Rolling baby...

[Quidgetmidget]

Hi everyone,

I'm in a panic / too much conflicting information overload...

My 14wk Dd has, since Sunday night, suddenly taken to rolling onto her side whilst asleep, sometimes ending up on her belly but mainly just on her side. I'm a 1st time mum and it's been drilled into me that the ONLY position for her to sleep in on her back.

Now other than staying awake all night to correct her position is there anything I can do, or do I even need to worry?

The info I can find is that anything other than flat on back is a SIDS risk but then contradictory advice says if she can roll on her side she can roll back.

So is it something to worry about or just another new party trick she has developed?

[DonkeysDontRideBicycles]

Shall be upfront, it's a long time since my DCs were babies, so someone with up-to-date experience will come along I am sure. So feel free to disregard this and just see it as bumping your post upthread.

Fwiw I think providing she has shown some strength in raising her head, moving it from side to side, and you don't have her sleep area cluttered with loose bedding or toys, it will be all right. Another SIDS risk factor is said to be over-heating. If you do as much as you can to safeguard DD, she can get on with being a baby, which will include new physical stunts to impress.

[superbabysmummy]

If you are worried put her in a grobag, they are designed so that babies can't roll on to their tummies in them

[Believeitornot]

I thought it they could roll themselves then the risk was less. But you have to keep the cot clear of anything soft e.g. teddies etc.

However, my DS rolled onto his tummy from 5/6 months when sleeping so I left him to sleep that way. At 14 weeks I'd be a bit wary and would probably lie her on her side with the arm which is on the mattress outstretched to stop her ending up on her belly.

[Quidgetmidget]

Thank you for your replies

We did have a grobag when it was colder as she's a bugger for kicking her blankets off, so I'll definitely try a lower tog one.

When she does roll over she natural falls into the recovery position (unless she's trying to naw her hands off) & after watching her today she doesn't seem able to get further than her side.

I also saw the health visitor today who recommended checking on her every hour.

When dd is not disturbed she will sleep straight from 7pm to 7am, if I start moving her every hour she won't be happy!

[Jayne266]

My DS did this even in his gro bag at that age I would have bought a sleep positioner.
I got mine from eBay and that helped until he could roll a lot better and it got removed then.

[LowLevelWhinging]

I think, that once they can lift their heads it's less risky because they can move to make sure they can breathe?

[honeytea]

We have the same problem. Ds has a growbag and still rolls onto his side and tummy :/

I have put him back into his small new baby bed and now he can only roll onto his side.

I was so proud when ds first rolled over but now I miss the days when I put him down and he stayed where I put him!

[honeytea]

I have also read the head control thing but my friend's baby died from sids at 4 months old, his head control was great and he could roll onto his side (he was found on his side :( )

[fififrog]

I think it's important not to get too anxious about it. Gro bags will not help you, unless you do as my friend did and safety pin them to the sheet! My DD rolled early and there was sod all that I could do. I am not belittling risk of SIDS but if i were you, do what you can and try to put him back onto his back if you go in and just try not to worry... I was really worried about it esp as it took two monts before she could roll tummy to back, though there was nothing suffocatey, she was in a grobag and she was way 'better' at tummy time than most of her peers. Incidentally, she has, by choice, slept on her tummy since 5 months ish.

[LowLevelWhinging]

so sorry honeytea

so I guess it's a complicated thing, not just about suffocating

[honeytea]

I think the scary thing is that no one understands why babies die from sids, I think often head stability and rolling happens around 4 months when the risk of sids starts to drop anyway.

I am wishing away the weeks till my ds is 6 months, the risk seems much lower then

I love the idea of safety pinning the sleepingbag to the bed, I considered sewing it to the mattress but I'm not really crafty enough for that.

I do let ds have tummy time in his sleepingbag, I'm hopping he learns tummy to back rolling in his sleepingbag soon!