Tummy sleeping - am I panicking unnecessarily?

[mancinleics]

My 12 week old DD can't seem to settle when I lie her on her back to sleep. I BF or rock her to sleep but often as soon as a I put her down on her back she's wide awake, arms all over the place, pulling her ears to wake herself up. I often resort to bringing her into bed and co-sleeping for my DH's sake and have her curled up with me.

It's lovely co-sleeping but I feel the time has come to get her used to sleeping alone before putting her in her own rooms when she's 6 months+ but the only way she stays asleep alone for any decent stretch (2/3 hours) is on her tummy. I let her do this during the day whilst I'm busy doing something in the same room, but I can't do it at night and go to sleep.

I'm sat perched on the side of the bed, DH snoring away, looking at LO's back and listening to her snores. I'm desperate to sleep but it's too hot to co-sleep tonight and I've got a busy day planned tomorrow. DD has good upper body/head movement and does reposition her head/arms whilst in the tummy down position.

Does anyone else let their LO sleep on their tummy?

i was in a similar situation.mine started sleeping around 4.5 months on her tummy, co sleeping so i constantly checked her. she has good head/upper body control and can re adjust her head or arm if needed. i think shes still a bit too young to be 'left; to sleep on her front at night. if she sleeps best in that position then its fine as long as you keep checks on her. i know its hard work. mine id BF every 3 hours so i feel less stressed knowing i will wake up instictively anyway to check and feed her.(i've started putting her in her cot since last week.shes 5.5 months now)would you be willing to co sleep for a few more weeks just so you feel comfortable with her sleeping like this?

or maybe something like this . i dont use one myselff. a movement monitor
www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&q=Movement+Monitor&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=607&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14509277320346613631&sa=X&ei=Tu81Ts-zM4eFhQf50o2GCw&ved=0CHEQ8gIwAw

Personally I wouldn't unless he was having a nap on me. They don't know for sure why babies are more likely to die in this position. And you are exhausting yourself watching her sleep like this.

Putting her on her back, have you tried the following? Don't put her down as soon as she's asleep, wait and then lift and drop her arm - it should be totally limp so you know she's in a deep sleep. Also make sure her bedsheet is warm and smells of you - put your tshirt in there. Can you take the side off the cot and put it next to the bed, feed her, wait and then slide her across into it.

You could try putting on her side, and tucking her firmly under a sheet/blanket so that she doesn't roll onto her tummy at night - and alternate sides. I did that with DD who didn't like sleeping much on her back either. Once she could roll though, that was it - I let her sleep on her tummy as she would end up rolling onto it at night anyway, and I couldn't be checking on her every hour all night to turn her over. She was an early roller - by 14 weeks could roll both ways, and around 5 mths I gave up and started putting her to sleep on her tummy (in her cot). DS who is 2 still loves sleeping on his tummy... (as does DH who is 38).

Thanks all, I ended up putting her on her side until she woke for a feed then ended up co-sleeping. I'll put her on her side then see how she gets on.

I don't want to say yes it's okay but my son at exactly that age just always slept on his front and I had a maternity nurse who said I had to roll him back but he kept rolling into his front until after weeks she said just leave him as he has good head movement but still put him on his back and let him roll over rather than put him on his front!
It wasn't that long ago that they said babies had to always sleep on their front so the whole nation was doing it in the 70,s and 80's!

When the whole nation was doing it in the 70s and 80s though, cot death rates were about 4 times higher than they are now Ellora.

I would let a baby who can roll over find their own position, but would always put them down to sleep on their backs.

I too m having this trouble with a newborn.... V gassy, windy, hiccups etc but sleeps well on her tummy. I dare not put her on it at night but am waking all the time to wind her between feeds.

I wish I could just put her down on her tummy.

Get a movement monitor or co-sleep

My DS is 16 weeks and has slept on his tummy since 2 weeks old. He has had reflux problems and none of us were sleeping when I was trying to get him to sleep on his back. I tried every suggestion to get him to settle on his back but he was just not comfortable and woke after a few minutes screaming. He is now 16 weeks and sleeps wonderfully on his tummy and as a family we are well rested and happy. I would never suggest anyone choose tummy sleeping over back if baby is happy on their back but you know your baby better than anyone else and sleep deprivation can be very detrimental to both you and baby. Please don't beat yourself up just because your baby doesn't do what the experts/books say. The monitors suggested above could mean your baby gets to sleep how they are comfortable and you get to sleep too knowing the monitor is there. Good luck. x