is this really bad.......?

[lubella]

Sometimes during the night I simply HAVE to leave 4 week LO asleep tummy down - head turned to the side- against my chest if I am to get even 1 hour of sleep as she gets tummy ache which only seems to be relieved by this position then she falls asleep.

I always prop myself up and support around me with pillows and I lightly "doze". Does anyone else do this or is it a big no no?

I know my DH did this with our DS - on the sofa of all places. I wasn't keen and it's not ideal at all but if it's the only way to get any peace... Anyway, as you say, you're highly unlikely to fall into a deep sleep whilst you're so aware of your LO being there. I'm sure most people have done this from time to time.

I did this -with both ds1 and dd2 - they're both still alive ...I put pillow either side of me with ds - by dd I trusted myself!!

I did this as the only way to get any sleep. It was only in the first few weeks & I knew it was a risk but figured I was dozing so fairly aware of her.

wot is LO please?

Little One

Little one.

my dd would only ever sleep on her tummy. I ended up in a mini row with my HV because she kept saying it was wrong to let her sleep like that.

I put DD in her arms and said well you take her home tonight and if youmanage to gether to sleep any other way i will gladly take your advice.

she eventually conceded that if thats ghow she will sleep and as long as i was carefull (of course) then it was ok.

Both mine were like this. As they started to get older, I put them to sleep on their sides (a good compromise I thought) with bolsters/rolled up blankets either side to stop them rolling onto their front or backs and made them feel snug and cuddled.

Oh ta. i used to have dd sleeping like that a lot. and later in pram she was belly down. don't know why but she just slept that way and not on her back, she is nearly 3 so survived! ds 5mths never 'needs' belly down.

although, for balence, should probably say - keep trying to put her on her back in bed - you never know when he/she will surprise you !

DD slept in my bed for the first three weeks, advocated by midwife, who at the same time pointed out the more recent findings. It was the ONLY way we both seemed to get sleep without long and loud tears. After these three weeks she went down in her pram top in the cot and remained asleep all night apart from when I woke her up to feed her. I think sometimes, 'whatever it takes' is the right answer.

I did it for ages with ds2 (almost killed me) ds3 wanted the same- until I bought him an amby hammock and he was veyr happy in that- google amby baby nest.

Thanks guys - feel better now, I know it's not ideal but I am so desperate with sleep deprevation I just have to do it - will be extra careful with cushions etc

Shhh - namechanged to post this, just in case - a long time ago when I worked at a well known children's hospital, we used to put the babies with respiratory problems on their tummies because it was easier for them to breathe.

The "back to sleep" thing came about from research into cot death, and doesnt take into consideration individual babies. It becomes academic after they can roll anyway, unless you nail them down

My ds slept like this for the first 6 weeks in our bed on my chest face down, apart from it being so sticky with sweat( a cotton sheet helps) he slept thru the night.
I think if they are on their backs, if they vomit they could choke on it, on their bellies they cant.
I had a lady yell at me in the shopping centre for letting him be on his belly i felt horrible.
but i am more horrible when i dont get any sleep.

my ds preferred and still preferes to sleep like this, and i was told this was the way babies were put to sleep years ago...

i did this too with ds when he was very tiny -noharm done

I wouldn't do it personally because of cot death risk but if you do, then make sure baby is NOT on a sheepskin (they give off arsenic fumes - seriously).

someone mentioned Amby baby nests - I'm a big supporter too as an alternative to flat-on-back sleeping. DD has been sleeping through the night from 7 weeks.

arsenic! oh eck. dd always slept on sheepskin. even if you get the sheepskin from 'green baby' naturally tanned and undyed?

yes ds3 was the same squiffy- sleeping through from 8 weeks with the amby. Wish I'd had my amby for the other 2!

Twinklemegan - It frightens the life out of me when my husband holds the baby when on the sofa, when dd1 was only 2 weeks old he let me go upstairs so I could get some sleep. He came up about 2 hours later to tell me that he had fallen asleep and, when he had woken, he found the baby on the floor. God, I cried, she seemed alright but took her to the hospital to get her checked. Needless to say, we got a HV visit the next day to ensure we weren't throwing our child around. No lasting damage.

I don't like to leave DH with DD2 as I know he falls asleep at the drop of a hat while she is still so young.

Lubella, I think us mums have a better instinct, I never move a muscle when I sleep with the baby on my chest.

btw - I do sometimes put her on her tummy in her moses basket in the daytime if dd1 has a nap and I can keep an eye on her. Not very often though.

Yarrow - the arsenic apparantly is linked to the sheeps' diet so I think organic ones are fine - and generally no problem as long as you aren't putting babies face down.... we had an organic one which our DS went on once he reached 6 months (when SIDS risk almost vanishes). I don't know the green baby range but guess they would be organic and therefore ok... if you google SIDS/sheepkin/arsenic you can get more info..