Do all babies end up on their fronts to sleep?

[NightPower]

DS is 10 months and has mastered rolling very well in his gro bag. But this now means he ends up sleeping on his front and rather face down. I'm petrified I'm going to wake up and he's dead. He doesn't like being on his front much and had taken to sleeping on his side which I wasn't thrilled about but I accepted. Now he rolls to his front cries and lifts his head up and then goes to sleep then repeat. My nerves are shred. I can't sleep. I haven't slept past 3 am in weeks because he would wake and not settle fully but now this too.

It wasn't too long ago that we were told we had to put them to sleep on their fronts.

I was concerned that my eldest was getting a flat head due to sleeping on her back so would have liked it if they had rolled onto their fronts.

My 17 month old has slept on his front since he could roll over. Freaked me out at first too but I wouldn’t worry.

My baby started trying to sleep on her front at about 5mths old. I panicked so much when she moved into her cot in her own room at 6mths. She's been in there a couple of weeks now and I'm constantly worrying at night. I've been up most of the night and I'm shattered - keep going in to check her breathing and she's fine, but I'm so worried as she sleeps permanently on her front now.

DD (1) has slept on her front as soon as she could roll there herself, hated being on her back. Now sleeps face in mattress, bum in air! First few nights I was terrified too (and don’t laugh but I buried my head in her mattress myself to check whether I could breathe and I could 😂)

@violetfern no laughing here. Just thinking I might go do the same

If he can roll by himself and at ten months I wouldn't be worried by this. Both my dc at this age found their own comfortable sleeping positions. For dd2 this was usually on her front.

My 7 month old has just started doing this. For the last few months we have used a Snuza Hero alarm on her nappy at night. I know it's not a miracle item that would save her life, and they can make people complacent... But honestly, it's so reassuring to know that if anything were to happen we would be alerted immediately. I used to get a stab of panic every time I woke up just in case something had happened, and the alarm has totally removed that. I would seriously recommend it, it was worth every penny. I have quite bad anxiety and it's made such a difference.

In my experience they do and once they can roll by themselves and have the strength to lift their heads then it’s fine for them to do so.

[quote NightPower]@violetfern no laughing here. Just thinking I might go do the same[/quote]
It definitely helped with my anxiety about it, obv completely unscientific though!

My youngest learnt to roll at 12 weeks and started sleeping on her front around 14 weeks. The first few nights it was a bit scary especially as she slept face down in the mattress! But she was and is fine and i read that if they're able to roll themselves into that position they're strong enough to get themselves out of it. At 10 months I wouldnt really worry.

Once they can roll, it’s fine. Because they can roll. It’s when they are teeny tiny and can’t roll and don’t have any head control that it’s an issue.

Mine always sleeps on her back or side. She's two. Then again, I always sleep on my front, I reckon because that's how my mum was told to place me as a baby. Makes pregnancy a very restless time!

I wouldn't worry, it's considered safe to leave them how they land once they can roll at will.

@crystalsue does it not get in the way at all?

Thank you all. Logically I know he will be ok but it is such a concern when it is drilled into you about safe sleeping. I like to try and live by the "rules" and he has been an avid back sleeper until about a week ago.

I think once they have the ability themselves, then it’s fine.
I remember the first night dd rolled on her front as soon as I’d put her down. I was worried, so flipped her back, by the time I’d turned my back and walked to her bedroom door to leave the room. She’d done it again. I had to accept then, that was how she would sleep.

She’s 2.4 now and still sleeps on her front.

Assuming he can roll back the other way - which at 10 months I'm sure must be the case - then my understanding is that it's not considered a problem anymore. I'd put him down on his back and leave him to it.

My little darling managed to learn to roll from his back to his front at about 12 weeks, and has only just mastered the other way at just shy of 6 months. I was forever trying to gently flip him back without waking him, which never worked and then we'd have to go through the whole rigmarole of getting back to sleep. We are both sleeping so much better now he's at a point where I feel I can worry less about it!

@NightPower no it doesn't, I was quite surprised because I thought we'd need to stop using it once she was rolling around. But it still seems to work and stay in place even when she's on her tummy. However, I seem to recall when I bought it that reviews said it comes off or gives false alarms once babies are moving around. That hasn't happened to us yet touch wood, still seems very secure on her nappy in the morning

If you're interested in buying one then perhaps look for one second hand, just in case you don't get on with it.

New born babies can lift their heads and turn them from side to side. Even the babies in SCU were put down to sleep on their fronts when I had my dcs in the late 60's.

Yes - I know about the warnings, but I'm still hoping that they will one day find out exactly what causes SIDS and will change the advice. Ime, babies feel more secure and sleep much better on their fronts. When they're on their backs, they look like upside-down beetles to me, flailing arms and legs, with nothing to grab on to except thin air. Stronger necks and backs, too.