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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

2 month old wont sleep on stomach

135 replies

maidezmoi · 10/09/2008 11:46

Hi I want to get my LO to take naps on her stomach during the day. However she flatly refuses to do so. Any tips?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

jollydo · 10/09/2008 12:15

Why do you want her to? It is generally advised that babies should sleep on their backs. 'They' (the experts!) do recommend tummy time (to strenghten neck muscles and prevent babies having flattened heads from being on their backs too much I believe) but some babies are resistent to this. Neither of my ds's liked being on their tummies. I think as long as they have other changes of position - being carried, sitting propped up when they are big enough - that should be enough. 2 months is still very little, so maybe just keep trying her on her tummy for v short spells but stop if she gets distressed. And best to do it when she's awake and you can watch her.

wannaBe · 10/09/2008 12:18

why would you want her to sleep on her stomach.

Advice is for them to eleep on their backs.

frankbestfriend · 10/09/2008 12:20

Why?

All health proffesionals reccomend babies are put to sleep on their backs only. Put her on her front when she is awake.

psychomum5 · 10/09/2008 12:21

you are not supposed to put them on their tummy to sleep until they are able to roll over, and then only if they chose that.

if she is in a good sleeping pattern don;t change it now at 2mths old.....keep her the way she is used to.

and as jollydo says, tummytime during the day is ok, for when they are awake.

HonoriaGlossop · 10/09/2008 12:26

Yes, she needs to be sleeping on her back. Echo frank's post. Put on front when awake.

Original poster

maidezmoi · 11/09/2008 15:25

Thanks for the replies. But I don't believe that napping on the stomach will do any harm during the day when she's supervised. She's rubbed the back of her head bald from throwing her head back and forth when she's trying to get to sleep

OP posts:

Marne · 11/09/2008 15:30

How would you like it if some one made you sleep on your tummy? All baby's get bold patches don't they? both mine did, just put a hat on her whilst out

MarlaSinger · 11/09/2008 15:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mamazee · 11/09/2008 15:32

try getting her to sleep on her stomach on your chest first.
my ds always slept on his stomach..he much prefferred it, slept better etc...that said.. if she is resisting i would trust her instinct.
i wouldn't have pushed it with my ds.

TheProvincialLady · 11/09/2008 15:32

Bald patches much less of a worry than SIDS. The hair will grow back, a dead baby won't (sorry to be blunt but it is true).

zwiggy · 11/09/2008 15:33

most babies go bald after a couple of months, it then grows back.

sleeping on stomach is very dangerous and she will be at risk of cot death.

her hair will grow back, I promise you.

speak to your HV, doctor , anyone you know with a baby. No-one will advise you to put her to sleep on her stomach

mamazee · 11/09/2008 15:34

ps at that age i was napping with him and co sleeping ..i don't know if that made a difference to why i felt ok with it.

fluffyanimal · 11/09/2008 15:34

You're watching her every second of her nap? You're not napping yourself? Making a cup of tea? Doing a chore? Getting a break? Really? You must be one helluva Supermum.

nowwearefour · 11/09/2008 15:35

i think is a bit confusing to ask her to sleep on front at some points, back on others. i put both mine to sleep on front from birth. they both still sleep on their fronts now.

MsSparkle · 11/09/2008 15:36

I always thought my dd's bald patch was cute. She had it for ages but the hair did grow back. DD now has a full head of beautifal dark curls

masalachameleon · 11/09/2008 15:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bozza · 11/09/2008 15:40

Don't all babies have a bald patch on the back of their head?

BroccoliSpears · 11/09/2008 15:41

Get her a wig.

MrsThierryHenry · 11/09/2008 15:42

Hi Maidezmoi,

That bald patch thing is not especially nice, is it? My DS had it for months and months. After a while I stopped noticing it, then all of a sudden he had a beautiful head of thick, curly hair.

I know it's unattractive, but the health benefits of allowing your DD to sleep on her back far outweigh the benefits to her appearance from sleeping on her tum. Also bear in mind that she may sometimes have a full tum of milk at bedtime - not the nicest thing to sleep on a full stomach!

My DS now chooses to sleep on his tummy, but he's nearly 2 so SIDS is no longer a danger. Please don't worry about what her head looks like, before you know it this phase (like all baby developmental phases) will pass and your cutie will look even lovelier once her hair grows back.

My other concern is why are you staying with her while she naps? Wouldn't your time be better spent doing something for yourself (maybe even napping?!). Good luck with being a mum.

masalachameleon · 11/09/2008 15:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mamazee · 11/09/2008 15:44

advice and guidelines are just that..and need to be flexible...surely.
i was told that co-sleeping was dangerous and having done it for 18 months i actually believe it is safer.
that said i don't think i would have tried to change any of my ds behaviour for aesthetic reasons

MarlaSinger · 11/09/2008 18:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LazyLinePainterJane · 11/09/2008 19:14

They all have a bald patch surely?

LolaLadybird · 12/09/2008 10:49

We put DS to sleep on his tummy when he was a small baby as he was a very colicky, very unhappy little boy who would not sleep any other way. DH and I worried about the SIDS risk endlessly but as no-one (including DS) was getting any sleep any other way, we finally gave in. Thankfully, we didn't have to do it for long as DS was fine on his back once he outgrew the colicky phase.

However, I really couldn't have justified putting him to sleep on his front for cosmetic reasons. I agree with everyone else that the bald patch is quite cute - all babies have them and I'm not sure napping on front would make that much difference given all the rest of the time your DD's head is spent resting on stuff (pushchair, bouncy chair and sleeping on her back at night).

twentypence · 12/09/2008 11:02

I know someone who did this - her ds has the flattest nose I have ever seen. No bald spot though - mind you he would be 6 now.

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