Be honest, don't just recite the AAP -- baby and sleeping - Page 4

[treemom2]

DD always slept on her back or side. DS will not sleep on his back or side (he startles all the time and will only sleep for a few minutes)--he will only sleep well on his tummy so I always put him on his stomach to sleep. I spoke with my midwife about it and she said that all babies sleep better on their stomachs and SIDS is caused by a wiring problem not the position babies sleep in. I also spoke with my doc about it (cause all you read says back to sleep), he said he can't recommed I put DS on his stomach because of the possible risks, but since DS is so big and healthy he would probably be okay.

[3for3hb]

I just want to add that there is a lot of scientific literature related to SIDS and upper cervical subluxations that of course can only be addressed by specific chiropractic care. The birth process, even when considered normal, whether by hospital or homebirth standards, is a traumatic process to the baby. There are so many factors that could make it potentially more traumatic, such as the use of forceps, vaccum extraction, extended time in the birth canal, breech or oblique position of the baby, other non-textbook presentations and of course delivery by cesarean. The main reason for the trauma experienced (which is not recognized by the medical community) is that the health care professional (OB or midwife) delivering the baby (or rather assisting in the delivery of the baby) usually pulls on the babys neck once the head is out. I have read the protocols in the OB textbooks and watched the videos made for OB's on delivery and it is considered normal to put an average of 90 footpounds of pressure on the babys neck to help it come out. Babies don't need that kind of help when they are coming out because they go through a series of reflexes which get them out just fine on their own... the only factor is time... it usually takes a lot longer to let a mother birth her baby with no interference than to "help things along" and pull the baby out.
Without going into a lot of detail (which I tend to do), when the baby's neck is subjected to such unnatural stresses, it tractions the tiny spine and usually causes damage to the spinal cord and/or the brain stem. The very top part of the spine protects very important respiration centers and when one of those top vertebrae are subluxated (meaning they are misaligned in such a way that it causes impingement on parts of the nervous system, i.e. spinal cord and spinal nerves) they could be putting pressure on those respiration centers and in certain positions could be overstimulating or understimulating them (which would explain why the baby stops breathing).
Guffmann et al wrote several studies on the subject. Also autopsies done on babies that died of SIDS show a very high correlation between scarring of the spinal cord/brain stem due to severe traction injuries (head being pulled away from the body too much). These were all babies who were too young to have experienced any trauma other than birth and all the babies had births that were recorded as "normal."
Now back to the OP, if a baby who has an upper cervical subluxation with possible damage/scarring to the spinal cord in that sensitive area is laid on their stomach, their head has to be turned to one side or the other and this position will intensify any pressure already caused by the misalignment. If you look at the statistics, you will see that the AAP has changed their position on the positions in which to lay the baby to sleep many times. And while they recommended the stomach lying position, the incidence of SIDS increased dramatically (several times but I forget the exact number). So then they changed their recommendation to a different position.

I tell all my patients who are new parents this because it is vitally important to get your babies checked for subluxations as soon as possible after birth. Chiropractic care isn't about back aches and pains, it is about restoring health by the removal of interference to the nervous system... so it applies to babies, children, and adults.

Personally, my son always preferred the back position, so that is how he slept. Now that he is more mobile (14 months) I'll find him in any number of positions throughout the night :LOL

[daisyem]

Co-sleeping from day 1 with both children...

I always put dd to sleep on her back, I was paranoid
Now, i put ds to sleep on his back, but if he has trouble sleeping, occationally I let him sleep on his tummy (he seems to have a bit of a reflux problem) or his side.

[guestmama9915]

My DD slept better on her tummy, so she's slept like that since she was a few weeks old until she could roll over and then slept in every position possible.

[laurenalanna]

My son wouldn't settle on his back he would always wake himself up. When he was tiny he took most of his naps in my sling, at night he either slept on his side or on his tummy. Once he was about 2 or 3 months old he needed a more settled place to sleep - would no longer sleep for long stretches in the sling. So he slept on our bed or in his bassinet on his stomach.

I worried a little at first, but never noticed any problem with him sleeping on his tummy. We were all much happier once I decided to not worry and let him sleep how he liked.

[UUMom]

If in the moses basket, on their backs. When in bed with me, on their sides with mouth attached to my breast. I've never managed nursing them all night while they are on the backs. :LOL During the day, they had naps in my arms, or in the sling (got my first OTSBH when my first was about 12 mos--before that, i had an Annie's Ride, i think it was called), maya wrap or baby bjorn, esp my youngest. And that's the god's honest truth. I don't feel comfortable having a baby sleep alone or on their stomachs.

[mollyeilis]

I've only read the first post.

We put DS on his belly pretty early on, though at first I was still napping with him. He was soooo happy and contented on his belly...

Then we really got into helping him nap on his side. We already had a sleep positioner from BRU (really low tech, just a couple foam wedges with mesh covers and velcro with a velcro-accepting mat) and just lay him on his side to nurse, wedged him in there, and voila, side-sleeping baby.

Now he'll sleep just about any way, and actually rarely sleeps on his belly.

My stepmom is a NICU nurse and she thinks the guidelines for sleeping only on the back are silly. Then again, she and I don't think alike on other things, why am I advocating what she believes in this circumstance?

Eh, I figure we co-sleep, don't smoke, don't vaccinate (about 10 years ago I read that in Japan SIDS cases almost disappeared when they pushed the MMR out to 2 years rather than 2 months), etc etc etc, I just don't really worry.

Oh, and when I was in chiropractic school, our prevailing thought that SIDS was actually a mess-up in the vertebral column caused by previous stresses to the spine, aggravated by the twisted position of a belly-sleeping kid. My kid is regularly checked by my friend-chiro, so I know there are no vertebral subluxations to be aggravated by the position, so that's yet another reason I don't worry.


OMG willemsmamma , I had no idea you just posted all you posted, right before my post! Great minds think alike, eh? I don't practice anymore (but might in the future), but that education just doesn't go away!

[meco]

My baby slept best on his back. Sometimes on his side. He hated being on his stomach.

He was a great back sleeper.

Ay 2, he still is a back and side sleeper. He rarely sleeps on his stomach.

[hipumpkins]

DD slept in her car seat bucket seat, kind of reclined. She wouldn't sleep any other way. So she was technically on her back. WE had a one piece car seat in the car but MIL insisited we have the bucket kind so she bought it. We put it in the cradle and next to our bed and it was DD's bed. So I guess MIL was right...we did need it.

[malibusunny]

nick sleeps on his side or his back when he is sleeping with me, but when he slept alone as a tiny baby (rare) he would only sleep on his stomach.

[Faerieshadow]

Ds slept on me or in the crook of my arm while bfing for the first 6 weeks.. then naps were generally in the sling. If I did put him down in the bassinet for a nap he went tummy down, but that was when he was 2 months old and able to lift his head up and roll over just fine so I didn't obsess over it (too much lol). Now he changes position in the bed constantly at night, but he usually lays curled into my back or my arms on his side until he wants to breastfeed.

Just wanted to add that there has been some very interesting information given out on this thread! I learn new things every day coming here...

[USAmma]

Both of mine slept better on their tummies. Both were also reflux babies. Abi was a "happy vomiter" and Nitara has a lot of really bad problems. With both of them, I woke up to them vomiting on their back and choking on the vomit when they were too little to turn their heads to rescue themselves. It was sooo scary!

Nitara's Ped GI actually suggested we put her on her back at 3 mos. old after she was hospitalized for reflux. The tummy position empties the stomach faster and of course prevents aspiration if she were to vomit again in her sleep.

[Nora_SEA]

I cannot believe that I'm putting my nb on her tummy starting today at naptime. She's been a terrible sleeper and once I tried it earlier she slept for 3 hours. I do have the Angel Care motion sensor mode on her monitor and it helps me feel just OK about it...since it will beep if it doesn't detect breathing/motion for 20 seconds. I am getting an Amby bed tomorrow as a gift and hope she'll like it on her back.

[UnschoolnMa]

Both mine were pretty much tummy sleepers as infants

[catnip]

Kaia is a sidesleeper, both at night and most naps, though many naps are in a sitting position in her sling or tummy to tummy on the couch while I read. And as I type this, she's on her back on her boppy in my lap. We cosleep.