Please help?

Question

My baby is 6 weeks old. For the past week we have been laying him on his tummy when taking a nap during the day and he prefers to lay that way and is a lot more settled. Iast night I laid him on his tummy to sleep because he was very conjested and unsettled and he went to sleep straight away. I know that it is not normally the thing to do because of the risks of cot death, but when he prefers to sleep this way what can I do? I was just wondering if anybody else does this. I am a very nervous first time mummy trying to do the best for him. Please help

Answer 1

Ideally they should sleep on their back but if they can't get to sleep that way, it's not your fault. Remember that over tiredness is also listed as a possible contributer so it's important that your wee one gets the rest he needs. If that means going to sleep on his front, so be it. If you're unable to sleep through worrying, try gently rolling him over once he's already asleep and get a monitor. A good friend of mine's wee girl slept on her front from 2 weeks old and is full of beans! My daughter started sleeping on her front as soon as she could roll over! I just went in to check her and there she was. She sleeps on her front every night now. I know it's worrying with a new baby, but not every single piece of advice your given will suit you or your baby. Speaking to other mums as much as possible will give you more reasonable advice than a lot of books out there. Good luck! x

Answer 2

My son was born at 25 weeks and when he finally did come home (he was almost 3 months old and weighed 4lb 12oz) He also liked laying on his tummy best... I too was a first time mom and was very nervous about it. He slept that way all the time...I would put him on his back and he would either wake, or cry... If you are really concerned you could talk to your son's doctor and ask him/her what he/she thinks. I would be sure that there are no stuffed animals or extra blankets in the crib. My son is now 3 1/2 and still prefers to sleep on his tummy... Good Luck

Answer 3

At the end of the day this is your baby .

You will be aware of the factors of sudden Infant death which is why your asking this question am I right?

No one can tell you if you should or shouldn't lie your baby on his tummy you must weigh up the benefits and risks for each option.
I am so sorry if this sound a bit harsh.It's really not meant to.

I took my little girl in my bed every night when she was tiny and she was fine.
I knew the risks and if anything had happened to her, there would have been no one to blame but myself.

Answer 4

Hey hunni even though your baby is more settled on his front, its not reccomended as like you said risks of cot death. Like somebody else said try turning him onto his back when hes asleep, and also wind him for a while before putting him down, my 14 month used to take an hour of winding before it was all out. It may be hard work at first but one he's used to his back it will be fine. Good luck, Lisa x

Answer 5

Relax. There is no solid link to any cause for SIDS. My siblings and I, my parents, my cousins, several friends and even my own son were tummy sleepers as babies. It's all right. Just be vigilant about checking in on him. He's still little, so he's probably waking a few times a night, but if you want, just set your alarm clock to check him or lay him on his side or back when you go to bed. Good luck!

Answer 6

If you did not want your child to prefer sleeping on his tummy, you should not have let him sleep in that position for naps. They say that sleeping on their tummy can cause SIDS, so try putting him on his side. Or stop putting him on his tummy for naps and get him use to sleeping on his back again. At 6 weeks its not necessary for him to sleep on his tummy anyways, your suppose to do tummy time when he is awake, not sleeping. He does not have much head control at 6 weeks. If you want the best for him, put him on his back.

Answer 7

It does put him at a higher risk... but many babies do prefer tummy sleeping.
If you do wish to continue putting him on his tummy... make sure there is nothing in the cot with him.... just a mattress and a fitted sheet. Make sure there's good airflow into the cot... no bumperpads, fresh air, etc.

Answer 8

I sometimes do the same thing and my son is 7 weeks. I just go and check on him periodically through the night and I don't have anything in his crib with him. I was a tummy sleeper when I was a baby.

Answer 9

My son was the same way, he would NOT sleep on his back longer than 45 mins. We never had a problem, my son is now almost 7 months old and is still a tummy sleeper

Answer 10

I had one baby who just strongly preferred her tummy. Since she was in the low-risk catagory, we followed all the SIDS rules including putting her to sleep on her back BUT when she woke and fussed a couple hours later, I confess we would flip her. She would go back to sleep and sleep like a rock.