Tummy sleeping

[MadameJ]

I know guidelines say to put babies on their backs but does anyone know the risks of tummy sleeping and do any of you lovely ladies do this regardless of the risks?

That sounds like a good idea as DD (6 weeks) much prefers sleeping on her tummy but I have being too nervous to do it at night!!

My 8mo is a tummy sleeper. We have no other risk factors for SIDS and i figure it's safer than me driving on literally no sleep!

How old was your little one Purple when they started sleeping on their tummy?

He only really slept well on us from birth - chest to chest - so for the first few weeks dp and i took it in turns to watch over him. Then dp started letting him sleep by his side (dp is a very very light sleeper!) then we just kind of gradually came to the conclusion that it was safer to get some sleep with him on his tummy than to function on none - put him flat on his back and he wakes in seconds.

This was around Christmas, so he was about 5 weeks. Hv (who is otherwise spectacularly crap) said it's ok as long as they don't get too hot and can turn their head to the side. Ds sleeps in a bamboo fitted with a wool nappy cover which is breathable and helps regulate his temperature, then a cotton tee shirt and sleeping bag. We leave the bedroom window open slightly in all but properly cold weather.

We've put our ds down for naps on his tummy since birth, when we've been in room. He's been settled for naps on his tummy in a different room from about 6 weeks when he could move head a bit more and we bought an angel monitor for extra piece of mind. We also settle him on tummy in the early hours. I think the main link with SIDS is to do with overheating, apparently babies bodies heat up more when on tummy and of course they sleep more soundly too- this is what hv told me. Doctors will often recommend settling on tummy for conditions such as reflux but because of the SIDS guidelines, advice always comes with a 'supervised' tag.
I think more parents than admit let their babies sleep on their tummy...

My 10mo has always slept on her side or back, however, over the past couple of weeks she's been turning onto her front and sleeping some of the night like that. She co sleeps as I find it hard to sleep when I know she's on her front.

At this age is she still a high sids risk or should I not worry so much? There's not much I can do about it, if I turn her over she flips onto her tummy again. She's crawling etc so I figure she's got strong enough head support etc to sleep on her front?

Thank you very much for your stories and information, very helpful x

That's where i was Aidan, i would roll him onto his back and he'd wake up and howl then fall back to sleep on one of us immediately he was on his front. He flat out refuses to sleep on his back or side, although he will now sleep in the car seat and buggy - but not in a lie flat buggy, he started tolerating that when i got a jogging one for 6+ months that is either up or reclined but not flat. Luckily I'm a sling addict so buggy is not essential :o

I would suggest looking at the reasons the baby won't sleep on their back though. For us it was simply preference but others i know it was due to reflux and linked to food intolerance - the acid comes up the throat and burns, less so when lying face down. But needs checking thoroughly as that can cause problems down the line

Sparkle if she can roll, she can choose :)

:o

Thanks purple. I thought that was the case but never looked into it as it wasnt a problem till a few weeks ago :)

A couple of things to consider are that back sleeping was the thing that most significantly reduced cot deaths, and that breathing monitors haven't been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS at all.

I would avoid the 2-4 months peak period, but once a child is rolling they can choose their own position. DS was a tummy sleeper from about 6 months and did sleep better/longer then.

I was under the impression the whole Not Smoking thing was pretty influential too, Maja? Attitudes to it were very, very different in the late 80s/early 90s when the main research was done

Breastfeeding is one of the most important factors, along with smoking and overheating. Back to sleep was the main initial message though and reduced SIDS rates by something like 75% in a year or two.

If you can reduce every other risk and have an exclusively breastfed, full term, high birthweight baby sleeping in the same room as non-smoking parents then maybe back sleeping isn't as vital. Managing risk is quite a personal choice though, isn't it?

With my DD I always put her to sleep on her back. Along came a very distressed colicky boy who only slept on my chest and like purple I basically did everything I could to minimise risk and put him on his front, after weeks of no sleep. He slept so much better. I think with his sore tummy and awful wind it seemed to help. I wouldn't recommend it to others due to the risks but it really helped my son and me rest better. He was a big baby and lifted his head well, I do not smoke, I didn't drink, I made sure he wasn't over heating and he slept beside me in his cot. Personal choice as maja says.

They do have a growth spurt at 6 weeks, which can affect sleep. So she maybe sleeping worse due to that right now?

Everything is a risk

Bf, non smoking, no drinking (well, odd glass of wine now it's ages after the bedtime feed but nothing then!), brand new mattress in crib etc.

He was 6lb 3 @ 38+3, nicely between dp's and my birth weights. I wouldn't recommend it willy nilly, but it's something to try in extremis, and guilt "just in case" is a pointless waste of the precious little energy available when you're a new parent!

Well after reading everything and weighed up risks I have decided to let her nap on her tummy when I'm able to watch her but overnight keep to back sleeping as I don't think I would settle despite all the other factors being in my favour. Thank you very much for all the advice and information.