Can I just leave baby on tummy at night?

[SassyPants87]

My baby is 9 months old and from quite a young age she's been able to roll onto her tummy. She's now rolling onto her tummy in the night and falling asleep as she is most comfortable like this. Problem is she doesn't know how to roll back. She crawls now and if she's on her tummy she can get up crawl, pull herself up, go back into seated position.

So surely she should be okay sleeping on tummy? I know it's said not to if they can't roll back but tbh I don't think she's ever wanted to because she doesn't find a need for it

Is it okay if I just leave her? I wake up constantly in the night to check on her and turn her back over and on exhausted now

When ours were moved to their own room around 6 months they could have been sleeping in any position and we wouldn't have known. Your child is able to manoeuvre themselves into a sitting position so I wouldn't worry about them. It would be different if you placed a newborn on their front and they couldn't move.

Yup it's the only way my boy would sleep!

My DD is a front sleeper and more or less always has been. She had reflux and wouldn't settle on her back. She's now 16 months. I use to worry too but if you think she'll be ok then I wouldn't keep getting up move her back.

Yes I left both of mine at 5/6.months when they both preferred to sleep on their tummies

It’s fine as she can move herself around, as long as she’s in an empty cot. My 10 month old often sleeps on her front, she never rolls back over just stands up and starts shouting.

Op check with the hv as I'm sure they say only if they can roll themselves back... I used to put ds back on his back but he's 16 months now and sleeps in all sorts of positions

@SassyPants87

My baby is 9 months old and from quite a young age she's been able to roll onto her tummy. She's now rolling onto her tummy in the night and falling asleep as she is most comfortable like this. Problem is she doesn't know how to roll back. She crawls now and if she's on her tummy she can get up crawl, pull herself up, go back into seated position.

So surely she should be okay sleeping on tummy? I know it's said not to if they can't roll back but tbh I don't think she's ever wanted to because she doesn't find a need for it

Is it okay if I just leave her? I wake up constantly in the night to check on her and turn her back over and on exhausted now

I have no advice on what you should/shouldn't do you know your baby and it's for you to decide what you do.

Have a little look at lullaby trust - safe sleeping campaign. It's basically just things to consider when you have an older baby/child who likes to front sleep, not just for advice on babies x

ds2 was a really fractious sleeper till she learned to flip over to her front. From then on she slept soundly. We were worried but the difference in her sleep quality was astounding.

Honestly, once they can wriggle around, they cannot suffocate themselves. In the same way she is able to turn around to find a comfortable position, she will be able to turn herself around if she needs to breathe.

The only issue would be if there are things she can suffocate with in the cot, if you want, for your own piece of mind, get her in a grobag. Because believe me, if you want to keep her sleeping on her back now that she is so mobile, you will need to spend the whole night awake turning her around 🙂

@SassyPants87 I have the same issue with DD 8.5mo. She use to cry when she rolled on her to front and wake up, so would go back in and roll her back (numerous times). But I left her one day for a few minutes to see what happens and she rolled back herself, so know she can do it, but just doesn’t. Maybe your DD is the same? She has now decided she likes sleeping on her stomach, so will roll at some point to her front, and go to sleep. Then wriggles around the cot. It does make me anxious though.

Once they can roll it's fine. Put them down to sleep on their backs but if they turn themselves over then leave them to it.

Dd is a front sleeper. Always has been shes almost two now. I used to move her back at first but soon stopped.

Only if they can roll back is essentially short hand for only if they can get out of that position by themselves/ only if they are mobile. Most babies roll all the way over (back to tummy to back) before they sit or crawl but not all - my friend says her baby (now a teen) never rolled. Of course the child probably did/ does at some point! The "milestone" came after sitting/ crawling/ pulling up/ walking so went unnoticed I guess.

As long as your baby can get out of the tummy time position easily by themselves you don't have to reposition them.

One of mine learned to roll ridiculously early and I think was doing it almost involuntarily at night (11 weeks old) and kept getting stuck at the side of the cot on her tummy, and I spent a bonkers night putting her back in the "right" position quite literally every 5 minutes, but you're on a hiding to nothing once they're mobile!

Yes I remember worrying about the same thing as my baby always rolled onto her tummy but hardly ever rolled onto her back. Think more about head control I think. When your baby is on their tummy, can they move their head successfully from side to side?

If this is hoe your baby likes to sleep, definitely stop waking her, you'll drive yourself mad

My son is 7 months and the last few weeks will only sleep on his tummy. I do tend to flip him into his back before I go to bed but he'll always end up back on his stomach. I think now they can lift their head up then it's ok but doesn't stop me waking 300 times in the night to check on him!

You aren’t going to be waking up in the night to check, so yes it’s ok.
If you’re concerned you can flip her over before you go to sleep if it makes you feel better.