Baby constantly turning onto front

[midori1999]

My 5 month old daughter keeps turning onto her front. The FSIDS website says before 6 months to turn them back onto their backs if you find them on their tummy, but that there's no need to wake in the night to check on them and turn them over. She can roll back over, but it doesn't mention this. I have turned her onto her back 3 times in the last 20 mins and now she's on her front again.

I do really worry about SIDS and her being on her front is stopping me sleeping. We were bedsharing, which I prefer and stopped her rolling over at first, but when she started rolling over in bed too I didn't feel it was safe any more, so now she's in her cot, which is pushed up against our bed. We follow all the other SIDS guidelines and are a non smoking family. I'm very careful not to let her overheat, if anything she's on the cool side and in a Grobag.

What have others done in this situation? Or can anyone offer any advice or reassure me please?

Midori - I would leave her. She's rolling confidently, you say she isn't too hot and she doesn't have any blankets to get tangled in. You can't spend the next 4 weeks sitting up at night watching her and turning her back over!

Sorry I don't have any advice for how to keep her on her back, but I had to respond because I felt the same way when dd (now 2) started rolling over in her sleep before she was 6 months old. It's pointless to say 'try not to worry about it', but I don't think that there's anything you can do that you're not already doing.

Try to remember that it's a normal (positive!) milestone and she is already out of the most high-risk period for SIDS (2-4 months).

Given all the other details (she sleeps right next to you, you don't smoke, you're careful about the temperature etc.) it sounds like your daughter is about as safe as any baby could possibly be.

I hope you get some sleep tonight!

Don't sweat it. She will be fine.

The advice used to be for babies to be put down on their belly, and actually it's much safer if the baby is vomitting etc.

You'll find her in all sorts of positions from now on. I know SIDS is a risk until they are 1, but when they are pretty mobile it should be fine.

Mine did this too, and as others have said, just try not to worry, your DD will be healthier for a good night's sleep. Which she's more likely to get if Mummy stops flipping her over! There is no cause for worry, but I know this won't stop you. I worried too.

Hi, just another thing to consider is that she might be a bit cold as my LO did the same for a while and I read somewhere that babies roll onto their front and stick their bums in the air and faces into mattresses when they are cold, this could especially be the case if she is also placing herself next to the cot bumper. When I warmed up the room and placed her in a warmer sleeping bag this fixed the problem. She only every sleeps on her side or back although head and feet switch ends fairly often! I have to say though I wouldn't bother flipping her over as she may just be one of those babies who does like to sleep on her front. Don't worry too much midori :)

Sorry for poaching your thread OP but v interested in mauwmauw's comment about the cold. My 10 month old DD has just started sleeping on her tummy just as you describe with her bum in the air and face in mattress and keeps waking as she wriggles right into the cot bars and gets uncomfortable. I did wonder if she was cold - she has a vest, sleepsuit and merino gro bag and I added a light cotton blanket but hasn't made enough difference. What tog sleep bag do you use - maybe the merino one isn't enough???

Hi libertychick I use a 2.5 tog sleeping bag and long sleeved bodysuit and babygrow, as the weather has turned cold lately I have purchased some warmer babygrows which are fleecy or padded you can get them from next and mothercare. I have used them with the long-sleeved bodysuit and a sleeping bag but no blankets as she just kicks them off. Worked a treat as she had started waking up in the night again and she only woke up once during night since I changed it rather than 2/3 times. Try it, if it works great, if not then at least you can eliminate it from the possibilities. Oh until you find a solution just pop the cot bumper back on, I couldn't bear hearing LO bump her head or hit the bars with arms and legs. HTH :)

Thanks mauwmauw - have been internet shopping for warmer sleeping bag and long sleeve bodysuits today! will just have to pop her back in with me for tonight! Never had a cot bumper and I did feel terrible when I found her with her little head pushed up against the bars. At least its not too cold just yet but obviously enough of a dip in the last week or so for them to feel it.

We've never had a cot bumper either. I don't think she was too cold. She's quite a warm baby in general, but a pyjama top on as well has made no difference, she just wants to be on her front. She's now turning over as soon as she goes in her cot.

Thanks for all the replies. It has helped me to relax a bit and the HV suggested just Putting her down on her back but then leaving her if she turns over as otherwise I'll spend all night turning her back.