My DD has been a great sleeper up until the last few days but suddenly won't settle when I put her down on her back. If I pick her up and lie her over my chest, she drops off to sleep instantly. So last night I tried putting her down in her cradle on her tummy ... BINGO. Fast asleep. Of course, being aware of SIDS risks, I didn't sleep at all and just stared at her for ages. Every time I tried turning her over onto her back, she'd wake and start thrashing around again.
How do I...
a) get her to sleep on her back, OR
b) manage the risks of her sleeping on her tummy?
How effective are these 'sound and movement monitors'? I'm a little dubious about them as I wonder what use it to be told after the fact that your baby has stopped breathing... does it let you know in time to actually do something about it? Given that baby is right next to me in a cradle that is practically attached to the side of my bed, do you think a monitor might just detect MY sound and movement??
DS was a tummy sleeper. I didn't really let him sleep that way until he could roll over so I know he had excellent head control ( and I was a paranoid 1st tim mummy ). There are those 'anti roll' pillows to keep thm on their backs, but DS HATED his.
I have found DD likes being on her belly aswell... I have a feeling I will be where you are in a few weeks time.
I have never used a monitor myself, but I have had both in my room next to my bed for at least the first 6 months.
I don't have kids, but I wonder if you could somehow encourage your daughter to have tummy time while she's awake? Maybe that would help to "satisfy" her craving to be on her tummy and she would go back to sleeping on her back? I'm probably raising more questions than answers for you though.
Do you swaddle her? A lot of the time it's that feeling of space in front of their bodies that freaks them out - being tightly swaddled can avoid that, and a double swaddle if a single is not enough! Personally I'd rather persevere with finding alternative ways of getting her to sleep on her back before allowing her to sleep on her front. Just not worth the risk, imo.
Hi there, my bub has always been a tummy sleeper I guess you could say, even though it's not recommended! She developed pretty bad reflux in her first few weeks so from then refused to sleep on her back and I was going insane with no sleep as I didn't want her to sleep on her tummy by herself so I'd stay up and hold her!! Does your bub have reflux maybe??
I don't know if you'd be more comfortable co-sleeping and how old your bub is, but I then invested in a hab and strapped her to me so she was 'tummy' sleeping on me and I'd sleep on my backpropped up with about 4 pillows (not great for my back!), I set my alarm for every hour to check on her as I was paranoid!! Even though I thought my 'mother instinct' would kick in as she was on me I was still paranoid!! Then as her reflux got better I rolled her off me to sleep next to me in bed and she sleeps in her cot during the day....mind you I now am having night time issues!!
I do have a sound and movement monitor and they do work....not that she's stopped breathing but when I take her out of the cot and forget to turn it off the alarm goes after 20 sec's. It's an Angelcare and I just bought it at Target but there are others available I think.
I hope some of this helps you, you're more than welcome to ask me any questions if I haven't explained myself or you want more info, take care and good luck
I find that many babies do prefer to tummy sleep. I am not sure how you would minimise the risks, I would've said, if she were a bit older and easily lifting her own head and turning, not to worry too much. But I see by your ticker she is only one month old, that is probably too young for tummy sleeping, definitely not recommended, but I am sure alot of people do it. Certainly once she is rolling over, she will find her own comfortable position anyway.
Anyway DD was a fan of tummy sleeping at about 8-10 weeks of age. It was something that I went over and over again as everytime she was screaming and wouldn't settled, if I rolled her on her belly, or laid her on my chest she was straight off to sleep. I spent many nights on the lounge with her asleep on my chest.. SO.. I ended up letting her do that for about a week and weaned her to sleep on her side. I used the position roll pillow things and would put her down, on her side and it was just enough to keep her happy and let her sleep. I used a monitor the entire time but I was a little more comfortable as she was able to turn her head from one side to the other.
You might find if DD is screaming when on her back, she might have a sore belly or wind pain. I used INFANTS FRIEND (all natural and can give from birth) with DD to great response from her and it helped with any upset belly or wind pain (which she got alot of at first). Maybe try some of that over a day or two and see if that helps her out and that way it'll allow you to rule out pain.
Anyway DD eventually slept on her side for the majority of the time until she could roll over and now she is a 100% tummy sleeper. Doesn't matter what position I put her to bed in, she rolls straight onto her tummy. DD is 9.5 months now.
I have the angelcare sound & movement monitor and LOVE it as I am sure you'll be able to tell from my reply to the other thread. It will pick up your sounds if DD is beside you in your bedroom (so you can turn the sound detector off really) but the movement is completely based on 2 x sensor pads you place under the mattress so you won't affect that unless you are touching or bumping the bed at night which yes it will pickup and think is bub.
I used the monitor for the time DD slept on her tummy and although I was still paranoid and hovered over her quite a bit (she slept in a cradle in our loungeroom till she was 12 weeks), i at least knew it would give me a "heads up".
I remember admitting in mothers' group to the clinic nurse that DD was sleeping on her tummy and the look of disgust I got and the reply of "this is an example of what you should not be doing" to the entire group made me so embarassed and feel so bad but at the time it was all I could do to keep her settled and comfortable.
Good luck with it as it's a tricky one on what to do.
Both my kids were tummy sleepers from about 4 weeks onwards. Best thing for me, as I was so paranoid of them puking during the night and chocking on it.
SIDS risk if you have bumpers, teddy bears etc around their heads and so on. WHICH I AM SURE YOU DONT!!>
My pediatrician told me to sleep them on their bellies, So that is what I did.. I was never worried about it.. as a few weeks later their head control was very good and they got much stronger being on their belly to lift their head etc.
Do what you think is best.. but have a look on other sides on belly sleepers.. you will see the odds of belly and back and sick.. are not all that different.
FWIW I thought I would add that when I've seen pics of friends premmie babies (both in SCN and NICU) that have been of them tummy sleeping. If the midwives in the nurseries will let them do it (presumably so that they get that much needed sleep) and when they are so small, it must not be as risky as some people will have you think. That said, I personally think that if you are going to let bubs tummy sleep then it is best to have a movement monitor, mainly for peace of mind, but also just in case.
Kat - with regard to the sensor monitors - we have the tommee tippee one and it works a treat, it goes off after 20 seconds - so perhaps this would ease you mind if Ivy prefers her tummy? You can get them at Target for about $200 but we got ours for $150 when they had 25% off. (There is a $10 target voucher in the bounty bag if you go that)
Tummy sleeping and monitor question
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). There are those 'anti roll' pillows to keep thm on their backs, but DS HATED his.
Does your bub have reflux maybe??
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