Is there a safe way for a baby to sleep on its front?

[InTheZenGarden]

DS is 6 weeks old. He has never settled in his moses basket - he has his naps on me in a sling and sleeps in bed with me at night. I can cope with the sling, DD was the same, but I really don't want to carry on co- sleeping, I want him in his basket or cot :)
Anyway, today once he was fast asleep in his sling, I put him into the basket. Because of the position he was in on me, he ended up going down on his front. I was near him, and kept checking him :) And he slept fine!
So, if this is the only way i'll get him in the basket, is there a safe way to do it? I was thinking of maybe getting him used to naps first, then try to get him to sleep on his back, then try it at night. But that could take forever and i'm impatient! Any advice greatly appreciated. :)

i worked with a set of newborn prem twins who preferred sleeping on their tummy.

Their paediatrician was very against it but said if that was really the only way the mum could get any sleep then she should get a breathing alarm for them.

No HCP will tell you to let a baby sleep on its tummy as all of the current advice is to put them on their back (not even their side)

My newborn would only sleep on his tummy, at 9 weeks old we gave in - got a breathing alarm and he went from sleeping 2 hours at a time during the night to sleeping 8 hours.

Even now at 12 months old he hates being on his back to sleep and will always choose him tummy.

you will always find anecdotal evidence of loads of mums who put their babies to sleep on their tummies and they're perfectly okay.

When dd1 was little they had just started to "back to sleep" campaign and in our local area we went from having 16 sids in the previous year to having, after BTS was introduced... none.

That's potentially 16 lives saved by putting babies to sleep on their backs.

So yes, your baby will probably be all right if you put him to sleep on his tummy but personally, I would not risk him being one of those 16.

You say he co-sleeps with you - does he sleep on his tummy then? If not, then there may be another reason for his not liking the basket, eg change of temperature. Have you got a baby sleeping bag? I'd be very wary of letting baby sleep overnight on his tummy - naps is one thing but you can't keep checking overnight and it would be awful if something did happen. An alternative might be side sleeping, which is what was advised a few years back, after front-sleeping was found to be linked to cot death and before current 'back to sleep' came in. I think it's not encouraged in case baby rolls onto their face in their sleep, but you can get aids to prevent this. Our DD side-sleeps, I use a cylindrical bolster between her front and the side of the basket, placed below the level of her face, so even if she does tip forwards she can't end up face down (if you see what I mean).

I went through 4 months of sleepless torture with DS1 until he could roll and would immediately turn onto his front when placed in hi cot (2.5 years later he still sleeps on his front or side, neverback).

DS2 would always roll to the side when put down (from birth); so at 2 weeks I put him on his front and cue much longer sleeps. I think it depends on eac baby's beck strength. Both mine had very good head control from birth and I tested by putting them face down into a fluffy Duvet. They would lift their head and turn to the side.

If your LO can do that then I wouldn't worry; but for peace of mind get the breathing monitor for night sleeps.

Sleeping on the front does not cause SIDS, I think the latest research is that it is linked to a gene. I have friends who are a midwife and peadiatrician and both have told me it was fine "off the record".

What the results about back to sleep campaign don't take into account is the other factors (cot bumpers, soft toys, blankets, overheating, cosleeping, smoking parents etc etc).

Sorry about typos: on phone!

Thanks for your replies :)
Obviously, SIDS is the concern here. Technically, by co-sleeping I am increasing the risk, but I don't smoke or take drugs, and if I do have a small glass of wine, it's long out of my system before I go to bed.
He sleeps on his side when in bed with me, not on his back, so maybe that would work in the basket. Could try wedging him in with a rolled up towel as you suggest.

And there's always the breathing monitor option I guess.
He does have great head control and neck strength, has done since birth.
Thanks :)