Tummy sleeping 4 month old - WWYD?

[goldenbird]

My DS, 16 weeks, simply cannot sleep on her back. She wakes at least every 45 minutes, day and night, flailing her arms around, and is then very difficult to settle. I can cope with some sleeplessness, but this has been so exhausting! .On the suggestion of a friend we tried putting on her tummy and it works like a dream - she can manage a 3-4 hour stretch, which to me is like a miracle. So far I have mostly let her do this in the daytime so I can keep an eye, but I feel terribly guilty about doing this at night, although my instinct tells me it's what we both need. Any suggestions? She is a breastfed baby, very windy (I think due to poor latch caused by tongue tie, which has now been operated).

My dd went on her tummy as soon as she learned to roll abot 14 weeks. After a week of her waking up every 30 mins distressed about her new found sleeping position and my hubby stressing even more we purchased an Angelcare monitor and let her to it. Pricey but worth I for peace of mind!

Ah, I'd wondered about those monitors - are they v sensitive/ prone to false alarms?

No real false alarms until DD decided she preferred sleeping in various corners of her cot bed throughout the night.
A bit of a pain when taking out for night feeds and forget to turn off monitor first!
Turned off mat about 12 months but would really recommend. Would definitely use again.

golden, did this improve DS's naps? My 4mo DD is one of those awful catnappers who wakes herself up at the 30min mark even if she needs more sleep and the thought of trying her on her tummy (while watching her) had crossed my mind to see if that calmed her startle reflex... though actually I'm not sure how happy I would be to leave her alone like that so maybe it wouldn't actually achieve anything!

We also bought the angelcare because DD was sleeping better on her tummy. Ironically as soon as we got it she decided she preferred back sleeping after all. Still it is good for peace of mind. Only false alarms have been when we picked her up without turning AC off first.

From 6 weeks old DS2 slept on his tummy. It was like turning off a switch. I worried, but let him do it anyway. He slept 12 hours a night from 13 weeks old on his tummy. Still does sometimes at aged nearly 8.

Dd2 has slept on her tummy almost from birth, she's never slept on her back, for the first week or so she was put on her side as I soon realised she wouldn't sleep for more than 5 minutes (literally 5 minutes, I had a thread about it myself) on her back.
The midwife suggested her side but you can only do this comfortably while theyre tiny so I decided on front.

It's a decision only you can make.

The decider for me was when she choked on her vomit whilst on her back as she didn't seem to know how to turn her head :( it was very scary and I've always felt she was safer on her front.

My dd flipped onto her front at 7 months and that was when she started going 7-7 through the night. I wished i had realised earlier! Although i was a bit scared too, we dont smoke/do drugs/only have the occassion shandy ;) and she was in our room still, though we moved her shortly after.

We monitered the temperature closely and was given the suggestion on MN i think) of having a noisy clock once we had moved her into her own room(the ticking reminds them to breathe - the main reason they should be in your room is that they copy your breathing patterns).
I think you just have to weigh up the risk factors against not loosing your mind through sleep deprivation. I would just let him sleep the way he is most comfortable for the sanity of all concerned!

Thanks all (and sorry for being confusing - DD not DS!) Lexie, yes it's made a huge difference to her naps, and Tiggy, turning off a switch is a very apt description! I am thinking about the Angelcare. I just wish I understood more about the SIDS recommendations. She is in a co-sleeper, right next to my head (interesting about the clock, rollmeover!). I think from 6 months/ the point they can roll over on their own there's less of a risk, right?

Yes less risk once they can roll freely. So plenty of tummy time to get them learning.

Dd is a tummy sleeper as was ds. Ds I didn't let him until he did it himself. Dd started flipping onto her tummy at 20 weeks which was tricky as we were co sleeping. Now at 24 weeks, she can roll about both ways very freely, good head control etc so I let her sleep that way in her cot. It's clear of all toys, we don't smoke, she wasnt premature or under weight at birth.

I think people worry far too much about this. If LO is actually rolling into and out of that position freely I can't see a problem. It's when they are newborn and unable to move themselves that you must put them to sleep on their backs. If baby is healthy, and you're non smokers, use approriate breathable infant bedding, and do not use pillows or cushions then I would not worry too much. Our LO is a front sleeper and so am I!

Also I agree that front sleeping is actually better if they have reflux or are sick.

DS was a tummy sleeper - from 6 weeks I let him sleep on his tummy in the day so I could keep an eye on him and from about 2 months at night too. Prior to that we had literally 10 mins at a time?! He was quite a sick baby too.

DD on the other hand has only just realised she can roll over in the cot - at 13 months.

Like DaenerysTargaryen up-thread said, it's something only you can decide.

Quick question - how do you get them to sleep on their tummy?! I just tried it with DD and she faceplanted in the cot!

If she can roll from front to back then the risk from front sleeping is eliminated.

Tuck the knees under a bit so bums in the air. Their heads should turn naturally to the side. I wouldn't do it with a baby who didn't have good head control.

Thanks! She generally does have pretty good head control. But I certainly wasn't going to do it without sitting next to her. I'm just at the point of desperation to fix these 30-min cat naps, so I thought I'd give this a go once!

The catnaps could be that she's been awake too long. Dd did this as did ds until they got a bit older and could resettle better.

Iggly, what age did they start sleeping through? I can cope at the moment as she will sleep longer on me or in her pram, but I'm terrified in case she is still doing this when she goes to the childminders at 9mo!

DS was a tummy sleeper from the day he was born. He used to fall asleep on me like that and then could only sleep like that in his moses basket or cot. He was a big strong baby 10lber, and could lift and turn his head from the get go. He's nearly 4 now and always sleeps flat on his tum.

Er DS first slept for long stretches at night at 6 months. Dd is only 5.5 months - she's been doing 5 hour stretches. they're not great sleepers due to wind/reflux.

Don't worry about the childminder. Ds always slept better for his nanny than me!

Hi op I was told baby can sleep in their tummy as soon as they can roll over from tummy to back and from bak to tummy

The only issue I am having is baby seems to not Turning head to side when failing asleep so we have decided to keep baby on back one issue we are having is swaddling only able to sleep if swaddled gurr

Thanks all. We invested in the Angelcare and now have peace of mind:) . She still can't roll (apart from a couple of times by accident) but she pushes up onto her hands really well and has a strong neck. I've just decided not to worry about it any more! Still only a three hour stretch at night, but everything's relative...

She also has a dummy, which means she naturally sleeps with her head to one side.I think this helps a bit.