8-month old keeps flipping to her front in cot - I'm worried

[thethirdbiscuiteer]

My 8-month old DD can flip from her back to her front, but struggles from front to back. We practise but she's not quite there yet.

The problem is what happens at night. She used to sleep in a sleepy head type pillow inside her cot. I know that's technically not SIDS-safe but she struggled to sleep at all without the pillow and the GP said it was ok as a short-term measure.

In the last week, she's started flipping herself at night. I put her down on her back but at every night-time feed she's on her front and sometimes in an awkward position. Since she's started doing this, I've removed the sleepy head for fear of suffocation. This has made the flipping worse as she now has more space to do this. I find her in all sorts of contorted positions when she wakes for her feeds.

I'm just so worried about suffocation and SIDS. Did your babies do this? Is there anything I can do to minimise risk? (She now sleeps on the cot in her sleeping bag. Room temperature around 20. No blanket, cot bumper or teddies.)

It's normal around this age, that sounds warm for a bedroom though, is that all night?

The guideline is 16-20 but DD wakes up freezing at the lower end of this range. Is 20 not ok, you reckon?

I'm sure mine both flipped over at night at that age. I'm sure some one told me there is nothin to prevent it. We kept an empty cot that was in a room around 19 degrees.

My DDs bedroom rarely goes below 20; our heating just seems too efficient.
I had the same with DD at this age and I really panicked but when I spoke to the health visitor they were very reassuring saying that if she’s strong enough to roll over into that position then she’s fine. They said still put her to bed on her back but if she rolls over that is fine. My DD (20 months) has slept on her front ever since.

I don't know the guidelines off my heart but if the upper limit is 20 then I personally would aim for 19 just to be cautious.

We turned the radiators down in the dcs room. They had warm PJs etc.

Once they can start flipping over and are over 6 months, the risk of front sleeping drops massively. I would remove all soft toys and bumpers (unless the safe ones) and let her flip!

Just flip her back again if she wakes up or needs feeding.

Its normal and part of their development.

All the SIDS stuff is scary reading but basically it gives your baby the very best chance (and the risk is absolutely tiny anyway) to get to the age where they can safely sleep in whatever position they prefer and can move themselves into.

DC2 is 6mo and automatically flips onto her front now almost immediately when I put her down. I just leave her until she wakes up.

Past 6 months the risk of SIDS (which is already teeny tiny, especially for babies that don’t have any pre-existing concerns) goes down a lot, I really wouldn’t worry. My daughter has been flipping herself on her front to sleep since about 4/5 months and the health visitor said so long as she’s getting there herself and she’s strong enough to lift her head up and move it, it’s ok.

Tbh by 8 months we were putting him on his front to sleep (though not with a sleepy head). His neck was so strong then we didn't worry and he slept much better.

My ds was rolling over onto his front at 3 months. The health visitor told me just to roll him onto his back as often as possible. He's 9 months now and he's often on his front or side I think by this age it's compleatly normal

Thank you everyone, I feel much better now

With the temperature point, I just wonder whether my baby prefers a warmer room? She sleeps in a sleep suit inside a 2.5 tog sleeping bag inside a cot in a small room. 20 already feels a bit nippy when I go in to feed her, and much lower and she feels icy when I pick her up.

Should I still get the temperature down lower?

I live in a hot country (in summer). There’s absolutely no way the room would be below 20 at night. It’s a guideline and just dress your baby appropriately. Some people are hot sleepers and some cold, and babies are the same.

Personally at 8 months I’d just leave them to sleep however they are comfortable. Assuming no heavy blankets etc in the cot, then they aren’t going to suffocate by lying on their front as they can turn their head.

Just dress her appropriately the grobag website gives you guidelines on what clothing with what tog bag at what temperature room. It's normal for their hands to be cold at night though, like you said if they are too cold they wake up.

Tummy sleeping once they've learnt to roll is common some of them duffle around all over the cot making a racquet and others don't move at all and freak you out

OPjust remember not to jydge baby's temperature by her extremities (hands, feet etc) as these will always be colder. Should always feel her chest to see if she is hot/cold.

At 19degrees, she won't be icy.

Hi my baby is also 8 months old and rolls into his tummy to sleep. He moves his head from side to side to get comfy and then sleeps. He can’t roll back when sleepy so just winges or cries and I’ll roll him back over!y baby also prefers a warmer room at 20 degrees with long sleeved vest, sleepsuit and 2.5tog sleeping bag. I’m sure he feels the cold more than others because when he was born it was so hot day and night! I think he’ll be like me and like the warmth.

Once they can flip you can let the sleep the way they want. She’ll learn the flip the other way if you leave her on her front. They do end up in odd positions and will learn to sort themselves out if left to it. One of mine had always slept in his front with head turned and pressed into the corner of the cot. With no bumpers obviously so he wakes with red marks on his face. He leaned to flip at about 4 months and still sleeps like this at 3 years.

I think 20 degrees is probably ok. Just remembered it was 30+ this summer - not ideal but she survived!