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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

dd only really sleeps on her front... should I not even go there?

20 replies

HeadFairy · 31/01/2010 17:36

In her cot that is... she sleeps pretty well on her back in my bed, but I'm not keen on co-sleeping as I don't get any sleep really, I'm so aware she's there I'm awake most of the night. She's four weeks old and has never slept in her moses basket which is inches from my face in our bedroom. She usually sleeps face down on my chest or occasionally next to me in bed. The only time she's slept in her cot it's been on her front. I'd never do it over night, only during the day when she's been napping, and only when I've had the moses basket downstairs in the living room with us. I'd never leave her on her own on her front, but should I just not even allow her to have naps on her front?

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bidibidi · 31/01/2010 18:10

Um... well, if it were me, honestly, I'd probably leave her! But it's up to you. The risk of SIDS is raised if she sleeps on her front, but it's still pretty small risk.

I do know people who let their DC sleep on front all the time because it was the best all round way to manage everyone's needs (baby slept much better so parents were much better rested, etc.) My DC were all side-sleepers, which apparently is still twice as risky as back sleeping, and I never worried about it because there are so many things to juggle and worry about, I had to let something slide.

HeadFairy · 31/01/2010 18:38

my sister said something similar about her to dds bidibidi, she's so tired because she's got her first cold and i'm knackered too, she really needs some quality sleep besides the cat naps she's currently getting. i guess its a judgement call....

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ChairmumMiaow · 31/01/2010 18:45

We've all been there with the knackeredness - but bear in mind when making that judgement call that cot death rates fell by 80% after the 'back to sleep' campaign whenever it was.

GhoulsAreLoud · 31/01/2010 18:49

My friend's DS is like this and she uses a breathing monitor for peace of mind.

I still wouldn't do it though, but that's just a personal thing.

Drooper · 31/01/2010 19:00

I would think that co-sleeping is probably less of a risk than front sleeping, if you are non-smokers and follow guidelines.

It can seem like such a balancing act sometimes. I would be doing my best not to let her tummy sleep tbh (risk of cot death tummy sleeping will be there in day as well at night)

HeadFairy · 31/01/2010 21:22

thanks for your replies. I do feel really nervous letting her front sleep, even during the day, and I check her every 2 mins obssessively! I am going to stick with co sleeping at night for a bit longer, particularly while she's still quite young, but I'm worried that if we're still co sleeping at 6 months we're going to have problems getting her in to a cot...

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PavlovtheCat · 31/01/2010 21:29

DS prefers front. For the first 4-6weeks he refused his moses basket, insisting on sleeping either on my chest tummy down, or sidewards in bed. Even now it is his favourite position although he does like side sleeping too. I was finding I was spending most of the night asleep upright with one eye open (ie hardly sleeping at all) with him on my chest and was knackered.

I have finally managed to get him to sleep on his back in his basket for much of the night, but not all, at 9wks, through perserverence and swaddling, and I have also raised the mattress somewhat so he is at an angle (did this as he had a cold and snuffled/coughed when flat) and a gradual transition from his deep bucket like rocker which he fell asleep in a couple of times and i left him in through the night. I also tuck in a t-shirt of mine so he has my smell, and I tuck a blanket in around his sides to give him a feeling of closeness.

He would however, be quite happy to sleep with his little face buried into my neck, arms protectively cupping the sides of my boobs. Or he would sleep happily permanently attached to my boobs

HeadFairy · 31/01/2010 21:56

pavlov, thanks for that, it is reassuring to know that it's possible to start introducing the cot a bit later. I think like you, it'll be a gradual process with dd. She's started doing daytime naps in her cot, so hopefully she'll get used to it enough to start doing it at night too.

It's funny you mention a cold, because dd has quite a stuffy nose and she's quite unsettled too, she's been bringing up lots of milk (probably because she's taking in too much air as her nose is blocked and feeding is difficult for her) and there's been quite a bit of mucusy snot in there too. Maybe once the cold goes she'll be more settled. I'll try raising the end of the cot too, thanks for the tip.

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HaveToWearHeels · 31/01/2010 21:58

My DD always napped on her front, she would fall sleep on my chest and the only way I could put her down was on her front, I was paranoid and would check her every 3 minutes but it was the only way she would get a good nap. It only lasted until she was about 8 weeks, then she was happy to nap on her back. I think they get a little more comfortable with their surroundings as they get older and scrunched up on their tummies is makes them feel secure. I never ever let her sleep on her tummy at night though.
Only you can make the decision.

PavlovtheCat · 31/01/2010 22:04

headfairy sounds just like DS as you have described! He has only just stopped vomiting up feeds mixed with the mucous he was swalling only to get another cold! I think its the inevitability of a winter baby as DD was not like this born in a rare july heat wave!) Sometimes the noise he produced was frightening for such a tiny baby! I think it was a combination of as an early baby prefering mama as he was new out of his little womb home, and wanting to be close to me, and the cold/virus he got. Raising the end of the bed will definitely help - i just used a wrapped up blanket and a t-shirt of mine at one end under the mattress, nothing fancy!

saintlydamemrsturnip · 31/01/2010 22:04

I had two like this. I think they were both refluxy. I fought and battled with ds2 and we eventually agreed on side sleeping. It was the best I could do. When I had the same problem with ds3 I bought and amby hammock and he was very happy in that, no problems at all and he was sleeping though from 6 weeks!!!!! I wished I'd had one for ds2.

sparklycheerymummy · 31/01/2010 22:07

my ds slept on his front from day one..... he is a solid big boy 10lb 11ozs and he could hold up his head from day one too! If he didnt have any head control i wouldnt have done it but he did so i didnt worry..... he slept in his moses basket next to me as co sleeping scares me more. however he got the snuffles nad a cough and ended up with bronchiolitis..... therefore he was better on his side and now wont go on his front!! doc advised on side propped with blankets etc as snot and mucous can come out adn itf on back they can choke and on front their heads are right in it! ds sleeps through at moment at 7 weeks!! 7pm - 5am!!!!

HeadFairy · 31/01/2010 23:02

ha, I thought I'd be clever and flip dd over once she was asleep but even though I was ever so gentle with her, she still woke up as soon as I got her on her back.

thanks for your input everyone. I think you're right Pavlov, it's the curse of being a winter baby, i don't think ds had his first cold until he was about three months, and he was born in september. dd's moses basket is currently propped by dh's boring books on military history She's currently on my chest but I'll keep trying to get her to go on her back in the cot tonight.

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PavlovtheCat · 31/01/2010 23:08

You would think those books alone would be enough to send her to sleep in any position wouldn't you ?

I hope you manage to get some sleep tonight. DS is gurgling a little, and breathing heavily on his back in that 'i am sleeping but i am ever so uncomfortable on my back' way that babies can do when poorly, so he might end up with me, just for an hour

HeadFairy · 01/02/2010 19:49

she was ok last night, none too happy at being flipped on to her back, she started grunting and because i'm too tired to go cold turkey with her so she ended up in bed with me, where she sleeps brilliantly on her back by the way!!!! she spent the rest of the night with me again - I'm such a soft touch!

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PavlovtheCat · 02/02/2010 09:14

headfairy DS was the same! in bed next to me, in the crook of my arm, perfectly happy, in his basket, not a chance! I wonder if it is to be near to their milk supply, or hearing our breathing as they are so new? DS stopped being comfortable in bed with us when his vomiting got worse. I really hope it gets easier.

teaandcakeplease · 04/02/2010 09:54

I haven't read all the posts on here but my second child had horrendous colic, wouldn't take a dummy (tried many different ones) and I had real trouble getting him to nap.

Two of my friends told me that they're children slept best on their tummy's. (My first child liked sleeping on her side.) I decided in desperation to give it a go. He slept for 3 hours in the day just like that. I checked on him constantly. Before long he was rolling over onto his tummy anyway, as he was always a big baby. But even though I knew there was a higher risk of cot death, I risked it, as he slept so much better on his front. I just checked on him lots until he could lift his head up on his own and made sure he didn't get too hot etc.

He still sleeps on his front at 13 months now.

HTH

RubyBuckleberry · 04/02/2010 17:19

I read in a journal article that many babies that died were sleeping in an environment that was too hot, with the heating on too high all night and their blankets/duvets?! totalling the equivalent of 10 togs! 10 togs - that's alot! They were also talking about carbon dioxide, in that basically they were breathing too much in so they must have been stifled, at the same time, I've seen another study where the carbon dioxide levels when sleeping next to mum, face to chest/face, mimimised periods of sleep apnoea, a possible cause of some SIDs cases. I wouldn't put DS on his front now, as he is used to being on his back, but I've thought about it, and we all were (brother, sister, me), as babies. I also read that the back to sleep campaign coincided with a different way of counting SIDs cases which sqewed (sp?) the numbers.

RubyBuckleberry · 04/02/2010 17:22

the 10tog babies were in prone position, and are less likely to kick off covers, and the blankets-on-face-get-off-reflex (can't think of the name, sorry) is not stimulated/set off, or even present on the back of the head so they just suffocated it sounded like... clearly, you have to be careful...

BellaBalloon · 14/02/2010 17:20

so pleased to have found this thread - ds exactly the same. 3 weeks old today and all this week been snotty and a bit sicky and only wanting to sleep tummy to mummy's tummy.
in fact he is asleep fast asleep on his tummy on my lap now. i was soothing him for about 10 mins. as soon as i turned him over thinking he must have some wind he just conked right out...

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