Are there seriously babies who sleep on their back?

[jenfl]

My DD was a long-undiagnosed reflux baby (thanks to a dairy sensitivity) and would get really upset when put on her back. We suffered through many months of poor sleep and semi-ok sleep in a swing until we figured things out... and she was old enough to sleep on her stomach.

Now my DS is just a week old. Whenever I lay him on his back, he may lay still and sleep for a few minutes, but he soon starts having lots of disorganized movement of his arms and legs and wakes himself up. We've tried swaddling (tightly!), but he fights it and pulls himself out of it.

So are there REALLY babies who sleep ok on their backs? Or does everyone secretly let their babies sleep other ways and just not tell their pediatrician? Or am I missing The Secret of Back Sleeping?

[Path2Felicity]

My DD had a ton of sensitivities. We had to put her on an incline and she only slept on her side. I don't get the whole back is best thing either

[Barefoot Farmer]

I know a few babes who slept fine on their bellies, but I know a lot more babes who parents eventually figured out that the only way their babe was going to sleep by themselves, it was on their belly.

[JustSimplicity]

My DS sleeps on his back but does the same thing as yours: he moves like crazy and wakes himself up when not swaddled and fights the swaddle. We have to double swaddle him and soothe him when he gets mad about the swaddle. I hate having to swaddle him when he clearly doesn't like it but he gets no sleep otherwise. Maybe try the double swaddle? At least your son wouldn't get out of it.

[Norasmomma]

My babies are early rollers, we co-sleep so I always noticed that in the middle of the night they'd be on their bellies, like around 3 weeks. DD always ended up on her belly and DS sleeps belly to belly with me. I know the back is safest, but my kids roll, I flip em back and they roll again.

[mamadelbosque]

Neither of mine have been thats for darn sure! And I don't blame'm either - *I* don't like to sleep on my back either - its uncomfortable!!

[november]

My daughter sleeps on her back about 50% of the time. She started rolling over early on, but prefers to sleep on her side or back. She's only slept on her tummy once or twice in her life, lol.

[Friendlee]

We don't get much sleep around here...but we got even LESS when we were trying to force her to sleep on her back! Now she mostly sleeps on her tummy and is MUCH more comfortable that way. She's finally six months old TODAY so I feel a little less anxious about it.

I'm glad she's getting more slow wave sleep and that that will contribute to good social, cognitive and physical development!

[Alisse]

My son sleeps on his side or back; he HATES being on his belly. We tried to do supervised sleeps on his tummy when he was 0-3months because we were concerned about him developing a flat head but he never sleep well or for very long. I and my 3 sisters were also back sleepers, (my mother laments about this because back in the day belly sleeping was the thing to do).

[slimkins]

My son has always slept on his back. There were a few times when he was a brand spankin' new baby that I would put him down next to me, on his tummy. Other than that, he always slept on his back. He was a pretty late roller and still really only rolls from his back to his belly, which he does sometimes in his crib and will sleep on his side and very rarely on his belly. We also only swaddled from about 3 months to 4 1/2 months. He didn't like it in the beginning either, but we tried it again later on and he LOVED it!

[greenbeanmama]

My daughter sleeps on her back. With her legs draped over my legs. Kicking away. Seriously, this girl wants her nose burried in my armpit and her legs propped up on mine. But hey, it's sleep. So I'm not complaining too much.

[hakeber]

DD sleeps soundly on her back. In fact she hates her tummy, but ds preferred his side or tummy, so we got one of those foam rubber wedge positioner thingies.

He was swaddled first and then tied in and then we’d place him in the side lying pillow and he’d stay asleep with the white noise on for ages.

Once he was off the swaddle he always slept on his tummy.

[cristeen]

My little guy sleeps on his back about 50% of the time, on his side maybe 40% and tummy 10%. I usually put him down on his back or his side, since I have yet to figure out how to put him down on his tummy without waking him up.

[DenBic]

Our first DD loved being on her back or side from the beginning, lightly swaddled.
DD2 will only sleep on her own on her belly, but will co-sleep on her side or back now that she is older (9months). (she also sleeps with her legs drapped over mine! It's super cute (she just started that one). When she was younger I often just placed her on her belly to sleep during the day.

[HappyMonkey]

My baby slept on her side for at least a month... now she feeds on her side then rolls onto her back to sleep... arms and legs spread like a little starfish. She always woke when I rolled her onto her back. I felt bad too... but my sisters ped. said side is fine... just not on tummy.

[akind1]

DS is a back and side sleeper. once in a great while, he sleeps on his belly. He really prefers his side though; which even in ultrasounds, is how he slept; not full fetal, but more like pike position with his legs straight out.

I am a belly and side sleeper (which is why we don't co-sleep in bed all night or very often) and DH is a back and side sleeper. I wonder sometimes if that is genetic.

[belltree]

We went from sleeping on top of us on the belly to sleeping on the side in the crook of my arm to only sleeping and liking to lay on the back. He hates being on this belly.

[akat]

mine will sleep on his back if I'm next to him. if he's having trouble it helps if I put my arm under his head with him maybe on his side.

sometimes I put something like a pillow under his legs so they are up and bent a bit so he isn't so flat out.

he naps in buckets, like our laps, swings, car seats, etc, so his legs are bent and he's on an incline.

[neverdoingitagain]

Both of my kids were side-back sleepers when they were babies. My oldest turned into a belly sleeper and my youngest is all over the map...and on my head.

[Mama~Love]

All 6 of mine were belly sleepers. If they were on their backs, they would startle themselves awake. I'd try putting him on his belly & see how he does.