AIBU to think propping baby's feet with pillow is ok?

[Peterbishopssarcasticsmile]

DS Is seven months old. For the last few nights he will scream when he's flat on his back unless his legs are raised up (is resting up on a throw pillow). A fair amount of wind comes out so I think this is the culprit but we can't seem to get it out any other way.

Tonight I've resorted to putting the pillow under the sheet and managing to just about tuck the sheet back under.the mattress (it's a stretchy one and elasticated so the fact that it's over the corners of the mattress keeps it in place). He is sound asleep - was crying constantly flat on his back before I did this - but now I'm.wide awake watching him because I know this isn't advised

Has anyone else done this? I'm trying to see what trouble he can get himself.into.and can't - although he can roll he doesn't like doing it and stays put in the cot rather than doing circuits like some babies!

Can you lift the feet of the cot instead?
Put some books under one end?

If it was me, I wouldn't leave him unattended like that, but only because I don't think it's worth the risk and it's not advised. Perhaps now he's asleep you could remove the pillow and he won't notice? (Possibly being a little over optimistic here!).

Did you try bicycling his legs?

We used to raise one end of the cot/Moses basket with books as previously suggested but I imagine that might not be enough for wind? I think my concern would be because he can roll being raised is more likely to than normal... parenting is so hard 🙁

Try lifting the end of the cot. I put 2 books under each foot at the end. Really helped my daughter.

I think I did this sometimes but with a couple of blankets rather than a pillow as it seemed to help wind.

Don't know the answer you seek, OP, but nice to see a fellow Fringe fan.

Put the pillow under the mattress.........

It's not safe. I know it's so hard and frustrating but the sheet could come off or the pillow could get kicked up or he could wriggle down to where the pillow is and he could easily smother, especially if he is trying to get comfortable when he has gas. I know a woman whose baby died under a blanket at a year old. I don't think it's ever worth the risk.

I feel like safe sleep is not taken seriously enough in the UK at all. I see so much unsafe advice on here, it's scary. Babies should always be alone, on their back and in their crib for sleep and naps. Raising the bed at either end is not safe as the baby can roll.

If he is suffering continually, you could see what your doctor says. Or try sitting with his legs up on you for a while or bicycling them. Or there is a thing you can get (I have forgotten the name) that you basically put up their bum to relieve the wind.

I do understand, my baby had horrible reflux for months and we had to hold him upright for hours at a time and it was so exhausting. Is there someone who can take over sometimes so you can get some rest, at least?

You can safely cosleep. I hate this lazy comment. As long as you are following the 7 rules cosleeping is safe. In Japan were safe cosleeping is the norm they have the lowest rates of SIDS.

@Lockdownseperation not true. Co sleeping may be the norm in Japan but a. they sleep on hard mats which support a baby's neck and b. they very rarely do autopsies so when a baby dies of suffocation/SIDS, it is not recorded as such. Western mattresses are too soft to support babies' necks. I come from a country that also traditionally co sleeps and there are plenty of deaths caused by suffocation, but it is never spoken about. People just say the baby died of natural causes.

The safe 7 is utter bs that was written by an anthropologist, not a scientist. He studied a grand total of about 30 families, none of whom were sleeping in western style beds and he had no actual knowledge of physiology or anything like that.

If you want to co sleep, go ahead, but please don't roll out the tired "Japan does it safely" trope because it's not true. It is not as safe as a baby sleeping alone in a crib. Personally I would rather reduce that risk as much as possible. I know not everyone feels the same and that is their choice but don't spread misinformation.

We did it under the cot. Also bicycle kicks really work. Turns them into a fart machine. Watch a YouTube video and give it a go :-)

Just prop up the legs at one end of the cot. We did it the opposite way as my DD had bad asthma and lying flat always set her off coughing.

Thank you for all your replies. In the end I stayed awake while the pillow was under his legs for half an hour then managed to slide it out and he stayed asleep by some miracle
My gut feeling was that I didn't want to leave him unattended like it because although he's not a big roller he's shown he CAN roll and typically this would be when he decides to do it

@littlehelpfrommysplitends love it! Rewatching it at the moment

@ItWasNotOK but suffocation and SIDS are two very different things.