Sleeping on side..... 4days old.

[mum2oliver]

Is it ok for a baby to sleep on their side placing a rolled up sheet in front and behind?

Hi! I would say yes as this is what dd2 did for her first few days as she really would not settle on her back. Health visitor and mid-wife both raised their eyebrows when I told them, but maybe I should just not have said anything and then they wouldn't have known!

All 3 of mine slept on side from day 1 as 1st born was premmie, & in the neonatal all babies were put on side to sleep with a sort of sling between legs to stop them rolling or slipping down raised bed. I think maybe newborns are still too curled up to be comfy on their backs

my nephew is also an Oliver - great name!

ds did this too, with his head up and nose in the air

very cute!

Mine did this - it's hard for them to sleep on their backs that young as they're still in curled up position. He grew out of it at about 2.5 months. However, I do remember being worried at the time!

I think in scandinavia they advocate back OR side sleeping as both fine for SIDS - don't quote me on that, though, not sure where I got it from...

Both my dss slept on their sides for the first couple of months and gradually started rolling onto their backs. Midwife and hv weren't impressed but it's the position they'd settle in.

My DD (6 months) has slept on her side since the day she was born and still does - never told the midwife or HV though!

My friends dd slept on her side but she used to get stuck on her front, I'd use a wedge just to make sure your dc doesnt turn oh tummy and pannic. I used one for my dd2 as she was/is a wriggler, wonderful things.

Ds slept on his side and still does now at times. He couldn't sleep on his back in the beginning as his little had looked like a rugby ball thanks to the breech position he was in.

I think the guidelines would all say not to do it but ds slept soooooooo much better as soon as he learned to roll onto his side at about 13 weeks. He now sleeps on his tummy with face pushed into the matress and has done so from the moment he worked out he could. If/when I have another baby i think I'll do what you've suggested.

My 4 day old is sleeping soundly on his front at the moment. At 5.30 this morning having been trying to put him on his back since 12.30, I just popped him on his tum and... zonk.

I might try and encourage side-sleeping a bit more, but for sanity's sake, if he settles on his front, I'm going to put him on his front (if I can sleep like that, it does make me a bit anxious!)

Given that we're a non-smoking house etc etc it's a risk I'm coming round to being prepared to take.

Please tell me I'm doing the right thing....?

[hmm.. I started off all gung ho at the beginning of the post and have shrivelled into guilty/anxious "AM I KILLING MY CHILD" mum by the end?]

They are expensive but if you can afford it, why not get one of those fancy monitors that beep if htere's a problem with baby's breathing? Then you can put him how he's comfortable but feel safer too. Does he have his naps downstairs and sleep in your room? That would help a lot too. Well done for sounding so sane with a 4 day old btw

Someone IRL suggested that. I think we'll see if side sleeping works and see if it's worth making investment. DS1 is a front sleeper and I sometimes wish I'd just let him sleep that way from early age and saved ourselves a lot of anguish...

PS thanks for thinking I sound sane - have had the 4 day wobbles SO badly today!

sml, my dd (#2) was, and still is, a tummy sleeper. Like you, it was the only risk factor we had so I was more prepared to do it. 13 week old ds2 is a side sleeper when he's not co sleeping and they both sleep much better than they do when they're on their backs. We decided against getting a monitor in the end but I did consider it. I think because she was my second I didn't worry so much!

Whatever you do, don't mention it to your hv, though. I got a massive lecture - shame she couldn't have been so vociferous in helping me carry on bf!

mine slept on side,didn't realise it was frowned on tbh,think the midwives in the hospital did it aswell.