To consider putting my baby down on her tummy for sleep?

[needanewusernameplz]

Flamer disclaimer - fully aware of SIDS risk, don't want to kill my baby. Keep your flaming comments at bay please.

I have a three week old newborn, and two couples in my NCT group are happily putting their babies (aged 6 and 7 weeks) down on their tummies for sleep. And they sleep beautifully on their stomachs. My sister also did this as soon as they could lift and turn their heads.

I have been reading that paediatricians all tend to agree that babies sleep better on their stomachs, but obviously the SIDS risk overrides this.

Does anyone put their babies down on their tummies?

I really wouldn't do that.

The incidence of SIDS has reduced massively because of the Back to Sleep campaign, not in spite of

No I didn’t, as the advice was not to.

I resorted to putting my baby to sleep on her tummy and then rolling her onto her back- it was the only way I could get her to sleep. As soon as my LO could roll though she always ended up on her side and belly.

No. It's not worth the risk. I think your NCT friends are idiots.

God no and no one I know has or would. Imagine how you would feel if the worst happened and it was entirely avoidable. It’s just not worth it.

It could be a total coincidence that these babies sleep well & nothing to do with sleeping on their front.

Imagine how you'd feel if something did happen

Also, 3 week old babies don't really sleep, it's what babies do (or don't do)

I wouldn’t risk it. Do you know if there is a reason your LO doesn’t like sleeping on your back? Maybe there is something else you could try instead?

I have sympathy for people who find that baby will literally only sleep on their stomach and at some point it becomes impractical to follow safe sleep guidelines in those cases. I wouldn't (and didn't) do it if my baby would sleep on their back but I thought they might sleep better on their stomach. In fact, I assume DS would have - he chose to sleep on his stomach as soon as he could roll himself into that position and still mostly sleeps on his tummy now he's nearly two. But I don't know because I never tried - and that would be my advice, don't 'give it a go' because it'll be so tempting to carry on if they sleep better but the SIDS risk is actually higher at 6/7 weeks than it is for a newborn.

Never. In fact I used to panic when my first could roll on her tummy to sleep and used to try and roll her back. Even though if they can get there themselves the risk is significantly reduced. Would never risk it.

Op hasn't actually said her baby is a poor sleeper on her back

Don't do it.
If you're fully aware of the safe sleep advice then why would you consider it? Yes, babies do tend to sleep well on their fronts. The research shows that some of them sleep so well, their natural arousal system that keeps them breathing stops working. Your NCT mates are playing a very dangerous game.

Well no, because of the SIDS risk which you are already aware of. I wouldn’t consider it given the very clear and oft reiterated advice not to.

However as with all things there is a balance of risk to weigh up. If you are so exhausted you might fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or chair I believe that is riskier. SIDS is scary but it’s rare. Especially if all other SIDS risk factors are low (normal birth weight, no smokers in house etc) then the odds are still overwhelmingly that your baby will be fine however they sleep.

I never did it during the night, but o would do it during the day nap if I didn’t have anything planned for nap time, so could sit next to the Moses basket and eat lunch etc. I imagine that probably defeats the point though!

I'm afraid back sleeping until they are old enough to turn themselves is the safest way and according to my most recent HV, the safe sleep advice telling parents to do exactly that have really reduced the number of SIDS cases. It's just not worth the risk :(

That said I have a four month old and with him and his siblings when they were very tiny they have slept the majority of their daytime sleeping hours on one of our tummies so were on their tummy. I would never ever leave a baby somewhere else on their tummy though, and I would never sleep or anything in such a position either.

These weeks will pass so quickly

No I wouldn't and didn't. I would imagine that the whole fact that they sleep better on their tummy is where the risk comes in for SIDs.

I think it's surprising and a bit horrible that your NCT friends are openly boasting about doing it and how well it works. The only person I knew who put their baby to sleep on their stomach did it in desperation - they really wouldn't sleep otherwise unless held all night which had its own risks - and felt very, very guilty and secretive about it.

I did it from about 4 weeks old and my little boy, now 2 still sleeps on his front. I bought an angel care monitor but it never came out of the box. I'm having another baby in 7 weeks and I wouldn't not put them on their front again. My little boy was all curled up on his side from being a newborn, it was obviously comfortable for him. I was well aware of all of the risks and monitored him a lot before being comfortable enough to not sit and watch him!! It's a very personal choice, just do whatever you feel is best and the safest thing to do.

Babies do sleep better on their tummies (at a population level, obviously individuals vary). It is thought they get into a deeper sleep and that is what is causes the increased SIDS risk.

Personally I think 3 weeks is very little, as they are not very strong and have little control of their movements. I would be nore willing to consider it at a few months old.

I do think it is relevant how your baby sleeps. If they wake twoea night and you want to eliminate that, I would think that is higher risk than if they wake every 30 mins and being on their front leads to 2 hour stretches.

*twice a night

It's a very personal choice, just do whatever you feel is best and the safest thing to do.

As I've said, I feel real sympathy for people who feel the only practical, liveable option is to put the baby to sleep on their front despite the risks, but what is safest isn't a matter of 'how you feel', or 'very personal', it's a fact

I did. Dd slept so well on her tummy and panicked in her back. Ended up doing it for all 3. Started dd3 in her back but she soon rolled onto her front by herself.

Disclaimer- absolutely not recommending anyone does it as it is against advice for good reason.

Exactly what @BendingSpoons says - the fact that babies sleep better is what makes it more dangerous. DS would have naturally slept on his front for sure (and does now). He even tried to flip onto his front at about 3 days old which totally panicked us (thankfully he didn't manage it completely and didn't try again). Babies are generally shit sleepers, at least for the first few months. It's why they're so cute because otherwise nobody would bother with them. I know the SIDS risk is low but you just have to look at the stats since they introduced the back to sleep campaign to see how effective it has been.

If your baby was slightly older I could possibly see the reasoning and benefits for you all. However, 3 weeks is just so little and they don't sleep at that age. I knew DS would sleep better on his front but didn't do it until he could roll. He did sleep a lot better. However, I'm now expecting dc2 and I won't be putting them to sleep on their front until they can roll, no matter how desperate. I'm usually in the your baby, your rules club but not with this I'm afraid.
I hope you all get some more sleep soon

I know someone who done this with their 7 week old and it was ok for them.
Personally, I wouldn’t and didn’t. The baby may have slept but I wouldn’t have for fear of something happening.