My son sleeps better on his tummy.?

Question

Don't get me wrong, I know you are to NEVER let a baby sleep on his/her tummy, but he sleeps better that way. He's six weeks old and while he's on his tummy, he has his head turned to the side. Might I add that he can lift his head on his own and turn from side to side on his own . I swear this kid's been here before! LOL! Is it safe to let him nap on his tummy since he can move his head on his own??

Answer 1

He is fine on his tummy, I slept on my tummy and so far have survived, my daughter slept on her tummy and is still around at 20 years, my sister slept on her tummy and is alive and kicking as are both of her daughters, tummy sleepers. The THEORY that putting a baby on it's tummy to sleep causes sids is no longer even a THEORY. It was never proven, just as formula feeding doesn't cause sids, just as having animals in the home doesn't cause sids...etc...these are all only THEORIES, there is no known reason to humanity what causes sids.

Answer 2

When I brought my son home from the hospital, he didn't sleep well at all. My mother in law kept telling me to lay him on his tummy. But I was so scared, because I had heard about SIDS. But then he had reflux, so I was scared to but him on his back, for fear of him choking. He actually spent the first few weeks sleeping upright in his car seat. I was a nervous wreck. So finally at around 3 weeks I put him on his tummy and watched him like a hawk. As soon as I did that he has slept through the night ever since and his is 16months now. So i think that it is a preference. There are risks no matter what. But if he can control his head, i think that it would be ok to let him nap on his tummy.

Answer 3

My daughter was held against her daddy's chest every moment of her life for the first three weeks when she slept so she wouldn't sleep on her back either. She's 15 months old and still wont sleep on her back.

It is suggested that all babies sleep on their back. You're not breaking a law by letting your child sleep on their tummy. My husband was terrified the first week we did this and then after trying to make her sleep on her back for a week and getting zero sleep we were told by many trusted friends family and doctors that ultimately your child will let you know what they want. just keep all blankets and toys out of the crib. Use those cute blanket sleepers and your baby will sleep good and be safe as possible.

* Way back in the day mothers were told to never put a baby on their back because they could spit up and choke (my mother in law still believes this and was horrified when I layed my daughter on her back) so it's a true catch 22 if you ask me*

Answer 4

When my daughter was born 11 yrs ago I was told to put her to sleep on her side or her tummy and when I had my son 8 months ago they said to ALWAYS put him on his back.
By the 6th week I was sooo exhausted because he would never sleep more than 20 minutes at a time! I assumed that he was just always hungry so I was constantly nursing him! And I mean CONSTANTLY.
At that point I just decided to put him on his tummy and he has slept through the night ever since (of course there has been the occasional sleepless night here and there)!

Only during my pregnancies have I ever been able to sleep on my back, but normally I can only sleep on my stomach and my mother said that both my brother and I slept on our tummies as babies. My mother and my daughter still sleep on their stomachs as well, so it just made sense to me that my son was probably more comfortable in that position as well and I was right.


My mother told me that she adored my pediatrician when I was very small because he told her, "You're the one who lives with the kid, you know her the best."
I'd love to find a doctor today that took that approach. It seems that pediatricians treat kids like they're on an assembly line and don't really consider the individual.

Congratulations &
Best of luck!

Oh! I forgot to mention that my baby has always slept with a pacifier, which is recommended also to prevent SIDS. Sometimes now he kind of wakes up, feels around for it, pops it back in his mouth and goes back to sleep on his own.

Answer 5

Re: SIDS
SIDS is now thought to be at least partially caused by an underdeveloped breathing reflex in seemingly healthy babies. Many newborns have apnea (periods where they cease to breathe for 5-20 seconds at a time). However, most infants rouse themselves when this happens. For those babies with an underdeveloped reflex, rousing themselves is more difficult. Compounding this is the fact that the deeper a baby is sleeping, the harder it is to rouse the wake up. As we all know, babies sleep MUCH better and more deeply on their tummies, in a warm room, etc. Unfortunately, this increases their risk of SIDS. The full development of this reflex coincides w/the baby learning to roll over. (This is why nearly all SIDS cases occur under six months w/most before age 4 mos. when most babies learn to roll). It has very little to do w/suffocation as we think of it (ie. a blanket, or smothering).
Essentially, you don't want your very young baby sleeping too deeply. That is why they say to put them to sleep on their backs.

Answer 6

As long as the baby is never left unattended for long periods of time, is on a flat surface with no fluffy blankets and the sheet fits the mattress snugly, then it shouldn't be a problem. My son has slept in that position since the day he came home and is 8 mos now. Just be sure to keep anything away from his face that might trap co2, causing him not to be able to exchange for fresh air and check on him often.

Answer 7

From the moment my daughter was bron I was told to NEVER let her sleep on her stomach... and from the moment she was born she's been sleeping on her stomach. Though the nurses at the hospital gave me greif about it, I ignored what it was that they had to say and let her sleep as she slept best -- which was as I said, on her stomach.

When I took her home, I continued this practice, and now, at 10 months old, she's still sleeping on her stomach and perfectly fine... In fact I was told that because she had so much 'tummy time' it's the very reason that she started sitting up and crawling as early as she did.

For years doctors and nurses told mothers that babies HAD to sleep on their backs... and then it was their sides... and now it's their backs.

I think that so long as your baby is capable of lifting his/her head up on their own and turn their head from side to side he/she is perfectly fine... The survival instinct in a child is the same as it is in an adult -- only in infants they're simply too little and new to the world to know what to do in most cases... but an infant capable of lifting their own head certainly wouldn't lay face down in a puddle of their own vomit. And so long as you don't have a blanket that will lay down over his face, or have any stuffed animals that would fall around him.... Let's just say that so long as the crib is clear of things that could potentially suffocate your child... you're fine.

Just remember... You're the Mom, you're the one who is around him all the time, and the one who knows what he can and can't do. Trust your own instincts...

Answer 8

it truly is truly your call. back sound asleep isn't precisely a organic way for little ones to sleep, so a great form of little ones face as much because it. you're no longer the 1st mom to have this concern. :/ My little ones have been all great at tummy sound asleep and undesirable at sound asleep on their backs. i'm optimistic you have heard the data on SIDs, and that on condition that recommending back sound asleep, the incidences of SIDS has long previous down dramatically. it truly is beneficial to purpose him on his section for awhile and spot if he accepts that. They sell those curved infant-holder pillows to prop them up if it enables. Failing that, nevertheless, you in easy terms would desire to make a judgment call. there is not any regulation that asserts that little ones would desire to sleep on their backs. placed him on his tummy for the duration of a nap once you may watch him, and in basic terms see if he does something that concerns you. Then make the call for your self. i'll assert: I in all risk enable my little ones sleep on their tummies from approximately 2.5-3 months on, and that they are all fantastic.

Answer 9

Any baby is going to sleep better on there tummy but this is a HUGE risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome. All babies should be sleeping on there backs.

Answer 10

Baby should NEVER sleep on his/her tummy until they are old enough to roll over, no matter how carefully you watch them. If you don't believe me, please see the source list. The first one is from the government and the second is from the American Academy of Pediatrics.