HOW do I put her to sleep on her belly?

[thea77]

My dd, 6 mo, has suddenly turned into a stomach sleeper. I put her down in the crib on her side and she'll roll over to her belly. The problem is that she wakes herself up, she'll lift her head and start looking around...instead of putting it down and going to sleep. I can pat her bum/back and she'll eventually fall asleep. But I'm wondering how to actually put her in the crib already on her belly. During the night, I feed her sitting on my bed, then carry her to the crib (in our room, about three feet from our bed) with her cradled in my arms. So, it's easiest to put her down on her side (she doesn't like to be put down on her back). How do you other mama's of belly sleepers put them to bed? It may sound like a stupid question, but I can't figure out how to do it without totally waking her up! Thanks!!

[Dazedstella]

I just slowly flip her in my arms until she is a little further over than sideways and then lay her down doing the rest of the flipping on the bed. If she picks her head up though she usually wakes back up so we have to start the bouncing/ohming/singing all over again.

[darcytrue]

When I put mine on their bellies to sleep I would first lay them on their side in the bed (mine didn't like cribs much) and then slowly move them over on to their belly. It can be tough and if they aren't completely asleep then sometimes they will wake. My older kids were tummy sleepers early on so I got pretty good at it. Plus it's probably easier to lay them down in the bed rather than a crib.

[Carhootel]

I usually just go for it and lay ds on his tummy, he usually wakes up a little but I'll pat his back and/or put my hand on the mattress next to him and bounce it a little. I feel like if I do that to get him to sleep then if he wakes up a little later I can try it again to get him back to sleep. ykwim?

[mamadelbosque]

I just kinda plunk him down on his tummy - he often lifts his head and vaguely opens his eyes but will typically go back to sleep. But I realize that he's wierd like that - my first DS never slept by himself, like, ever, till he was 2+ yrs old...

[Blueone]

I place him on his seat and lean him over until he's on his belly, then pull his legs to a more natural position. He rarely wakes up and if he does it's just a brief eye open and then he's out.

[kdtmom2be]

I lay DS cradled in my arms, hold him with one arm (head in the crook of my elbow, body held by my hand) then grab him at the hip gently with my other hand. I then slide my other arm out and hold his head and plop him on the bed. My MIL says we put him to bed "like a sack of potatoes". Invariably he protests a little but I pat his back gently and he goes back to sleep. Also, I swaddle my kids (DD until 14 months) so he can lift his head to turn it each way but not push up at that point. He wiggles his arms out later and pushes up though, and once he does that then I have to pick him up and nurse him back to sleep.

[blumooned]

I lay DS on his side, wait a couple minutes, then let him/help him roll onto his tummy. I think the waiting allows him to become more fully asleep & less likely to wake. He sleeps next to me in our bed, so while he's still on his side, I lay facing him with my arm in front of him so he can't roll. You could just gently hold him back with you hand if he's in a crib though.

[evening start]

I put him up on my shoulder when he is done nursing and pat him a little to get him into a deep sleep. Then I walk him to his crib and slide him down my arm so that I am cradling his face with the hand on the same side as the shoulder he was resting on and his bottom is supported with my other hand and then I lower him face down. I leave my hand under his face a few moments to warm up the sheet and rest my other hand on his back then slowly remove my hands. If he wakes up, up pick him up back to my shoulder and pat him until he is back asleep and try again.

[thea77]

Thanks for all of the advice! I'll try to put her on her belly tonight and see what happens....on a side note, last night she slept straight through from 6:30 to 12:10 So happy about that!!!!