Paranoid of tummy-time napping...?

Question

I am paranoid of letting my 4.5 month old sleep on her tummy, even if just for a nap! I heard that the risk of SIDS went down by 50% when the dr.'s started suggesting sleeping on their backs. Does anyone else hold this fear? I STILL wake up throughout the night to check her breathing...any advice?

Answer 1

Well my five month old died of SIDS and she was on her back. In my SIDS group on a few babies died on their tummy and they were not deemed SIDS they were listed as suffocation, because that is suffocation not SIDS. Most of the babies were laying on their backs, sides, in strollers, in swings, etc. Suffocation is no longer on the same level as SIDS as it used to be. They have changed the way a SIDS death is investigated and now how they come to determine it was SIDS. A baby that dies from being face down in a crib, smothered by blankets or stuffed animals a crib, etc. is no longer considered a SIDS death it is suffocation. Suffocation and SIDS are not the same thing. SIDS is when an otherwise healthy baby suddenly stops breathing for no reason upon an autopsy. Suffocation is a known factor in a death so it is no longer deemed as SIDS. My daughter died on her back the same way she would have died if she was on her tummy, side, in a stroller, etc. Positioning of a baby has nothing to do with why they suddenly stop breathing there is more to it than that. I'll bet if they go back now since suffucation has been retracted from determining a SIDS death and see what the percentage is now of babies that die if placed on their backs it will not be that greatly reduced. I know more mothers of babies that died in lots of positions and the tummy is not one of them. I only know a couple of them that were on their tummy and beleive me this really irritates all of us in my SIDS group, because we did what we were supposed to and it happened anyways.

Answer 2

The statistics are flawed. I'm not saying they are not onto something when it comes to SIDS, but they didn't know as much about it 15 years ago as they do now, and they didn't diagnose SIDS as a reason for death as often then either...so forming a percentage of decrease in something they haven't steadily gauged the same way during their comparison time period...just doesn't make any sense.

All mom's check on their babies constantly throughout the night for the first year. That's just a mother thing. But if allowing her to sleep on her tummy is bothersome to you, then I'd say don't do it...you don't need the added stress and worry.

Just remember, they also know more about asthma in infants, they do more testing at birth, there are less people who smoke around in homes with children, some of the vaccines have changed over the years, warnings about not allowing a baby to sleep with you in bed...etc...so it could very well be that all of those factors play a part in reducing the amount of SIDS deaths, not necessarily lying an infant on his or her back.

Your baby will come to a point where they will sleep however they feel most comfortable, no matter which position you put them in.

Answer 3

Your not paranoid, just a normal parent doing their job. I thought I was a little over the top as well, due to working as an RN in an Emergency Dept I was even more concerned. We purchased a sound monitor that also had a movement sensor. I guarantee this saved our sons life at three months ( paranoia pays off sometimes). He had never been placed on his back and had little other risk factors. I'm not trying to scare you as I know only too well about sleepless nights and checking up on them, but if something as simple as that could give you some peace of mind its is well worth it. Nothing is 100% guaranteed, but I know I felt much happier knowing it was there. It is not unreasonable to be still checking on bub at this age, I did (not every night, but often) up to 12 months or so. There are so many unknown factors to
SIDS and the reasons this occurs, all we can do is decrease the risks as much as possible. As far as napping you might find a rocker helpful for those hour naps whilst she is still small, its portable and they cant roll in them, particularly if you use the strap.

Answer 4

Here we go again...there is NO proof that tummy sleeping results in SIDS. ALL of my cousins, ALL of my ex's cousins, myself, my siblings, my ex, his siblings, nieces, nephews and our daughter were put to sleep on tummies. We are ALL still here. The tummy sleeping theroy is just that at best...along with the theroy that having pets in the home caues sids, sleeping on the wrong side during pregnancy (whichever side that is) causes sids, having it too hot or too cold in the home causes sids. Air freshners cause sids, flannel crib sheets cause sids, cotton crib sheets cause sids. Certain fibers worn by the baby causes sids. Not using a humidifer causes sids. Being take outdoors "too soon" as an infant causes sids, not enough sunshine, too much sunshine and anything else you can come up with. Stop waking up at night or get a baby monitor and get some sleep.

Answer 5

I know exactly what you mean and I never let my son sleep on his tummy until he actually turned himself over to sleep on it. The risks of SIDS has greatly decreased since the campaign for back sleeping so there is some merit to the reasons for it. Just remember to alternate your babies head from one side of the crib to the other to prevent a flat part on the back of her head (babies always turn their head to face the same way i.e., the window). As for the breathing, I still sometimes do that. I've heard that worry doesn't end, in one form or another, until our kids are 30!

Good luck & Enjoy!

Answer 6

You have every right to be paranoid. It's a natural thing for mothers to go through. My son is 22-months old, and every now and then, I still have to go check on him to reassure myself that everything is okay. If you're truly worried and can't seem to get sleep due to this worry, there are these baby monitors (around $100 but they do work) that sense if the baby hasn't moved or has stopped breathing (Babysrus.com). Also, you can buy a sleep positioner (I LOVED mine) if you're worried she might turn over in the middle of the night. Good luck!

Answer 7

I think you're crazy if you don't occassionally freak out in the middle of the night and run to make sure the baby is still breathing. :) That's just a normal part of being a parent.

Every baby is different. If your daughter can hold her head up and is rolling over, she can sleep on her tummy. Actually, I'd like to watch you try and stop her! :) My son was rolling over at two months and I'd put him down on his back and by his midnight feeding, he'd be on his stomach. I'd put him back down on his back and at the next feeding, he'd be back on his stomach. I was worried about it at first and terrified about putting stuff in his crib to prop him up. But I talked to my pediatrician and she said he was ok to sleep on his stomach as long as he's rolling over.

Answer 8

If they can get themselves on their stomach themselves, there's not much you can do but drive yourself crazy with panic! If you're really worried, take the bumper pad off the crib if you have one. But what my doctor told me when my daughter started rolling everywhere in her sleep was that it was okay and she could sleep however she wanted now that she was mobile. I still always put her to bed on her back, but she did what she wanted after that! She's 11 months now and just fine!

Answer 9

U sound like me! Lately my 4.5 month old boy has been wanting to sleep on his side. It freaks me out and I only want him to be on his back so I turn him back to his back once he falls asleep. He can only roll from his tummy to his back not from his back to tummy yet..... So, I feel much safer with him on his back!!

Answer 10

I know what you mean. I only let my infant sleep on his tummy when I'm holding him laying down. I wouldn't recommend sleeping on the tummy at all until they are able to lift their heads up or roll over on their own.