would I be mad to put a newborn on her tummy to sleep.

[Megglevache]

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Hi Megglevache,
ds wouldn't sleep on his back - his arms just flailed. He slept on his side until he was able to turn himself on his front.
You could try swaddling her if you want her to sleep on her back as maybe this would help her? (I didn't do this as a mw panicked me about swaddling re overheating. Not sure which iwould be better/worse)

I agree evidence says young babies should sleep on their back, but if they cannot sleep that way, what to do?

Actually we co-slept as ds also had colic and reflux so him sleeping on his own was never an option, so he only slept on his side on his own for short periods. You could co-sleep as then the risk of SIDS is much lower (so long as suffocation hazards are eliminated).

Hope things improve soon.
x

sorry xpost - glad you've found a way for you both to get some sleep!!

Shortly after DD was born she was taken to NICU and put to sleep on her front to help her breathing (told her lungs expand easier that way). I was concerned but they seemed to know what they were doing. I would be worried about doing it w/o supervision, though.

One of my twins had terrible reflux and never seemed comfortable on her back. I found she settled much better on her side at this age. I got so desperate through lack of sleep that I used to put her down on her side despite all the warnings. I guess you have to assess the situation and do what your gut instinct tells you is right.

I put my dd on her tummy to sleep. She had terrible gas and reflux and other things and it was the only way she was comfortable. I decided that it was a safe risk because there are no other risk factors for cot death in our family (like smoking, overheated bedrooms, family history of cot death, apnea, etc.).

megg all mine have slept on their tummies

they have all slept brilliantly that way.

I did worry though but the great sleeping and happy babies kept me sane

Sigh* most of our generation slept in our tummies, and fortunately, the great majority of us survived.

I'm sure the guidelines will change yet again in some years time. Laying in your tummy or side is just a natural protective posture with the added benefit of allowing some muscles to gain some strenght.

DS didn't sleep on his tummy as I decided to follow the guidelines, if I were to do everything again I would allow him to sleep in his tummy while I was around, awake and checking, and on his back when I was not.

I haven't read the this thread all the way through so I am replying directtly to the op.

My son screamed from day 1 until I took him to the cranial (sp?) osteopath where, quite by fluke, my ds eneded up on his tummy. It was like flicking a switch, he immediately went to sleep. Now, this created one heck of a dilema for me and dh.

The HV, of course, was not happy. We discussed, read and asked advice among our peers.

In the end my dh stated that if you take all the books away, every persons' opinion, what would we do if it were just the two of us? What makes our son happy. what helps him to sleep?

From then on we put him on his tummy to sleep and he slept like he had never slept before...

Now, this is your decision and yes, you will worry about whatever you decide as this is totally natural as you are a caring and loving parent. We worried until he could roll over and decide exactly how he wanted to sleep.

He is now 3 and still, very much, a tummy sleeper.

I am a tummy sleeper and currently 23 weeks pg so have to sleep on my back adn hate it -why wouldn't our little ones?

My mother very proudly followed 1960s best advice and put us to sleep on our tummy. It's how I sleep even today. That obviously changed as the years went by following the cot death research. The reason for the tummy was so that if the baby was sick the sick came out wehreas if you're on your back it doesn't so it was regarded as less safe to be on your back.

The tummy feels more natural too

Hi Meggle - I have a 6 week old and I put her to sleep on her tummy during the day as I'm always in the room with her. She is a good sleeper but sleeps particularly well on her tummy as she is a big arm flailer and tends to wake herself up doing this. At night she either sleeps in her hammock on her back or on her back in bed with DH and I.