Only sleep on bellies

Hey ladies,

I have a real problem. One of our twins will only sleep on her belly. I am so scared of SIDS. Whenever I put her on her back she just screams. I even try to let her fall asleep on her belly and roll her over, she wakes up within five minutes of rolling over.

We have been doing the chest to chest sleeping, since I read that is a safer way for babies to sleep on their bellies, but I am still really scared of SIDS. Any suggestions?

Angel

 

Hey ladies,

I have a real problem. One of our twins will only sleep on her belly. I am so scared of SIDS. Whenever I put her on her back she just screams. I even try to let her fall asleep on her belly and roll her over, she wakes up within five minutes of rolling over.

We have been doing the chest to chest sleeping, since I read that is a safer way for babies to sleep on their bellies, but I am still really scared of SIDS. Any suggestions?

Angel

 

I was scared at first but now that's all they ever sleep on. I used to check on them at least twice a night but now I don't. I keep all stuffed animals out of the crib I give them a blanket or I have them sleep in blanket sleepers.

 

Ours prefer their bellies, and I recently gave in for naps. Yours sounds like a more extreme case, though -- is there something that might make back sleeping uncomfortable for her? For example, a baby with reflux will often scream when placed on her back, but will be more comfortable if placed propped up on an incline. You might experiment with different ways of putting her on her back -- on an incline, in a carseat, swaddled etc. -- and see if she is okay with any of those. (Note, though, that a British study just came out with a warning about letting small babies sleep in carseats...)

 

It might be reflux. She sleeps really well in the carseat or in the swing, she just won't sleep flat on her back. I might talk to her md about it when I see him in January.

 

when my babies came home they did not like to sleep on their backs. .they would wake after a very short time. WE had them in their car seats i think beginning the 2nd month when they were diagnosed with reflux. my dr said his duaghter slept in one too.

now if reflux was not an issue, if i was to have another baby, i think i would try so hard to get them to sleep in their crib. that is something i am going to have a really hard time with during the next month or two. they cant sleep in their carseat forever.

i also heard about carseat sleeping being dangerous for small babies but from what i recall, it was very small babies...i would ask your dr.

 

A word about sleeping in the car seats. From what I understand, it is dangerous to tiny babies because they can't sit properly and their heads fall forward, occluding the airway. That is why they do a car seat test on premature or small babies. My preemies had to prove that they could sit in a car seat w/o any help for one hour while their heart rate and breathing remained normal. So I would think as long as your babies are big enough to keep their head from flopping, sleeping in their car seats for a few hours between feedings would be OK. But I wouldn't make a habit of it. I let mine sleep in their swings a few times,and now they cry everytime I put them in the crib!!

 

My daughter slept in her carseat until she was around 5 months old because she would not sleep on her back at all, from about 2.5 months to 5 months. Even now when we put her in her crib she immediately rolls to her belly. I don't worry about it now, but I did when she was younger. If it were me I wouldn't let her sleep on her tummy though until she can roll herself over. I would suggest trying a wedge to incline her crib, that may make it easier for her. Or talk to your pedi. about other suggestions. That really is a hard one since she is so little and screams when on her back.

 

Have you tried swaddling her? I think they like to sleep on their bellies because they feel cuddled. I know in the Special Care Nursery, they let them on their bellies, but of course they were being monitored.

A month is pretty young still and my pedi said once they can roll themselves over and hold their head up it's okay. I would try swaddling her. They sell the Miracle Blanket online which really worked well for mine. Within 2 week...we started at 2 1/2 months (wish I would have found them earlier) they were sleeping from 10pm to 5 or 6 am.

Just a suggestion.