Laying on tummies

I have been laying my boys on thier tummies lately when they seem to have really bad gas or when they are just really fussy. I try not to let them sleep on their bellies but they seem to soothe themselves so much better that way. Obviously I worry because of all the SIDS talk, but they seem to be fine they love it!! It just kind of sucks because then when I go to roll them over they wake up. Does anyone else ever let them nap on their tummy for a little while. I won't let them sleep long that way but I was just curious as to why it is so bad.

 

I did let them nap on their tummies with me checking on them often. My babies slept better on their tummies.

 

I let them nap on their tummies, too but only when I knew I could check on them all the time. I figured it was "extra" tummy time, too!

 

I used to let them nap on their tummies too since I was there and could check them frequently. Our ped said it was fine to let them nap that way but to make them sleep on their backs at night.
My DD especially had bad gas and it seemed to help her. Now that they're older they always sleep on their tummies. I always lay them down on their backs and within a minute or two they're on their bellies.

 

I had the same problem w/ my son and after two months and many sleepless nights for fear of the 'S' word; I watched him everyday pass out while doing tummy time and realized he preferred his belly to sleep. I know, I know SIDS right? But I need to sleep, he would fuss ALL night if we put him on his belly until we found out that he sleeps like a rock when on his belly and he isn't doing a face plant into the mattress, he can turn his head just fine. He was in the NICU and they did this position often and he loved it, of course there was someone right there watching him. My pediatrician didn't frown at us when we told him, he agreed that we need to sleep just like the babies do and as long as there isn't stuffed animals and large blankets in the crib that he will be okay, we also have a video monitor that I keep my eye on to make sure he's not stuffed up in the crib bumper. My little girl used to hate tummy time, but now is a pro at it now that she can hold her head up better and look around, she still doen't last long maybe 15 minutes tops at a time. You need to do tummy time everyday as it is so important for their growth development anyway (sorry, that's the OT in me talking) along with everything else we do right?

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Aug 13 2007, 12:59 PM) [snapback]366795[/snapback]
I did let them nap on their tummies with me checking on them often. My babies slept better on their tummies.



Same here, Emilie would not sleep on her back at all. Once they could roll they would always flip to their tummy anyway. Now they are both total tummy sleepers.

 

Mine nap on their bellies during the day when I'm around too. The last few weeks they've liked it less but they like it occassionally - I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Ditto everyone else! And once they roll on their own most sleep on their tummies anyway.

 

Mine sleep on their tummies all the time now too. My pedi frowns on it, but I can't just keep turning them over every ten seconds! One of mine does a face plant, scary, but she has been just fine. I would try to turn them on their backs at night (I did it religiously until 5 months) but now have given up because they always turn on their tummies, even for naps now. I just check on them a million times, and 3-4 times at night. You can only try your best.
And as my friend pointed out, we are in a low risk category for SIDS anyway - not preemies, no smoking in house, no co-sleeping, nothing in crib except sheets, not a low-income family.

 

Yep, us too. They napped for several weeks on their tummies. Some days it was the only way they would nap. I am probably odd man out, I put them on the couch and sat in a chair in the living room so I could see them the whole time.

 

Mine have been sleeping on their tummies since I can remember, probably at about a month and a half or so? At first they were on their sides (never really on their backs), then we just watched them closely to see if they could move their heads enough and ahve been sleeping on their tummies ever since. We used a co-sleeper for the first several months and then movedthem into their nursery at about three-four months. Now I lay them down on their tummies and DS stays that way usually while DD moves all over the place! She usually ends up on her side though. Of course we don't have stuffed animals or big fluffy things in the cribs, they do have loose knitted blankets that they have fallen in LOVE with! Remember the day when we were all put down on our tummies, we survived, jsut keep a few safety issues in mind and let them get some sleep You too!

 

Someone call DHR on me b/c all my children have slept on their tummies. They just sleep better; it pushes out gas and keeps them from "jumping" and slapping themselves in the face! I make sure nothing is around their face; nothing in the crib, light blanket only. Then I turn their heads to the side and plug them up with pacifer. I have talked to my pedi about it, and he does not see a problem with this.

Oh and on sleepless nights I bring baby(ies) to bed with me. Yes, another no-no. I am a really bad mom !

Jen

 

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, and I am the first to toss the "rules" out the window when it comes to twins and do whatever works...but the statistics are really against tummy sleeping (unless a baby is strong enough to roll over on their own - there's nothing you can do about it, and if they're strong enough to roll, they're probably strong enough to stay out of trouble).


SIDS risk is highest from 2-4 months.

Babies who are put to sleep on their tummies only occasionally (just for naps) are at higher risk for SIDS than babies who are put to sleep on their tummies all the time. (http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/Highlights/2006/HOct06SIDS.htm)

Back sleeping reduces the risk of SIDS by 50%.

Sure, we were put to sleep on our tummies and lived to tell the tale - but those who didn't aren't around to talk about it.


Scary stuff aside, since SIDS is relatively rare, so if you do put a baby down on their tummy, it's not the end of the world. But it's still an increased risk.

 

I gotta agree with the PP. First of all, it only counts as tummy time if they are actively moving and lifting their heads. If the babies are sleeping, it's not doing anything to strengthen their neck.

I was told that all babies sleep better and deeper on their bellies, which is why it is recommended that they don't. I guess the deeper they sleep, and the more pressure that is on their lungs can cause them to stop breathing. That's why if you talk to old parents they will all say how their babies slept through the night much earlier (my mom said we did at 2 weeks) because we slept on our bellies and slept so much better.

I think my doc did say that once the baby can roll over on their own it's fine if they sleep on their belly. It's almost impossible for you to stop them unless you stand by the crib all night long.