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Sleep

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Original poster

Help... Baby will only sleep on her tummy

22 replies

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 14:53

Hello

Looking for some advise!!
DD is 8 weeks old and will only sleep on her belly !!

It's totally my fault, she always seems quite "windy" drawing her knees up and flapping her arms around, so I wind her on her belly which works a treat, she falls asleep whilst winding her and if I put her down on her back then she would just wake up .. So during the day I would let her sleep on her belly

Fast forward a few weeks and now she is completely refusing to sleep on her back!

How can I rectify this??

So far today I've tried swaddling her up and lifting her Moses mattress slightly, 5 mins later she is crying again, as soon as I've picked her up she falls fast asleep again

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Jojay · 20/03/2013 14:56

Get one of those monitors with the movement sensors (Angel Care?), so you have peace of mind, and let her sleep on her tummy.

Original poster

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 15:17

Thanks for your reply, I've bought one of those, she is still in her Moses at the moment, ...

I've just received a bit of a bollocking off the health visitor when I told her about it, however she did not offer up any advise on how to solve the problem, she just guilt tripped me "how would you feel if your baby didn't wake up"!!!

OP posts:

Troubleintmill · 20/03/2013 15:26

We used the angel care monitor and DS (now 2.6) slept on his tummy from being little-cant remember exact age, sorry. He had colic so was the only way for him to settle well.
I did worry but we had a crib cot that made into a larger cot so we put him in that so we were able to use the monitor from earlier. How much does your baby weigh? Are you using a grobag at all?
If you have room to have the cot in with you at night and use the monitor you will have more peace of mind. We used the carrycot for DS to nap downstairs during the day and I checked him v regularly but it's up to you how comfortable you are with the tummy sleeping. Don't let the HV upset you. Ours wasn't supportive but we had to make our own decision. I think babies sleeping on their tummies is more common than you think. HTH.

Troubleintmill · 20/03/2013 15:28

Also try raising the head end of Moses basket with books as well as mattress. Have you tried infacol? We used that to help with DS's wind.

softpaw · 20/03/2013 15:35

My 3 DDs all slept on their tummies,from birth till they were toddlers..it's only a relatively new thing,after cot death findings,that opinions have changed.If you put a baby on it's back,and it wakes...it's thrashing it's wee arms into space..nothing to feel to get comfort from..relax..let baby sleep!!

gardenpixie32 · 20/03/2013 15:37

One of my twins has slept on her tummy from 6 weeks old. I use an Angelcare monitor.

Original poster

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 15:37

Thanks trouble, she weighs 11lb 3oz
I was ok about her sleeping on her tummy, she has done for a couple of weeks now, obviously I worry about it a lot at night and constantly check up on her.

Maybe I could move her cot into our room and use the sensor mat then if nothing else works.

I've not tried infacol, I will give that a bash too x

OP posts:

Caitycat · 20/03/2013 15:39

You cab use a sensor mat in a moses basket, I did and it really helped my peace of mind!

Longdistance · 20/03/2013 15:39

My dd2 who is now 20 months, always slept on her tummy. Hated it on her back, and found her thumb this way.

She too was in a Moses basket, and I managed to get the Angel Care monitor under it.

She's a sight lot a better sleeper than dd1 is, who's 3.6 and still wakes some nights.

I never told any HV's or mws about how dd slept.

Original poster

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 15:42

Thanks guys, feel a bit better now!

She is sleeping 7 hours at night time lay on her tummy, she is comfortable like that, I will get the sensor pad hooked up and cot in our room then

OP posts:

Original poster

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 15:44

..... Didn't realise you could use it in a Moses basket! ..... DP will be pleased now he doesn't have to dismantle and reassemble the cot!!

OP posts:

Eskino · 20/03/2013 15:46

She's 8 weeks? She should be sleeping in your room OP.

Guidelines, if you want to follow them, say babies should sleep in same room as you til at least 6 months. This is as much a risk as sleeping in the prone position.

Original poster

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 15:47

She is sleeping in my room!!

OP posts:

Troubleintmill · 20/03/2013 15:48

I'd try a grobag aswell. I think she is the right weight tho obviously check before hand. We used one for our DS so I wasn't worrying about him slipping under the blankets etc.
Infact I do seem to remember now we used the monitor in the Moses basket too. We tried everything to help DS sleep on his back but it just wasn't happening! He still sleeps on his tummy now and thinks that's the right way to sleep...even puts his teddies to sleep on their tummies! Good luck.

Original poster

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 15:52

Eskino, just read my post back it's not very clear sorry, she is in my room, what I meant was I would move the cot into my bedroom so she can sleep in that
I will persevere with trying to get her to sleep on her back, but at the minute it's just not happening

OP posts:

Eating43 · 20/03/2013 18:43

My twins have slept on their tummies from about 3 months because they would never settle on their backs. I did quite a bit of online research on the SIDS advice and got comfortable with it based largely on eliminating any other risk factors. Obviously that must be a personal decision, but I just wanted to post to say that in the course of that research I did read in a couple of places that the angel care monitors do not guard against cot death, ie its too late once they have alerted you. Can't remember why but just wanted to mention before you rely on one.

Original poster

lollipoppi · 20/03/2013 20:07

Thanks guys, she has managed 2 30mins sleep on her back today!!
Not as much as she would normally sleep but it's progress!
Think I may be in for a long night!

OP posts:

Loislane78 · 20/03/2013 21:10

At 7 wks and that weight she's defo ok for a sleeping bag :)

Loislane78 · 20/03/2013 21:11

8 wks doh!

comeonbishbosh · 21/03/2013 21:52

I have no special advice re SIDS factors, but our DD (8wks) also nearly always falls asleep dangling upside down across my arm. I find if I put her down on her side she seems to gradually settle onto her back.

narmada · 22/03/2013 20:21

I know what it is like to have a baby like that, such a worry.

I think we let DS sleep propped on his side in the end from about that age.

But.... and it is a big but...it is riskier. There is no contesting that. The evidence on prone sleeping is unequivocal and angelcare-type monitors are not endorsed as SIDS-preventing devices. Having said that, we used one.

moojie · 23/03/2013 21:35

My ds was the same and still is at nearly a year! I used an angelcare monitor but it does need to be used with a solid base which the Moses basket doesn't have.

The only problem I have with tummy sleeper ds is that I had to buy a new buggy that actually laid flat and not a bucket style seat so he can sleep on his tummy in the buggy otherwise he just wouldn't nap!

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