When did your baby start sleeping on their front?

[RMarieClaire]

So tomorrow night we go cold turkey with the Sleepyhead. My LG is just shy of 7 months and she's been sleeping pretty well in the sleepyhead since about 3 weeks.

I'm concerned that she's going to roll over without it. She's a confident roller without her sleeping bag on but I'm not sure how she'll fair in it. Just wondered when you felt confident with stomach or side sleep?

We've been doing day naps without for about a week and not rolled yet but I've been watching her like a hawk on the monitor.

It’s fine for them to sleep on their front if they roll over themselves. ‘Back to sleep’ means never put them down to sleep on their front, but if they can roll over they can also roll back so the risk diminishes.

As soon as we took him out of the next to me and sleepy head at about 8months (and moved him into his own room) he became a front sleeper. I was a bit worried but he was a pretty confident roller by then so could definitely roll back if he wanted to. I think I relaxed after a few nights!

On a positive note he slept/sleeps way better on his tummy!!

The second he could roll, at about 3/4 months, he slept on his tummy all the time. I still put him down on his back but he rolled immediately if he was still awake.

You only have to worry about it before they can roll. Once they can roll they can sleep whatever way they like.

Thanks all! That's given me much more confidence. Whether we get any sleep or not is yet to be seen!

@saywhatwhatnow that's so good. Out of curiosity, how did the move from the Sleepyhead go? I'm anxious as she sleeps so well in it - not through, but in solid chunks - and I'm so scared about going back to two-hourly wakes. They just look so comfy!

Mine slept on her front from day 1 as she was in scbu and they monitored her constantly (oxygen levels and various tubes etc) it’s comfier for them and as pp said once they can roll then they can save themselves if needed

Dd started at 7 months, I was worried and flipped her back over. Before I’d left the room she’d rolled back on to her front.
So I figured that was how it was going to be from then on.

My DS was about 7 months and was a terrible sleeper until he learned to roll over, we were so glad!! He now sleep much better, and always on his front or side, he's 16 months now.

My DD never slept a minute of her life on her back.

From hours old, the second you laid her on her back she woke up and screamed. At 3am on the post labour ward, the midwife took her from me so I could sleep and brought her back, soundly asleep on her front.

I was always too scared to put her down on her front, so used to lay her on her side, with approval from community midwife, until she could move herself, whereby she instantly flipped to her front.

She's 8 now and still sleeps on her front!

If she can roll herself don't worry at all

My 7 month old didn't transition well from his sleepyhead, he was waking every 30 mins in the cot because he wasn't used to the huge space. Persevered for a week but it didn't get better, so we bought the bigger sleepyhead. Pricey but now he sleeps long solid chunks again. It's big and roomy and he sleeps on his side.

I make sure he has lots of practice every day for rolling right over etc so he can get himself back over in the sleepyhead when he goes on his front.

One of mine was some of the time at 8 weeks could reliably roll over then though, the other two at around 3-4 months when rolling.

I have one star fish (either face down or on back but taking up all the space spread out) the other two liked to curl up in a ball in the corner, face down and bum in the air.

Thanks all - we've gone for it tonight. So far so good! She's rolled onto her side though. Unnerving but I'm trying to just relax and go with it. I have to sleep after all!