Should I Worry - Tummy Sleeper

[UntoldAngel]

Mr P is 5months old today and has developed a habit of sleeping on his tummy, especially for his day sleeps. If he is getting tired, he will roll over onto his tummy and settle for a sleep. If I roll him back over he gets cranky and rolls back onto his tummy.

He has slept on his tummy overnight once when I hadn't swaddled him, but he prefers to be wrapped for night otherwise he doesn't settle properly. I haven't been wrapping him of a day because of the heat, plus he usually goes off to sleep before you realise.

I'm not too concerned as he has good head control and strength, but DH is a little concerned. Should we try and get him out of this habit?

[Santosha]

Whilst obviously the SIDS reccomendations are there for a reason and it's 'less safe' on their tummy, I know how tricky it can be to change this and in our case, just went with it. I was pretty apprehensive abt letting DD tummy-sleep at first so bought an angel care monitor for peace of mind. I just got used to it after a while though and stopped using the monitor at abt 8 months I think. There is NO WAY DD would sleep on her back at home, but weirdly, she sleeps on her back at childcare fine. Funny little people! GL

[CinderToriella]

Can he roll both ways?

As long as he is sleeping so he can breathe ok..DD started to want to sleep on her tummy and side a month or so ago when we stopped wrapping her as well, she moves around is seems much more comfortable .

Normally i think they start to do that when they begin to roll around , i think by that age he *should* be fine , i was really freaked out when DD started doing it

If you really don't want him doing it you will have to get one of those sleep positioners( we had one when DD was a newborn)

[Traveller]

I wouldn't be too worried as long as he has good head control and can roll freely by himself. Make sure he is not sleeping with a soft toy or loose blanket though, to make sure he can't get all tangled up. When my kids started sleeping on their tummy I put them into sleepsuits or sleeping bags rather than using sheets.

[aussienic]

I thought once they could roll themselves into that position it was fine.. Well not fine but not much you could do about it

our DD was a tummy sleeper from week 1. We already had an angelcare monitor so i felt comfortable letting her sleep like that

[RhiChiChi]

Hi Belle,

I echo what the OP's have said. My DD was a tummy sleeper once she could roll & if I turned her back over, she'd wake & not sleep, so in the end I gave up & she was a much better sleeper. I also put her in Sleeping Bags then so she didn't get cold and she stayed a bit more settled.

[UntoldAngel]

Thanks girls!
He is able to roll both ways and he sleeps with his head to the side so his face isn't obstructed. Of a day I probably don't mind soo much because I can keep an eye on him.

Shell - I have one of the sleep positioners but he doesn't like it that much because he can't move

Traveller - doesn't sleep with any toys etc... his sheet is tucked in so he can't really get tangled up in it... although he can get out of his wrap sometimes and I will go into him of a morning all tangled up

The other thing I have noticed is that if he doesn't sleep on his tummy, he likes to pull a blanket/sheet up over his cheek???

[Liminal]

If you really don't want him doing it you will have to get one of those sleep positioners( we had one when DD was a newborn)

Just recently the consumer safety groups have announced that these actually are themselves a SIDS risk; it seems like they can trap a baby in the wrong spot. Sleep aids increase risk of baby death

[Olive]

i gave DD2 a blankie (flannelette one) at 6 months because she likes it up near her face too, she still loves it/them!!

[UntoldAngel]

i gave DD2 a blankie (flannelette one) at 6 months because she likes it up near her face too, she still loves it/them!!

I just didn't know if it would be safe cos he covers his face

[Olive]

i had the angelcare monitor so wasnt that worried, but if hes already doing it... do what you're comfortable doing
DD used to hold it at her mouth and did the sucking action, was very cute!

[Miss E]

My DS decided that he was far more comfy on his tummy at around about the same age. Like you, I was a bit worried, but really there is very little you can do about it... It was at that point that we weaned him from the wrap and moved to a sleeping bag cos I wanted to be sure that he could roll over easily and not get stuck with him arms tucked underneath him. I also have an angel care monitor, which gave me a heap of peace of mind (and still does, even though he's now 16 months). He also likes to have fabric near his face, so ever since we stopped wrapping him he's gone to bed with one of those little muslin square (the washer type ones). They're so thin that I don't think they could cause any problems and pretty small. The other bonus is that it has since become his comfort item which is sooooo convenient. We have heaps of them so they get washed regularly, it doesn't matter if he looses one and other kids aren't interested in it (I've seen so many with comfort items that are soft toys and other kids constantly trying to take it off them). Anyway, I'm rambling... Good luck with it.

[UntoldAngel]

Thanks Miss E... he doesn't roll when he is wrapped which is a good thing so no probs there. I have a grobag that I could use for night, but if his arms aren't wrapped he is just too unsettled. It's just the day sleeps.

But it is more DH that is worried, but I think it comes from his family saying that P shouldn't be sleeping on his tummy whatsoever

[Aligater]

My DD2 use to Co-sleep and when she was in with us she slept on her back but in her basinet I had to put her on her tummy or she wouldnt sleep she is in her own bed now and the 1st thing she does is roll onto her tummy

[Fleur]

Same as everyone else here.. Pie moved to tummy sleeping gradually between 4 & 6 months, now she sleeps a lot on her side.
You do what you can & then there's a point when they will sleep however they are comfy. Like PPs, we had an angelcare monitor so I was a bit easier with it...but them I didn't have it with any of my other kids & they all did the same. The older they are & the more mobile they are the harder it is to keep them on their back.
It sounds like he might like the feel of something near his face, maybe it makes him feel secure. Sounds very cute

[Miss E]

I think it comes from his family saying that P shouldn't be sleeping on his tummy whatsoever

Gotta love that don't you... Do they have any words of wisdom on how you actually stop him from doing it...

[*LittleMissSummer*]

My DD has slept on her tummy since 6 weeks and havent had any issues. Its the only position she will sleep. We did co sleep up until a few weeks ago and i have a monitor and i can hear her. She sleeps in sleeping bags so i dont worry about her pulling blankets and DP was worried she would sleep face down but nope she sleeps on the side and i have watched her turn her head and shes never face down.

[BrightSparkles]

While this is fine as someone who has slept on their tummy since birth I would Highly reccomend trying to change it - more so because of the problems it could cause later on. I find it way more comfortable (i even sleep on the lounge on my tummy) but I have suffered hugely with back and neck problems. I have had to have heaps of physio because of how out of alignment things are now.

Both my girls find it more comfy too - but i'm trying to get them out of the habit so they don't have the same probelms.