Sleeping on front

[suzannem]

My 10 month old ds has started rolling onto his front while asleep at night. I am not TOO worried, because he can crawl and roll, so should be able to turn himself back without assistance. However, he is obviously not past the age that I can stop worrying about SIDS, so I just wondered if it was safe.

Obviously I cannot check on him every five minutes all night, and he does always seem to be breathing well when I find him on his front.

What do you all think? I would appreciate some feedback on this.

I think they say, someone correct me if Im wrong, that if they can roll back and forth on their own then sleeping on their tummy is ok. I think ds was at a similar age when he started doing the same and I too used to worry sometimes rolling him back. In the end I just left him, as he just used to get back to that position anyway and he seemed happier sleeping like that.

Does he wear a baby sleeping bag to bed? I always used one when my ds was under 2 years old because it cuts out the worry of them getting tangled up in sheets and blankets or a duvet, getting right underneath them and overheating etc.

www.Grobag.com have a sale at the moment on the 2.0 tog ones, but they also do 1.0 tog towelling or organic cotton for the spring/summer and a new 0.5 tog for really hot climates. Sorry if you knew all this, but I really had no worries about my ds sleeping on his front when wearing his 'bag' !

Suzannem

My dd, 8.5 months has started doing exactly the same. I was worried at first but she does wear a grobag so I know she won't get caught under the sheets. She seems to sleep better on her front although the pain is that sometimes she can't get herself back (phsyically she can but sometimes cries and thinks she can't).

I am sure he will be fine. But I would agree with MandyD on the Grobag.

Thanksguys. Yes he does wear a grobag usually, but he is such a hot little thing that lately he has been having sheets etc. My worry was not so much getting tangled or covered, but the actual front sleeping position.

However, I'll try not to worry, as I think you are right Joe1.

suzanneM, dd slept on her front from day 5. It was a bit worrying at first but she certainly seemed to like it - she slept really well. I would second the sleeping bag recommendations too.

I'm sure Joel is right - in CCLB Gina Ford also says that if a baby can get itself front down (ie you don't have to put them that way), then that is fine and safe and NOT a risk for cot death (which I think is very, very unlikely at 10months). She quotd some literature from the cot death charity backing her up, so I'd say you had nothing at all to worry about.

suzannem - if he's very hot, try having him wear fewer clothes under the sleeping bag. Last summer ds (then about same age as yours' ) often slept in nappy and bag only. We always check on him when we ourselves go to bed, and if the back of his neck just under the sleeping bag feels too cool for our liking, we add a blanket. Despite rolling around all over the cot in his sleep, he never gets tangled (I suppose because the bag stops the blanket getting between his legs) yet the blanket usually stays on him.

I think it's important, if the baby is happy to sleep in a bag, not to stop using it, particularly around the time they learn to stand up, as it keeps the darling little monster trapped in the cot!