What position do your babies sleep in?

Hi everyone,

I know that everyone recommends babies sleep on their backs, but I know many people that think side is best.

Just this weekend, we were visiting my mom and she put DD to sleep on the couch on her side. She kept saying "look how peaceful she's sleeping? Probably the best sleep she ever had" I told her that they should be sleeping on their backs but she just kept on it. One of the reasons I'm afraid to have her watch the babies.

How are your babies sleeping?

 

Mine slept on their back at that age. Now one sleeps on his belly and the other still sleeps on his back.

 

There's an article in my Ped's office about preterm infants having a significantly higher rate of SIDS when side-sleeping compared to full-term infants side-sleeping. Sorry I can't name the source right now. I will try to look next time I am there. My babies slept on their back until they were able to turn onto their tummies by themselves. They usually choose to tummy sleep now.

ETA: Here's a link for a study. I don't know if this is the same article in my Ped's office though.

 

Now my girls position themselves - and it's always on the belly! But back before they were mobile we got wedges and positioned them on their sides. My girls always slept better on their sides or bellies - worst on their backs!

 

Mine sleep on their backs but recently one has been turning on his side. When they were in the hospital though the nurses put them on their tummies to sleep. They told me it was okay but must be supervised if on the tummy. I personally have never done it.

 

Hey there friend!

My daughter sleeps on her back. However.........and I know this is very controversial - my DS will not keep any food down when he is on his back. Even if it's an hour after a feed. The second he goes on his back he starts rolling around and groaning and will spit up his food so we place him on his stomach and watch him all the time. Someone is always up at night staring at him because we are worried about SIDS. We know it's not right to put him on is tummy, but if we leave him on his back we're worried that he'll choke. So sleeping on the side is okay or not okay? I'm confused with this back to sleep. I know the risk of being on stomach is not being able to turn head, but isn't it easier to choke on your back than on your side?? I'm curious about this too!

Brooklyne

 

My babies always slept on their backs until they learned to roll around. Then, they slept however they wanted. Back sleeping is far and away the safest as far as SIDS is concerned.

 

My oldest has always been a mover and often slept on his side early on no matter how many times we rolled him to his back. And we found him several times under 2 months flipped over onto his tummy even while swaddled. Now he sleeps however he falls - mostly on his tummy after crawling, but you never know with him. My youngest however slept on his back until he learned how to roll back to front and has slept on his tummy every night since then. As soon as his butt hits the bed he flips onto his tummy.

At the age of your babies I would definately put them on their backs. And would insist that anyone who watched them do the same.
If they couldn't follow that, they simply wouldn't be allowed to watch my babies (that's just one of the reasons why my MIL may never watch the babies - she said she put all her babies on their tummies and they turned out just fine.) I am the mom. Do it my way. It's my perrogative. You had your children and that was a long time ago.

 

Ours had really bad reflux so we kept them on their sides with sleep positioners in case they spit up at night. Then it was recommended by our Ped GI that they stomach sleep to make them more comfortable. Our boys were both on Apnea machines which would detect a breathing issue if need be. They never had an issue, but we kept them on the machines until they could roll over just so they could belly sleep safely. But with that said, back to sleep is the safest way for them to sleep unless you are directed otherwise.

 

At that age ours slept on their tummys & they still do. We tried them on their backs but, they never slept as sound and never seemed to get comfortable.

Good Luck!

 

At that age it was their backs, but at 4 mo. old, they started sleeping on their stomachs and they did start sleeping much better.

 

Ours were back sleepers til around 5 months, when they started sleeping on their sides, and then around 5 1/2 months they started rolling onto their bellies, sometimes sleeping there, sometimes crying and rocking to try to flip back over

 

Before they could roll, they both slept on their backs. At about 3mnths my daughter started sleeping on her side, and ds still on his back. Around 4-4.5months when they started to roll over, they both started sleeping on their tummys and they still do

 

Thanks ladies,

I guess I'll just keep putting them on their backs at least until they get a little older. I use sleep positioners and that keeps them in place as my DD seems to curve herself if we let her.

Hugs,

 

Mine were back sleepers until they could roll over. After than they rolled over to their tummy. (And that was around 3 or 4 months.)

 

My babies will only sleep in their carseats. I wish we could break them of it, but it's tough to do. I think the side is fine. Just so their not on their stomachs. I could be wrong, but I would be OK with it.