I know the current thinking is that babies should sleep on their backs and this is what I did with Matthew. However, my new little monkey is not happy sleeping on his back.

Last night I proped myself up in kind of a vertical position and he slept on his tummy on top of my chest. He slept, I did not. He rolled off me twice and I caught him in mid-roll.

Needless to say this is not the best sleeping arrangement. This morning while I was getting dressed he was fussy so I turned him over onto his tummy and viola! happy baby. Well at least somewhat happy.

What is the current thinking on why babies are put onto their backs to sleep. Is it a SIDS issue? Did your babies sleep on their backs or tummies?

Cameron has excellent head and neck control, he could lift his head from day 2. This morning he held his head up and looked around for at least 30 seconds.

By Kaye on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 10:04 am:

It is best to have them sleep on their back or side. But one one of my three was happy that way. This is one of those things that you have to decide. I felt like SIDS was a minimal risk for a healthy baby. I also made sure that I only had a sheet on a firm bed, I dressed the baby warmer if it was cold, no blankets, no crib bumpers etc. My dd especially WE needed sleep and decided that it was our only choice.

By Jackie on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 10:06 am:

Yes they say back to sleep. All my babies have been tummy sleepers. Well I guess the first couple of weeks, yes they slept on backs and sides, but really at almost a month they were all tummy sleepers, they slept much longer on their tummies. For us it was 2-3 hr naps, on belly, or 20 minute cat nap on back.

By Melanie on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 10:30 am:

Our middle son was a belly sleeper. We put him on his back for the first week and he was miserable. He would grunt for an hour before falling asleep. Of course, newborns eat every two hours so you can imagine how miserable that first week was! Out of desperation one night I put him on his belly and he went right to sleep. I talked to his pediatrician about it and she told me she didn't worry about the big strong babies (he was over 10 lbs at birth) as much as the really little ones. I always made sure the sheet was on tight, he was in the middle of the bassinet, and nothing was in the bed with him.

By Happynerdmom on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 10:36 am:

One of mine was a belly sleeper, and I just let her. (She's 15 and still a belly sleeper!)

By Vicki on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 10:51 am:

When dd was a baby, it was advised for side sleeping. I have never understood the back sleeping... I would think it they would spit up, it would be a huge choking hazard!! Once dd started rolling, she always got to her tummy to sleep!

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 11:37 am:

Yes, it's a SIDS issue.

Babies Sleep Safest on Their Backs: Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

I put both my kids to sleep on their backs. A tight fitting sheet with no quilts, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. in the crib. When they got older and were able to roll over on their own I let them be.

Talk with your pediatrician, do your own research and make your own decision.

By Boxzgrl on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 11:40 am:

You can buy little wedges that support them so they can sleep on their side as well. Kaitlyn was a side sleeper and I gave up on "Back to Sleep" when she was about 5 months old.

By Tink on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 11:58 am:

Both of my girls were back sleepers but my son would NOT sleep unless he was on his tummy. He learned to flip himself over at just a couple of weeks old and I finally just decided to make it as safe as possible, as other moms have said. He slept in our room and I checked on him several times per night but at least it was a few moments awake, instead of the pacing, rocking and walking for hours trying to get him to sleep and having him wake up as soon as I put him down. Make whatever decision you are comfortable with.

By Luvn29 on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 12:48 pm:

Both of my children were belly only sleepers. They would not sleep at all on their backs or sides. They wanted to scrunch their little legs up with their tushes in the air and sleep on their bellies.

I don't sleep on my back, and I didn't try to force it on my children if they were uncomfortable. But I did make sure there was nothing ever in bed with them that they could get their faces against, and they never had a problem moving their heads, so they always laid on one of their cheeks.

I try to follow all the safety standards I can, but to be honest with you, if we did absolutely everything told to us by the book, we'd all be nuts, and so would our children. Besides that, look how often they change their views on what is the best and what isn't about everything. What we are being told to do now with our children may very well be a no no in the near future!

I feel we have to go with our gut instinct that God gave us as mothers and do what we feel is the right thing for each individual child. Within reason, of course....

By Amecmom on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 01:34 pm:

Helen was belly only from the time she was two weeks old. General rules are just that, general - they are not for everyone! I wish I'd had enough confidence in my mommy gut to put my son to sleep on his belly. We would have had a lot fewer sleepless months!
If you look at the research, it's not just back sleeping that's reduced the risk of SIDS, it's also less exposure to cigarette smoke and fewer "smothering" items in the crib.
For conditions like reflux, tummy sleep brings some relief, because pressure on the belly closes off the vlave that lets out stomach acid.
Ditto the "go with your gut" For the first few days I was nervous with Helen asleep on her belly, but she had no trouble lifting her head and neck, no trouble crying and finally no trouble sleeping.

Hope you get it figured out.
Ame

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 07:22 pm:

My kids were born in 1989 and 1992. I only had a sheet on the crib mattress and both of them could lift up their heads and turn them from side to side, from an early age. They both slept on their tummies. Emily would have a royal fit in the car seat, but as soon as she was in her crib, on her belly, she would go right to sleep! In 1992, they were just starting to say that babies should sleep on their backs or sides, but Sarah had slept on her tummy and my mom had put my sisters and I on our tummies, so on her tummy, Emily went. Sarah slept on her back, for a short while, until I figured out how to lay her down, on her tummy!

By Rayanne on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - 10:12 pm:

Rylee was tummy sleeper from day one. I tried to get her to sleep on her back, but at 4 weeks, I let her sleep on her tummy. She could move her head from side to side then also. She had a strong neck.

By Sunny on Thursday, October 6, 2005 - 11:20 am:

Last night I proped myself up in kind of a vertical position and he slept on his tummy on top of my chest. He slept, I did not. He rolled off me twice and I caught him in mid-roll.
I have slept with them on my chest, too, but I used to do it laying down and tucking the covers under myself so they couldn't roll anywhere. I have also slept with their back to my stomach on our sides with the covers tucked under them so they couldn't go anywhere without me waking up and slept with their head propped on my outstretched arm. Have I mentioned that my last baby (#5) never slept by himself until he was two years old? (He's 3 now and sleeps in his own bed.)

I remember when they started the "back to sleep" campaign - it was 1992 as Dawn mentioned when my second child was born. My oldest, born in 1988, always slept on his stomach and I continued that with my second, against their advice. By the time my thrid was born in 1997, all babies were put on their backs or sides, so I started the side sleeping. By the time they learn to roll over, though, it doesn't matter much what position you put them in when they fall asleep, they will find what ever position is most comfortable.

By Missmudd on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 11:35 am:

Just reading in one of my textbooks. Asian babies are less likely, african decent babies are more likely than european decent babies to succumb to sids. Smoking is a contributor and also lying on their tummys. But this is something I didnt know. Going to be busy typing so forgive any typos

Bagladeshi infants, even when they sleep, are usually continually hearing noises and feeling the touch of their caregivers.
Therefore they do not sleep deeply for very long. By contrast, their white british agemates tend to sleep in their own private spaces in an environment of enforced quiet, and thes long periods of lone sleep may contribue to the higher rates of sids among white infants.

The book states that that long period of quiet can be a killer. The babies go into such a deep sleep they forget to breathe.

Personally, I had one that we FORCED to be on his TUMMY. That dates me doesnt it, and 2 that happily slept on their backs and one that REFUSED to sleep anywhere but on his belly. I went nuts keeping flipping him. Finally discussed it with his ped. She said that if he was so active to continue to roll to his belly that he probably wasnt a canidate for sids since we are non smokers and not in a high risk group. In retrospect too, at that point he had 2 older brothers making a ton of racket during nap time and according to my textbook, that makes a difference too.

So I would try to keep him on his back but if that totally fails, just make sure that he sleeps somewhere that isnt so quiet. Maybe in the same room as you, or in the same room as an older sibling. A quiet radio on classical might be good if the above isnt possible. And then all the good advice about not smoking and all that.

By Juli4 on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 03:02 pm:

my babies were mostly tummy sleepers. They always slept in our room ina bassinet by my bed. And they napped in the same room with me also. I didn't want light sleepers that woke at every noise so I kept them with me usually. Also when my youngest was a few days old my 3 year old got the baby out of the bassinet and carried her to the other room on a regular full sized bed. How she did that I don't know, but after that I thought it best to keep the baby close so that the other two siblings would not "help" as much. I agree with removing all blankets and keeping the baby beside you during the night.

By Coopaveryben on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 03:41 pm:

There was something on the news last night about new testing on SIDS. They have found that babies who sleep with pacifiers are significantly reduced risk for SIDS and of course the basics: back to sleep (and they said no side sleeping anymore), no blankets, no pillows, no stuffed animals, etc.

By Heaventree on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 08:37 pm:

Kris, thanks for all the info! Cameron takes his daytime naps in his car seat believe it or not. I put the car seat in the pack and play (which is in the living room), it keeps Matthew at a safe distance as he is not entirely trustworthy around the baby yet. Matthew is at full tilt all day long, I have no idea how the baby sleeps at all during the day, I can vacuum around this kid and he won't wake up.

At night we co-sleep. Chrissy that is another recommendation that they recently came up with as well no co-sleeping. If we didn't co-sleep I really wouldn't get any sleep.

Things are getting a little better these days. I realized that laying down to nurse was not a good idea as I would fall asleep and so would Cameron. Then he would wake up 20 mins. later and be hungry again. I have commited to sitting up to nurse and we are getting in a full 25 min. nursing session. I am then able to sleep at least 2 hours with Cameron in the bed with me. I mostly put him on his back or side. If I put him in his carseat or bassinette he will fuss until he cries. Hopefully he is going to out grow this, but I guess each child is different. Matthew was and is very independant and likes his alone time, Cameron loves to be held and doesn't seem to like to be alone. I wonder how they are going to get along .

Anyway I'm getting DH to give Cameron a bottle at 10:30, I'm usually in bed by 8 or 9 and Cameron wakes me up at 2:30 so I'm getting anywhere from 4-5 hours of sleep. He doesn't wake again until 5 so things are starting to get on track.

Thanks for putting up with all my questions these past few weeks, it's been a great source of comfort and help.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 11:42 pm:

Sounds like Cameron is getting more settled in! I remember going to bed and not wanting to fall asleep, since I would just get woken up anyway! Although, I was so tired, that I would fall asleep. I couldn't help it!