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5 mo sleeping on tummy?

784 views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  excitedtobeamom 
#1 ·
Ok, for the most part my DS has always slept on his back and we have had no problems. Recently he wants to sleep partialy on his tummy, head and shoulders on his side but bumm in the air. How safe is it to let him sleep on his tummy or 3/4 on his tummy?

He is 5 1/2 months, has been rolling from his back to tummy for about 2 months now, has very strong neck muscles, has been lifting himself all the way up on his arms when on his tummy for about 2 weeks, and started spinning around on his tummy for about 1 week. Just to give you an idea of where he is at physicaly.

I am looking for any advice wether it's just what you did, feel you will do, have done in the past or anything documented. I have read that when they get to where when you flip them to their back they just roll back over in their sleep then it is ok to let them tummy sleep. We do co-sleep so I am not at all worried about him tummy sleeping while I am in there, but I am a little worried when he is down for a nap and I sneak out of the room.

I have also read that SIDS is most common in 3 - 6 month olds and that scares me. 2 weeks ago at one of our play groups DS was really tired but refused to fall asleep in my arms and when I put him down on his back he would just flip over and start to play. So I let him play untill he couldn't play anymore and passed out (he literaly was still playing with the toy is his sleep, it was really cute). Well a momma came up to me and very nicely voiced her concerns about him sleeping on his tummy, she had a child that died to SIDS due to tummy sleeping. I thanked her and let her know that we never tummy sleep, but since there were a room full of people and he had finaly passed out I felt comfortable, and reassured her that we don't tummy sleep at home.

So, please warn me or set my mind at ease.
I am very
so I hope this makes sence.
 
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#2 ·
Also.... there are times were he fights sleep so bad that he will not stay on his back. He either fights to lay on his side or 3/4 on tummy. He will fussy and wine untill he finds a comfy spot, lately it's the 3/4 tummy then he will go to sleep. If he by accident rolls all the way over on his tummy he lifts his head up, almost instantly and wakes up and looks around.

Ok, sorry this is so long.... so
 
#3 ·
I was told that if they are able to roll by themselves, then it's ok. You should put him on his back and if he rolls over, it's probably fine. If you're uncomfortable with that, you can always let him fall asleep as he wishes and then roll him over. Or try a sleep positioner.
 
#4 ·
Gena,
My Emma REFUSED to sleep on her back until about a month ago! I was terrified of SIDS and because of it, I had her sleep in her crib with an angelcare monitor. I wanted an alarm to sound off if she stopped breathing (not realizing that co-sleeping helps them to set their own breathing pattern). I wasn't comfortable with her in my bed a full night until she started rolling (about 3 1/2 months)

I would just make sure that there are no pillows or bundles of blankets around him, and he'll be fine (especially since he can roll on his own now).
 
#6 ·
Both of my babies have always slept on their tummies. I don't think it causes SIDS. I think SIDS has more to do with smoking, not breastfeeding, not co-sleeping, or vaccine reactions.
 
#8 ·
My baby has always slept on her tummy. She would not sleep except on us in her first week, and then the only way she would sleep after that was on her belly. I felt scared and like a horrible parent, but she was right next to us. We confessed to our ped around 5 or 6 months, and she said that as long as she could push her head and shoulders up, roll over, etc., SIDS was no longer a concern.

The funny thing is that now, at 9 months, she starts on her tummy (we put her down that way after nursing to sleep) and she often rolls over onto her back
 
#11 ·
This might be nuts but I don't think anything causes SIDS. I think it is an act of nature that really sucks but it happens. I think otherwise the babies die from suffocation or overheating but to me that is not SIDS. This back to sleep is new and when I was a baby it was tummy to sleep. I think b/c SIDS is so awful we often look to blame somehting or someone but truthfully sometimes nature takes it's ugly course and we can not stop it.
 
#12 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by hipumpkins
This might be nuts but I don't think anything causes SIDS.
I think something causes it, we just don't know what. All we can do is look at what factors seem to be associated with SIDS and try to minimize them. And we only know as much as we know, for any given moment.

Once a baby can roll him/herself over, tummy sleeping is not really a concern. A younger baby who can't roll over is at higher risk. One of the theories is that it relates to rebreathing oxygen-depleted air, which could come from baby on tummy with head near the mattress or soft bedding. Another is that it relates to extra pressure on the abdomen which causes more effort to be required to move the diaphragm and breathe. Nobody really knows now. But in your case, I think you are okay.
 
#13 ·
As long as he isn't in supersoft bedding I would let him sleep on his tummy. If he sleeps better that way he will be fine. The fact that he can lift his head and roll should make you feel better. I know lots of moms who have let their babies sleep on their tummies since day one. Some of us just sleep better that way. There are many other risk factors involved with SIDS and they aren't certain exactly what causes it.
 
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