my baby boy loves to sleep on his belly

[tippytoes]

Hi everyone,
My little DS is 4 months and has learned to roll over, he is pretty good at it too... especially back to tummy. Now when he sleeps he always rolls onto his tummy. When he does this he becomes uncovered - I worry he'll get cold - though not too bad ATM as it is summer. But he also ends up down the other end of the cot sometimes. Today he got his little chubby leg caught between the bars . He is pretty calm and plasid so I knew something was up when he was crying... I have also heard the bump in the night - I know I can't protect him completely but I don't like the idea that he is bumping his head. I guess my question is what to do? I know I can't stop him from sleeping this way. I know SIDS say sleep on the back. Just not sure. If I settle him on his belly I can a least keep him in the same spot - maybe??? DH feels worried and he should only sleep on his back. My mum says I was also a belly sleeper.
I probably sound crazy hey? Just want him to be comfy...
Rach xx

[boomba]

I remember this, I would put DS1 down and come in later and he wopuld be down the other end feet in some weird posistion lol!

A friends babies have always slept on their tummies wouldnt settle any other way...so I guess jsut do what you feel comfortable with? If he can roll I am pretty sure he will hopefully be able to roll himself out of trouble lol!
Good luck xx

[ss_storm]

DD has started sleeping on her tummy too. I do worry a little about it, but SIDS guidelines used to be to put them on their tummy anyway so who knows what is "right". I worry about her a lot when she is on her tummy but her head is face planted into the bottom sheet instead of facing out to the side...lol. During the day not so bad as I can keep an eye on her but at night I stress about it. I have also found her in some pretty weird places in her cot!

I figure though that she will sleep in the position most comfortable to her, and I have heard that once they can roll over the risk of SIDS decreases..not sure how true that is.

Have you considered using a sleeping bag instead of sheets? I started using a grobag at night instead of tucking in sheets as I was worried she would get tangled in them or wriggle around so her head was underneath them. As for getting his leg stuck through the bars, we have an Airwrap cot bumper (it's like a normal cot bumper but is made of mesh so it's breathable) so she cant get her arms or legs stuck in the sides of the cot. It also somewhat protects her head from banging against the side! At the moment she loves bouncing her legs off it. Lol

[Nelle]

My second was (still is) a tummy sleeper. I think the general idea is that if bub can move into trouble they can usually move out. Even so, try and minimise things in the cot that bub could get tangled in. Can bub roll back onto his back? Can he lift himself up on his hands, or push himself about? I think those are good signs that he can move if he gets stuck. Is he a really deep sleeper?
Also make sure there's good ventilation in the room - one of the problems with tummy sleeping is that bub can overheat. But a slightly open window will help and I guess central heating won't be an issue in Summer. But in Winter, I'd have the central heating turned down really low in their room, just enough to take any chill off the air. One of my MCHN said something about SIDS incidences rising as more families used central heating - no idea how true that is though.

[Bathsheba]

Yep, the old guidelines used to be to settle them to sleep on their tummies because they might choke on their vomit... there were no huge deaths due to the position... it was more likely other factors like getting tangled and trapped between mattress and cot/bumpers etc.

All my 3 completely tummy slept. And yes, my paed says it runs in families. I wouldn't get sleeping bags... it might get twisted around them. Mainly make sure the mattress is firm. I think the sleeping position is of less importance than other risks like smokey environments for example. If I was you i wouldn't worry now that he is 4 months. Is he able to hold up his head when he has tummy time?

[Miss E]

My DS was exactly the same, as soon as he worked out how to roll he was rolling onto his tummy in bed... Only problem for us was that we were still wrapping him, so had to wean him of that pretty quickly.

At the end of the day they are going to sleep how they want to sleep. My DS also moves around a lot in his cot and yes sometimes does get an arm or a leg stuck. I swear by the sleeping bags, if he had sheets or blankets he would definately end up underneath them. We haven't had any problems with the sleeping bag getting twisted when he rolls, it seems to move pretty well with him actually.

[ladybird11]

Good question Rach!!

DS (5 mths) can roll onto his tummy, but not roll back as yet. Some nights I've gone in to find him on his belly and it scares me big time. I always stress about it.

I think the grobag is a good idea - was considering getting ours out, but it's 2.5 tog - so too warm for this summer-ish weather I guess .

Oh, totally sympathise with the leg getting caught in the cot bars - many a time have I had to 'lube' DD's leg to get hers out .

I think ss_storms idea about the breathable Airwrap though - that should stop him from getting into strife .

[Lisa]

Anelise has started rolling too and it is driving me batty! She rolls everywhere. I have her right next to my side of the bed and I just wake and check on her a million times per night. I am thinking about getting one of those roll things that go either side of the baby's body to stop them from rolling... otherwise I have no idea. Just know you're not alone in the rolling baby department.

[Mummato2]

My little man was a tummy sleeper - much to my stress.

We put a baby monitor in his room to hear for noise and a breathing monitor under his mattress to let us know if he wasn't breathing.

That was the best we could do without forcing him into a position that he clearly wasn't comfortable with.

The other point is if he is at an age where he can confidently roll onto his tummy, he should be able to get himself out of strife so long as his cot is virtually bare.

We didn't keep bumpers, toys, blankets etc in the cot - we used heaters and fans to either warm or cool the room to a comfy temp.

[YoYo]

My DS was a tummy sleeper.....I would settle him in that position. He was also a slacker though and never moved apart from turning his head from one side to the other!

I had him in a grobag (I think it was 0.5tog for Summer) which stopped me worrying about him kicking off covers. It would also stop the legs through the bars bit. I also bought an Angelcare Monitor....where you put the sensor under the mattress and it constantly picks up movement (breathing) which put my mind at ease at night time.

I was a tummy sleeper too and still am, it's such a comfy posi!!! (regardless of being 17 weeks pregnant!)

[tippytoes]

Oh girls you are the greatest thank you so much. You have really helped me....

Is he able to hold up his head when he has tummy time?

Yes bath he is a very strong lil thing! Infact today he has begun to tummy crawl (I admit slowly, but crawling/wriggling along the ground nonetheless!) Cheeky thing!

I was a tummy sleeper too and still am, it's such a comfy posi!!!

I agree minimax I still sleep like this too

I keep the cot very bare and haven't tried a gro suite cause I figured it would twist and annoy him. Maybe worth a shot!

Also,

As for getting his leg stuck through the bars, we have an Airwrap cot bumper (it's like a normal cot bumper but is made of mesh so it's breathable) so she cant get her arms or legs stuck in the sides of the cot.

Thanks storm I will be getting one of these very soon!

Nelle,

Can he lift himself up on his hands, or push himself about? YES he can
Is he a really deep sleeper? I would say a mid sleeper. He doesn't wake at the slightest noise but does sleep soundly.

. Thanks for the note on the ventalation too. DS is a lil sweater like his DH During a feed I always have a little smile cause he works up a bit of a sweat and his hair sticks together a little!

I'll keep an eye on him. He seems happy and can always lift his head/neck up in need. He isn't the least bit fussed infact I think he is sleeping better because he is more comfy! It is just us mums who are sleeping worse!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again
Rach xx

[Gigi]

some ideas:

dunno what they are technically called, but we used these things.
looks like two little cylinder shaped pillows, about 25cm apart, with a flat bit of sheet material holding them together.
you lay the baby's torso on the flat bit of fabric, they have the cylinder little pillows on either side of them, and THAT thing stops the bub rolling onto their tum.

anyhoo, i wrapped my summer bub (in muslin wrap, so good breathability), and laid her in that anti roll thing. either in my bed, or in her basinette.

i used the anti roll thing FROM THE START, so i dunno if it will help a bub, who has not been used to one for four months already. you know how bubs get used to things? it might have only worked with my bub cos she knew that from day one. dunno, might be worth a shot.

100% cotton sleeping bags
i found cheap ones - like tshirt fabric - in best n less and big w - sleeveless ones for summer.
or wrap in muslin.

my bub sweated like crazy too, so i only put her in natural fibres to solve that.

the best fabric i've come across for being cool on a hot bub, is bamboo. didn't know about it (except for nappies) when she was tiny.

i put a sheepskin under my bub to sleep on (to increase ventilation, natural fibres).

at four months, i had my bub in a basinette, so there was not much room for her to get twisted up in anything, no wooden bars, no toys. She was in the basinette until 8 months (a real shortie ha ha).

maybe an idea to consider: to hire a bassinet for a month, see if that helps. he's unlikely to need it for long, so maybe hiring one for a few months, would manage the current problem and after a few months, he'll be bigger in the cot. (bubs grow so fast in the first year).

you've got heaps of ideas and stuff to try from all the responses, good luck with it all! i used to think, there was ONE right way, i was just too dumb to know WHAT it was, now, thanks to belly belly, i realise, there are MANY ways of doing things with a bub, and it all varies according to YOUR bub anyhoo, and you, the mummy, know your bub best anyhoo. i really like hearing how other mums do similar things, i alwasy learn something new when i read these things, get new ideas.

(it took me five years also, to conceive and have my tiny bilby, so i appreciate how anxiety provoking it can be, worrying about "what's best", "are they comfy" etc. of course you want your darling bub to be comfy and ok, who wouldn't?) :hugs:

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

DS slept better on his tummy... so I let him. If he's going to roll over anyway then he can roll back and you can't really stop it.

DS now prefers to sleep on his left side. I put him down21qwasz ON HIS BACK, HE wriggles onto his side and falls asleep. Some nights I hav to shift him over bcause he's bout to fall out of bed, but not often.

[didispunk]

Nope not crazy! My sisters are I all sleep on belly from 6 weeks and my children have done the same.
When i went to a pead he said to me " If they vomit while on there back they tend to turn their head but doesnt always happen" And I dont want my kiddies with flat bald heads!! And i just dont swaddle them and have toys and crapo around the cot! EASY!!

2 of mine have loved it and the next one on the way will be the same!

[ss_storm]

no worries rach, just FYI i got our airwrap from big w, but they'd probably have them in baby stores too.

i also dont find that the grobag gets twisted up, it does a little but not so far that she can't move. it's probably one of the best things i have bought! you can buy them for about half price (retail price) on ebay.