Swaddled & sleeping on tummy - is this unsafe? 13 months

[goddessofdawn]

My 13-month-old has just started flipping herself over at night and sleeping on her tummy. Obviously she is more comfortable this way, because now she sleeps through the night for the first time ever! (Mother weeps with joy!)

However she is a very fidgety baby and so is still swaddled in a 'Swaddle Me', but with the end part cut out so her feet can stick out the end (she's too long for it otherwise).

I've just started weaning her off swaddling during day naps, which she has while breastfeeding. She used to whack me in the face if I didn't swaddle her, but recently I noticed a change in her, and I thought that developmentally she was ready for unswaddled day naps/breastfeeds - and that's working well.

So I think she'll be ready to sleep unswaddled at night soon, but in the meantime...
is it unsafe for her to be swaddled and sleeping on her tummy?
I put her to sleep on her back, but at some stage she rolls over.

[YoYo]

I gather she can crawl and move around and hold herself well. If that is the case, then I wouldn't worry about her sleeping on her tummy if she's comfy and puts herself that way. If she can get to her tummy in the swaddling, I guess she can get herself back...right?

My DD rolls onto her tummy in her sleep all the time....we co-sleep so she sometimes gets stuck...I help her back and she goes back to sleep.

[~Trish~]

I'm not sure, I guess as long as she's able to move her head from side to side easily if she needs to? Have you tried unswaddling her and putting her straight on her tummy to go to sleep? This worked well with my DD. I found if she was on her tummy she wouldn't wriggle around as much or wake herself up with her arms flailing around.

[goddessofdawn]

I gather she can crawl and move around and hold herself well.

Yes she can crawl and pull herself up to stand etc.

She was a late 'roller' though and hated tummy time - she only learned to roll from tummy to back at 8 months old. And never rolled from back to tummy... until now obviously.

But yeah obviously neck strength etc is fine... I guess I'm mainly asking for my husband, who kind of freaked out when he found her on her tummy, I guess because of the SIDS campaign - don't think he realizes that she's not a newborn anymore, and most babies will have rolled onto their tummies at night long before they reach DD's age.

[YoYo]

My DS was also a late roller, but we put him to sleep on his tummy coz he was more comfy that way (slept longer!)

I can also tell you my fave sleeping position

I'm sure she'll be fine

[MummaSue]

My DD still gets swaddled as she is such a fidgety baby. But i have to unswaddle her when she is asleep because she moves around so much when asleep. And yeah, she rolls herself onto her tummy now too. I have tried stopping the swaddle but she can't handle having all of her limbs free just now, she needs help to settle when tired. We're at the one arm out stage at the moment but can't seem to get to all arms free. LOL

Can you maybe swaddle her in just a wrap and then unwrap her when asleep?

[Taurean]

Hmmm, I'd be inclined to stop swaddling asap. Although your DD can obviously get herself into 'safe' positions for sleeping, swaddling only makes it difficult. They do say once your child can roll over by themselves then it's not a good idea to swaddle as they need their hands free to push themselves up/over, KWIM? Have you considered sleeping bags? We have used Grobags and Dream Bags since DD was 10 weeks old and she loves them. She was always swaddled but she took to bags so well. She also started rolling at 4.5 mths and sleeping on her tummy which freaked us out but we felt safer with her in bags.

HTH!

[goddessofdawn]

I think I'll start with 'one arm out'. We breastfeed to sleep, and normally my nose nearly gets broken if her arms are out

I'd always planned to use grobags but the flailing issue put an end to that. one day!

[NaeNae]

THANK YOU for posting this thread!! DD has started doing the same thing and like yours has never liked tummy time. We are reducing the tension of the swaddles and making it loose enough that if she wanted to she could reach her arms out. Like you, I get tired of the nose pick (mine) when she is meant to be sleeping and the good ole boobie rub and hand down the top on the opposite side, not to mention the face wack!
The looser tension seems to be working well for us

Nae x

[goddessofdawn]

Good to know I'm not alone, Nae! DD really can whack me hard, not that anyone believes me
Loosening the tension is also a good idea, will try that.

I checked on her a few times last night, and each time, she was in a different position.
i.e. Tummy, then back, then tummy
So that was reassuring.

[Muppity]

I think that it is good that she gan obviously get from her front to her back and vice versa but I would still be inclined to stop swaddling her if she is moving around so much anyway.

Does she wake if you unwrap her once she is asleep? Maybe you could try unwrapping her but then putting a sheet over her and tucking it in?

[MummaSue]

I woke up this morning with the fright of my life. It was 6.20am, DD was on her tummy asleep and it turns out she'd slept for over 6 hours!

Definite merits to this tummy sleeping business! But man, it scares the life out of me!

[goddessofdawn]

Does she wake if you unwrap her once she is asleep? Maybe you could try unwrapping her but then putting a sheet over her and tucking it in?

Yep, she normally wakes after about half an hour if unwrapped. But it has been a while since we've tried that, so will try again. And she also has a thin sheet over her, but she's so squirmy that that comes off, even with the swaddle on.

MummaSue - DD slept from 7.15pm to 4.15am... I woke up at 3am and checked on her ... so yeah she's sleeping so much better, but I'm waking up anyway to make sure she's ok LOL

I finally get this tummy sleeping business - about half my mum's group said "my baby won't sleep on their back" so their babies were put to sleep on their tummies from about 4 months old. One was even put to sleep on his tummy from 4 WEEKS old!!
I would have been WAY too scared to try that. In fact if DD hadn't started sleeping on her tummy by herself, I wouldn't put her on her tummy even now.