Is it ok to put my dd (8weeks) to sleep on her side?

[BetsyRabbit]

..she seems to sleep a lot easier like this but is it more dangerous than on her back?

[JingleyJen]

I don't know about the danger bit but DS2 certainly settled better on his right hand side.

[BetsyRabbit]

Just worried cause of the 'back to sleep' campaign and the higher risk of SIDS in babies placed to sleep on their front. We've had lots of trouble getting DD to sleep and discovered yesterday she seems to like being on her right side. Don't wont to do anything to increase the risk of SIDS.

[suncream]

My HV advised me to do this with ds as his possetting was so bad, but she gave us this thing, a 'snuggler' I think - basically 2 tiny blankets rolled up either side of him but all wrapped into a cloth that he lay on so they couldn't become unravelled. This kept him wedged on his side so he couldn't roll onto his front.

[Surroundedbysnot]

Try the FSID website, maybe, for info. From MEMORY (ie, not entirely reliable), they regard side-sleeping as far better than tummy sleeping, but not quite as safe as back sleeping. But my ds slept a lot better like this as well, and then slept on his tummy as soon as he was able to roll, despite my frantic re-turnings ...

[Kittyo]

for the first 12wks my dd slept on her side. HV told me she was probably in that position in the womb but suggested I put her down on her back but dd wasn't a fan. as she got bigger she moved over to her back. Now, at 6 months, she's on her side again. i wouldn't worry. although they do say to swap sides - something to do with muscles

[berolina]

I wouldn't do it. It is better than tummy but still considerably riskier than back. ds2 sleeps sort-of on his side sometimes, but a) he's nearly 5 months, b) he only does it when he is co-sleeping immediately next to me and has fed. I would never actually put him down on his side.

[BetsyRabbit]

Thanks for the advice. Still a bit confused as what to do though, have put her down on her side the last two nights and she has definately slept better but I don't want to do anything risky so might persevere with putting her on her back for the time being.

[lljkk]

I let mine sleep on their side. I'm not telling you it's "okay", just I felt I could live with the slightly extra risk knowing how much better baby slept. (which means, how much better I slept, too).
I'm a side-sleeper myself, so it made sense to me.
I would have put them on their tums if it made a huge difference to their sleeping, too. At the end of the day, you have to decide what benefits and risks you're trading off and what you chances you personally can live with.
Mine did sleep on their tums by choice quite often after 6 months, btw, when they could roll over as the needed, anyway.

[lljkk]

urk, sorry for typos!

[Habbibu]

Betsy, can you put her down on her side and then gently roll her over once she's fast asleep? We used to do this when dd was younger - she sleeps on her side now, but is 15mo.

[BetsyRabbit]

Yes that is a good idea I will try that. She hasn't gone to sleep at all in her cot the last couple of nights and ended up with me in bed anyway! One step foward two steps back.