Mothering Forum banner

Back to sleep?

1K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  pokeyac 
#1 ·
Hi mamas, I'm wondering what your thoughts are on tummy sleepers? I KNOW it's is recommended against w/ SIDS, I'm just wondering if there has been any solid evidence for this and what the consensus is. I gave birth on sunday to a lovely 8.4# bouncing baby boy and just like his big brother, he HATES sleeping on his back. So I've been putting him to sleep on his tummy during the day while I stay with him and keep an eye on him, but night time I put him on his back, because I can't watch him while I sleep too. THis has been a problem, he hates it, and startles himself away every few minutes and I have not slept for more than an hr since he was born ;-( Thought? Advice? Recommendations? TIA, Danielle, now mama to 2 boys!http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
 
#2 ·
I have a 3 week old and do the same as you do...tummy sleeping for day naps and on the back for night. She does sleep wayy better on her tummy. She nurses most of the night so I guess technically she is on her side a lot at night as we side nurse laying down. I originally started putting her on her belly for day naps due to wanting to avoid a flat spot on the back of her head...I started getting anxiety about flat spots the first few days post partum...although my son slept on his back almost exclusively and never got one. Finding out she sleeps better on her belly anyway was nice to discover.

Do you swaddle? My baby tolerates back sleeping better if she is swaddled.
 
#6 ·
Congratulations on your new baby!
Here is some information from the National Institutes of Health on Safe Sleep. Here are some risk factors. The increased risk of SIDS from babies sleeping on their stomachs is well-documented. There have been great drops in SIDS when people were encouraged to put babies on their backs. That being said, there are other risk factors for SIDS. If you feel like you do not have the other risk factors, maybe you would feel ok letting baby sleep on the tummy. If the sleep environment is safe and you are keeping an eye on baby, that helps. If you are co-sleeping and nursing, that may reduce your risk also.
Perhaps you can make baby more comfortable on the back by swaddling like others have mentioned. My son slept in a rock n' play and he was more comfortable there than in the co-sleeper, I think because it cradled him instead of being a perfectly flat surface. Also, I am of the school of thought that babies are supposed to wake up at night. The light sleeping and frequent waking may help protect them from SIDS by not letting them sleep too deeply.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top