can I fix my mistake??? -kina long -sorry

ok let me explain. i was alone for three weeks with 3 babies. my husband had to leave for training for a job promotion in LA, so I was alone right after the babies turned 7 weeks old.

well, i couldn't get them to sleep -mainly b/c I was soooo exhausted and never got a break. the only way I could get them to sleep was to lay them on their tummies-yes i know it is against what everyone says but i didn't know what else to do. for some reason everytime i lay them in their cribs they would wake up screaming, but when i put them on their tummies i could pat them back to sleep.

now that life is getting a little eaiser since my husband is back i have tried to put them back on their backs and i am failing. everytime we put them on their backs they wake up within 5 minutes screaming. i think they likek their bellies because their face is touching the beds -when i rock them to sleep their faces are always on me.

any ideas how i can get them to sleep on their backs? i'm afraid they will never learn how to fall asleep on their own if they are on their bellies. i rock them to sleep right now, and i don't want to have to rock them to sleep forever.

any ideas?
THANK YOU

 

ok let me explain. i was alone for three weeks with 3 babies. my husband had to leave for training for a job promotion in LA, so I was alone right after the babies turned 7 weeks old.

well, i couldn't get them to sleep -mainly b/c I was soooo exhausted and never got a break. the only way I could get them to sleep was to lay them on their tummies-yes i know it is against what everyone says but i didn't know what else to do. for some reason everytime i lay them in their cribs they would wake up screaming, but when i put them on their tummies i could pat them back to sleep.

now that life is getting a little eaiser since my husband is back i have tried to put them back on their backs and i am failing. everytime we put them on their backs they wake up within 5 minutes screaming. i think they likek their bellies because their face is touching the beds -when i rock them to sleep their faces are always on me.

any ideas how i can get them to sleep on their backs? i'm afraid they will never learn how to fall asleep on their own if they are on their bellies. i rock them to sleep right now, and i don't want to have to rock them to sleep forever.

any ideas?
THANK YOU

 

I don't want to substitute one bad habit for another, but can you start letting a swing or something like that rock them to sleep? That way they aren't dependent on YOU for that, but will fall asleep rocking still..... they'll grow out of the swing eventually and won't rely on being rocked anymore. I used my swing till 9 mos. and then I just put them down cold turkey. They would cry/fuss for 10 min. and then pass out....

Good luck!!

 

Mine slept on their bellies from about 2 months on. They were much happier, and slept through the night by 3 months old. They were/are both thumb suckers, and it was easier for them to find their thumbs to soothe on their bellies. The did nap on their bellies for about 2 weeks before I let them sleep at night that way, and they both had very good head control.

I know most are going to say "make" them sleep on their backs, but if you have gotten this far on their bellies, I would continue with what works. Also, they will probably learn to flip over in the next month or so, making it a moot point--once they can flip--they decide how they sleep.

 

My babies have slept on their bellies since about 6 weeks. They are both lifting their heads well and scooting around in the cribs. I still feel a little guilty about it,but they sleep much better on their bellies and they self-soothe. It's working for us. I know it goes against all the advice now, but my mother had four belly sleepers and no problems. Just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.

Crystal

 

What about getting those angel care monitors and let them stay tummy sleepers? Can they raise their heads?

 

My son slept on his belly very early. He was able to lift his head early, so I was ok with it and it was the only way he'd sleep in his crib.

However, if you really want them on their backs, you could try sleep positioners and lay them on their sides in the positioners. That's how my girls sleep and they love it. Swaddling also helps. I think kids like sleeping on their tummies because it makes them feel secure, so if you wrap them up tight you can simulate that secure feeling.

Good luck!

 

DS was an early belly sleeper because of his flat head. I think he was about your kids' age when we started. DD started about 5 months.

 

wow, it is so nice to hear that i'm not the only one. they both lift their heads really good and they are already starting to roll over from their belly to back.

thank you

 

I am so glad to hear I'm not the only one. Mine have been sleeping on their bellies for quite a while now. They could lift their heads really well from very early on, and, honestly I had to get some sleep. They always startled really easily on their backs & I think felt more secure on their tummies. Now all I have to do is lay them on their tummies and they fuss for a few minutes & off they go to sleep. I feel guilty all the time, but they are starting to roll over now anyway so they can sleep however they want.

 

All three of my children are belly sleepers. From the time they could roll over it was a loosing battle. With my first I tried to get her on her back. I would wake up all night and turn her over (which would wake her up and that was a nightmare). With the twins, I just did whatever made them happy mostly for my own sanity. As soon as they could flip on their bellies they would sleep through the night. I can always tell if they flip to their backs becuase they start grunting and kicking at 2am. Do what works. Just make sure there is nothing in the crib and watch their head controll.

 

My nephew always slept on his belly from 1 month on. I kept him overnight at 7 weeks old and said "I won't put him on his belly." Well he spit up so bad all the time that I was so worried that he was going to choke on it that I felt so much better with him on his belly. He was able to lift his head up and move it around so I let him slept that way. He slept for 4 hours straight and then 4 hours again. When I put him on his back he was fussing and making all kinds of noise. He just slept better on his belly.

 

The girl's did the same thing. So finally I just let them stay on their stomachs and they have been fine.

 

my son has been a belly sleeper since we put him in the crib at 4 mos...I would let him nap that way and then at night he was in the swing...once we quit the swing I put him on his belly and has never had an issue...

hey if you were born prior to 1994 you slept on your belly and we are all ok!

 

I agree - do what works. We all slept on our bellies when we were babies and from what I hear, belly sleepers sleep so much better. My babies slept on their sides in sleep positioners. If that didn't work, I would've tried belly sleeping. Think of the benefits - better sleep and no flat head - lol!

 

My aunt has belly sleepers and even goes as far as to say that SIDS is not caused by belly sleeping. I dont know about that but I do believe that some babies are "prone" to SIDS and there really isnt anything we can do to stop it. That being said I was not able to bring myself to tummy sleep my daughter, but we did rock to sleep everynight and she grew out of it at about a year when we quit the bottle. I also recommend the swing, which we used on the nights we really really needed sleep and she came right out of that too! I also recommend the same as a PP with the "positioners" to hold them on their sides. And remember that all "bad habits" can be broken I dont know any 18 year olds that need to be rocked to sleep!!

 

Wow! So glad to hear I'm not the only one. We would put them on their backs and they would always wake up and seemed uncomfortable. One late night I turned them over (desperate to get them back to sleep) and they immediately went back to sleep. From then on I let them b/c they could turn their heads and hold their upper bodies up. Plus it is easier for the pacifier to stay in. We tried sleep positioners and the kids hated them. I think they got used to sleeping on their bellies in the hospital so by the time we brought them home, they were already spoiled!

If you are insisted on them sleeping on their backs, go with the swings. I would feed them and then put them in their swings til they fell alseep and then put them in the crib on their backs. Hope this helps.

 

When my boys were little, my bigger twin started sleeping on his belly. At first we kept going in and putting him back on his back, but he would always go back. We talked to our pedi about it, and he gave us the okay to let hime sleep on his tummy. Both of guys were holding their head up pretty much as soon as they were born.

 

Just like pps, ours a tummy sleepers. They have been since they could lift up their head. I did that with dd too, they just sleep better. My ob even told me that she thinks its better if the babies are spitters, which mine are, b/c that way they won't have the risk of getting choked if they spit up at night!

 

Sometimes that is the only way we can get DS to sleep so i just get up alot to check on him or we put him in his swing, that usually put him right to sleep