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Original poster

do you check your toddlers breathing in the night?

60 replies

faeriemum · 13/05/2006 08:38

i check my ds (now 25months) about 3-4 times a night to see if his breathing is normal....i know this might seem abit strange especially now he is 2, but i have a fear of cot death...
it did phase off when he turned 12months...but then heard about a number of cot deaths up to the age of 3yrs old....and from then on the checking him increased...
...i wake up in the morning still tired after getting up....but feel complete guilt if one night i dont wake up at all.....
his baby monitor is always on...and one night the connection must have come loose because i woke up and it was off..i thought oh shit and ran to check him.
i never wake him up..i just watch his breathing......
ok, im sounding mad now..but does anyone else have a fear of cot death at this later age?

OP posts:
CarolinaMoonfish · 13/05/2006 08:40

I thought it wasn't much of a risk after 6mo?

Have to admit, I do automatically check ds is still breathing if I happen to wake up (we co-sleep), but not for any rational reason Blush

Original poster
faeriemum · 13/05/2006 08:41

i thought the same after some researching it can happen to toddlers

OP posts:
CarolinaMoonfish · 13/05/2006 08:51

really? have you got a link to it?

Laura032004 · 13/05/2006 10:00

As a rule no. It usually wakes him up! If I think about it as I go to bed though, I often check then, as I know if something had happened in the morning, and I'd 'decided' not to check on him, I'd never forgive myself. Often don't even think to check him though.

When you say there are some cases of cot death up to 3 years old, how do these numbers compare to other risks? E.g. driving in the car? Maybe working out comparative levels of risk would help you put it into perspective? :)

expatinscotland · 13/05/2006 10:02

no

Pruni · 13/05/2006 10:03

Yes.
I mean, I check he's comfy and sort his covers and I definitely notice his breathing.
I hope I am not doing this when he's 29.
Grin
[actually quite serious emoticon]

Original poster
faeriemum · 13/05/2006 10:08

i hope he's not still living with me at 29! ....i've already picked out the wedding hat Wink

OP posts:
Original poster
faeriemum · 13/05/2006 10:19

ahem just joking...Blush

OP posts:
Greensleeves · 13/05/2006 10:21

Yes. And if I'm not sure I can detect breathing I have been known to poke them awake just to make sure Blush

Tex111 · 13/05/2006 10:22

Yes, two or three times a night.

GeorginaA · 13/05/2006 10:26

I check my 2 year old and my 5 year old just before going to bed. I have to wait in the room until I either hear them breathe or move a bit. Completely irrational now, I feel (and what do I think I can do about it anyway?!) but it's a nice little bedtime ritual for me and doesn't disturb them.

I don't get up in the night though - too tired, I sleep right through!

threelittlebabies · 13/05/2006 10:30

Yes, check on him through the evening and when go to bed- usually quite late Blush- and then if am up with the baby during the night or for the loo! If he was poorly I would probably get up specially to check on him, but then again he would probably be up a few times anyway

Airy · 13/05/2006 10:34

I still do this with dd 5yrs, I don't wake up just to check her, but check on my way to bed, and if I get up for the loo etc. Have also been known to poke her awake if she's not moving Blush

festiveface · 13/05/2006 11:02

don't get up in the night but i do still check on my 7 YEAR OLD in the evening and before i go to bed. i put my hand on his forehead to make sure he doesn't have a temperature! completely mad, i am paranoid!

BettySpaghetti · 13/05/2006 11:13

Before I go to bed I was always pop into DS (23m) and DD (6 yrs) rooms to make sure they're tucked up and OK and I always tell them I love them then too. They don't wake up so don't hear me but I like that to be the last thing I say to them every night (big softy emoticon)

kama · 13/05/2006 11:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

FairyMum · 13/05/2006 11:29

I check that my DH is breathing too Blush

fuzzywuzzy · 13/05/2006 11:29

Ummm yes when they stop snoring I get scared. This is compunded by the fact that dd2 sleeps burrowed beneath her blankets.....

Original poster
faeriemum · 13/05/2006 11:32

lol at fairymum..awwww (cute emoticon)

OP posts:
mrsflowerpot · 13/05/2006 11:39

I check on ds (5yo) and dd (coming up to a year) before I go to bed every night - can't go to sleep unless I have. Have been known to ge up and do it in the middle of the night too if I wake for any reason .(I told ds this recently and he loves the idea that I go in and give him a kiss when he's asleep.)

The one I hate is if they haven't woken at the normal time in the morning (especially dd) and I wake up first - I always find myself leaping out of bed to check they're OK thus waking them and wrecking all chance of precious lie in.

supakids · 13/05/2006 11:43

of course and he gets a slobbery kiss tooGrin

brimfull · 13/05/2006 11:48

I look in to check if he has the covers on him and whethter he's lying on the huge rocket he takes to bed with him .

hub2dee · 13/05/2006 12:24

If this is an issue for you, fm, you'll feel an awful lot more relaxed and will get a full night's sleep if you buy a respiration monitor.

They sense the most minute movements of the baby breathing (through the mattress !) and sound an alarm if there is no movement / breath for 20 seconds.

IMHO, the best one on the market is the \link{http://www.babysense.net/\Babysense}. We've used it for 10 months; once you've got in the habit of turning it off before you pick them up (which only takes a few days), you'll find it excellent !

beansprout · 13/05/2006 12:32

I go and see ds before we go to bed but that is to gaze fondly at him as much as anything else. I have the monitor on in case he is upset in the night and I sometimes just turn that up to check he's ok before I go to sleep.

There was a cot death in our family (dh's neice) while I was pregnant so it was a real fear for us but the danger time really has now passed. I think I am pretty morbid around all the possible things that could happen to ds but this is one thing that even I don't worry about (and that is saying something!) Smile

sweetkitty · 13/05/2006 12:39

I check on 22mo DD1 before bed and if I'm up in the night for any reason.

DD2 (16weeks) either sleeps in her bedside cot next to me or tucked up next to my boob and at least 3 or 4 times in the night I wake to check on her.