4 week old will only sleep on front or co-sleep, both risky! Help me!

[raininginbaltimore]

DD is 4 weeks old. She will fall asleep on us (totally normal I know) but if we out her down on back, especially night she squeaks, grunts and coughs until she wakes up and cries.

She will sleep on front and will co-sleep as long as she is on her side, touching me (using my book as pillow!) or nuzzled into me.

This would be one except I am FF and I am pretty heavy duty medication (lithium) so co-sleeping isn't considered safe.

I have an angelcare mat, but it went off a few nights ago with her on her front. I too scared now as I realise in at a true SIDs case it wouldn't prevent it.

Can anyone help? I have cot pushed against bed with side taken off,but mattress is a bit higher than ours. And she is only happy if actually touching me.

Have tried swaddling, which works better than it did, but she still jerks her legs, squeaks and cries.
What else can I try?

Have you tried putting her on her side and really wedging her in well with rolled up blankets down both sides? Make sure the blankets only come as high as her shoulders and she is feet to foot of the cot so she can't wriggle down so that the blankets are at head height. Worth a try.

Yeah tried that. Didn't work. Thanks though, open to all suggestions!

Is there any physical reason why she won't sleep on her back? My dd (now almost 6 weeks) had a ventouse and so the back of her head hurt and she would only sleep on her side or me. We managed to get her on her back but she would always turn her head to one side and it started looking squished. We are now seeing an osteopath and it seems to be helping with tight muscles in her neck and she will now go to sleep on her back although she often gets back into position when asleep. It is early days but I think it is helping with the physical pain that was stoping her from sleeping on her back.

She had a normal delivery, no forceps or ventouse. I do wonder about reflux and am taking her to doctor tomorrow.

So scared of letting her sleep on front, but I am exhausted. Lack of sleep means I'm not coping well with her.