Help! She keeps flipping over on her tummy to sleep!

My DD's are 16 weeks and A. keeps flipping herself to her stomach the minute I put her in her crib- even if I roll her over she will flip back to her stomach. I'm so worried about the sids risk! I worry that she wouldn't be able to flip herself back over to her back if she were too tired. Sometimes she even puts her little face down into the mattress and every time I try to move her she screams!

 

I lost a lot of sleep when my kids started flipping over onto their tummies, I was so worried. But, as I understand it, once they have the head and muscle control to flip themselves over, it's safe for them to sleep on their bellies. 16 weeks is past the most critical SIDS risk, and she will soon learn to turn her head and sleep on her cheek.. and probably get a better sleep on her tummy!

 

You will exhaust yourself if you keep trying to turn her back over every time she rolls on to her tummy in the night. My doctor always said, if they can roll themselves over to sleep, just let them sleep that way. I know it is concerning since we are taught that sleeping on their back is best, but there really isn't much you can do once they can get themselves rolled over on their own. She will be fine! :hug:

 

Once she can flip, she's fine.

 

ditto the pps - pedi said once they can flip they're fine...my son slept so much better after he could sleep on his tummy....

 

Same as PPs. Once they learn to flip, they arent going back to their backs. They'll be FINE! I use a video monitor to show myself that theres nothing to worry about

 

Ditto! Once they can flip over themselves, you can let them sleep on their tummies. Both my girls are tummy sleepers and they sleep much better that way. Try not to worry!!

 

Yup-once a flipper-always a flipper! :laughing: Anthony one night around 4 months old would NOT go to sleep-and they both slept on their backs. So I put him on his stomach-and he fell right asleep!

Annabella was a whole other story. She would NOT sleep on her back. She slept on top of me for a few weeks, or in the bed surrounded by pillows. Finally, I couldn't take the lack of sleep-and she slept on her stomach-where she slept peacefully. But I was confident in her neck/head control, and she slept right next to the bed in her pnp.

 

This is the same age my girls started flipping. I took everything out of their cribs. Everything! Even their breathable bumpers. Then I just let them be. It's hard to get used to though!

 

All three of my kids are belly sleepers. The ped said that once they can able to do it themselves, let them. They are just finding what makes them comfortable.

 

My baby did this at the same time and has slept on her tummy every night since. Like PPs said, they're fine when they flip themselves.

 

ITA with PPs. You don't want to purposely put a baby down on their tummy, but a baby who can roll is fine. All three of my kids have slept on their tummies since 4 months.