DD's want to sleep on their bellies

Just recently my girls started wanting to sleep on their bellies, and I just don't know what to do. I never wanted them to be belly sleepers because the whole SIDS thing scares the crap out of me.

I started them out sleeping on their sides at about a week old because DD2 choked on her spit up and quit breathing and it scared the crap out of me. So, I put them on their sides so that any spit up would drain out of their mouths(They both have awful reflux and spit up constantly despite medication and elevated beds). Just recently they started sleeping 12 hours during the night with me having to get up a few times a night to reinsert binkies, but would not take naps. My MIL put them on their bellies one day while she was watching them and surprise, surprise, they took 2-3 hour naps. Now they both try to roll to their bellies at night(which scares me because I still swaddle them) but occasionally DD2 will roll to her back and scream bloody murder and the only way to get her back to sleep is to feed her. Needless to say, this is not a trend I would like to encourage. I do NOT want them to start waking up to be fed in the middle of the night again. They are also much more restless, with me having to get up 15-20 times a night to reinsert binkies.

So should I just let them have their arms out and start them out on their bellies? I feel like an awful mom and I just don't know what to do.

Sorry for rambling but I'm exhausted and tired of fighting them. I really need advice. TIA

 

If they are rolling then it is fair game. I would stop swaddling them and let them belly sleep. My kids are belly sleepers, my oldest since he was 3 weeks old, and the twins, Nathaniel was 4 weeks and William 9 weeks. As soon as they could lift their heads up and turn them, I put them to bed on their bellies.

 

We have the same issues! We finally went cold-turkey on pacifiers and swaddling and they flip to their bellies the minute they are put in their cribs.. drives me nuts but don't know what else to do! Our pediatrician said that if they are able to get to their bellies, then they should be fine to turn their heads to sleep if they need more air (one of my girls sleeps with her face planted face-down in the mattress!!!)..

 

We realized at about 4 months they slept so much better on their bellys and we have never looked back. I was definitly worried at 1st and would constantly check on them but we went from 4-5hr night stretches to 11 straight hrs of sleep. If they can roll on their tummys by themselves I would let them go for it, just unswaddle them!

 

Reflux babies are often more comfortable on their bellies. I went through the same thing w/ mine, swaddling & trying to get them to side-sleep, worrying & feeling like an awful mom and all because they were obviously not comfortable. My mom came to help after they were born, and put them on their bellies unswaddled for a nap, supervised. To my amazement, they actually slept well for the first time in their little lives. That was at 3.5 weeks of age and we never looked back. Yes, I know, 'back-to-sleep' and all, yadda yadda yadda...but belly sleeping worked for us and we got our ped's blessing to go ahead with it.

 

I wouldnt put them down on their bellies but if they roll that way let them s tay. Just def unswaddle bcause seems unsafe if they need to roll back

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm gonna try it tonight and see how it goes, but I know I'm gonna be a nervous wreck and I'll probably be up all night checking on them!

 

It sounds like you are saying that they roll to their bellies though from their side position, not from their backs. It's when they can roll from their back to belly that it's considered "safe" to let them sleep on their bellies. It's not too tough to roll forward from a side position, but I'm guessing that at 3 and a bit months that they aren't 100% with rolling from belly to back either, so you have to consider that.

My kids slept on their bellies a few times as well when other people put them down and they were supervised, and they did sleep better that way, but we never made the switch until they both flipped onto their bellies all on their own in their beds. I was too nervous and honestly don't think that a more restful night for me (in terms of # hours of sleep) is worth the risk of SIDS. Just my opinion. In another month or two or three they'll be able to roll easily both ways and they'll sleep as well as you're hoping!

 

belly sleeping saved my sanity :80:

 

Once mine could roll back and forth, I let them sleep how they were comfortable. They became consistent belly-sleepers around 6 months and at the same time I stopped swaddling them. (I did the one arm at a time method and it worked well for us.)

Good luck!

 

I have been placing my babies on their bellies since about 4 weeks old. My DS was spitting up while sleeping and my DD was so gassy it was just painful for her to be on her back. At their 2 month check up I mentioned it to their Pedi as I was scared about the sids thing, but he said really not to worry-he said the risk is usually in the poor economic class mainly due to their environment like no central air, heating, no crib/mattress. It put my mind at ease.

I was worried the first couple of weeks, but now I don't even think much about it. You will get used to it and it won't bother you so much.

 

My 2 were swaddled until they were about 6 months, and I used sleeping bags/sacks after that. They were unsettled for maybe a day or 2 during the transition but now know that the bags mean sleep! :aggressive: lol!
Not long after this I noticed that they were now able to roll easier and seemed to like sleeping on their side or belly.
As pp have said usually if they can roll onto their bellies, then it's ok to leave them as they should be able to roll back.

 

If it makes you feel better, I asked their pediatrician about it. She said that after four months (usually when babies can lift their heads and begin to roll on their own), the risk of SIDS goes down considerably. Once my girls started rolling, I dropped the swaddle, went to sleep sacks, and let them sleep anyway they were most comfortable. They're both belly sleepers now.

 

My boys were back sleepers because of the whle SIDS. They were my first and I was nervous too! They slept swaddled for bed until they were four months old. There was one night that Anthony REFUSED to go to bed(he was four months +). REFUSED. I changed diapers, fed him, etc etc. Finally, I put him on his stomach-out like a light! And once the kids can roll, it's fair game for them!

Annabella...she likes to be different! That girl REFUSED to sleep on her back. And she wasn't swaddled. She refused that as well. I had spent way too many nights holding her while she slept on my stomach, or next to me in bed. I finally laid her down in her PNP that was right next to my bed. And she SLEPT. Oh it was heaven. I needed sleep in order to care for all three kids. I'll admit, I was still worried. But I was right next to her. I couldn't have been any closer without her being IN the bed with me. And her head/neck control was very good from early on. It was nice getting some sleep!