeks old. They both held and turned their heads very well so I wasnt too worried about smothering. They slept soooo well on their tummies and refused to sleep on their backs, so I did my research and weighed the pros and cons and figured a good nights sleep was the best option for my whole family. And they say that once they are able to roll over go ahead and let them sleep on their tummies. Sounds like your baby is almost old enough, I would try on his tummy. My kids both slept 10-12 hours a night from about 5 months old and to this day have never had any night waking other than during illness. I credit it to a good sleep schedule, sleeping in their own rooms in their own beds and letting them sleep in the position they are most comfortable-their stomachs. Obviously be safe and dont put anything in the crib with them and all that. They do make monitor/alarms that detect the baby's breathing and if they stop breathing it alarms. I never bought one, I use a video monitor and can see my baby roll around so I know he is safe.
Good luck and please do your best to put them in a crib and on a schedule as soon as you can. Bad sleep habits are hard to break.
N.

Are they being swaddled at all when you put them in their crib? Also, my youngest was in her bouncy sit for probably the first 6 months of life. She was so congested that it seemed to help her sleep better through the night.She was in our room too. We then transitioned her into a crib (that was in our room) for awhile. Then when we moved, it was not a problem.

It will happen. 13 weeks is a tough time. Especially with 2 kids. Hope you are sleeping well though. Good luck!

You have to do what works for you. I have 3 boys and the latter 2 slept on their bellies. One pediatrician said that it's fine, just make sure that EVERYTHING even the bumper pads are out of the crib. If something were to happen, and I feel like if it's going to happen it's going to happen and it's the fate of the Good Lord, and we just have to trust in Him. I'm an L&D RN and there is a story of a pediatrician holding his newborn on his chest while he slept...felt him stop breathing, started CPR and called 911 and the baby still died. I know since you're a 1st time mom that you're trying to do all the right stuff, but what's right isn't always what "they" tell you to do. Every ped will tell you (off the record) that sleeping on their bellies is better for their sleep and their tummies. I did do a lot of checking on my boys until they could roll over (which yours should be coming upon) but they slept so much better...and there's a point where mom just needs sleep!

If anything, let them sleep in their swings at night.

My Motto's in life:
*Whatever works
*Never say never!!!

Good luck!

My daughter was the same way. The theory was, they feel exposed and abandoned. We would wrap her in a blanket, like you were taking them out in the cold. this made her feel like she was being held and close to her mom. We started by laying her on her side and propped in that position, then after a few days, slowly angled her till she was laying flat. If you are doing it for S.I.D.S. problem, the S.I.D.S. finding, by the country of Netherlands, (who had the highest S.I.D.S. rate in the world) found a virus that gets into the lungs. They use a cover over the mattress. This cover has never had a S.I.D.S. event in 10 yrs. I asked a local member, and they thought I was crazy. it was in a family magazine that I read this story. Please research it up yourself. I haven't.

I think it was around 16 weeks postpartum when I moved my daughter out of our room where she'd been sleeping in our bed and in her bouncy seat, and into her crib. She didn't like to be so far away and I liked hearing her close by. She began sleeping better (all those new baby noises started dying down) and she transitioned well after that. Sounds like you are close to getting there with the boys...I think you'll know when the time is right.

Also, their sleep patterns should lengthen in a few more weeks (assuming that they were born close to term and not preemies). As they end the "fourth trimester," which is typically the hardest, they will begin to sleep longer periods so it will become easier to transition them. Those first 3 months can sure be tough as a Mom, doubly so with two little ones!

When you do put them down in their room, have you tried putting them together in the same crib? The twins I've worked with have really liked being in close proximity because it was what they were used to.

Good Luck!

Have you thought of the pros and cons of tummy sleeping? I know a little girl who only sleeps well when she is on her tummy with her legs swaddled. I would only consider looking into this if ou know that they can both push themselves up and lift their heads well.