Is it okay to lay a 3 month old on her back one night & and her stomach the next?

Question

I am worried about SIDS but, my 3 month old daughter has a flat head in the back. Sometimes I lay her on her stomach but, not very often.

Answer 1

It's been proven that placing an infant to sleep on her back lowers the child's risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). In countries where there have been "Back to Sleep" campaigns advising parents to place their infants on their backs at bedtime, SIDS rates have fallen 30 to 50 percent.

Yet, remember that this is only a statistical correlation. It does not mean that if your baby sleeps on her tummy she's going to die of SIDS. Current SIDS rates are around one in a thousand babies; meaning that there's a 99.9 percent chance your child will remain a healthy little girl regardless of her sleep position. And while the cause of SIDS is still unknown, there is strong evidence that it is the result of an at-risk baby having an immature breathing- regulating system that fails to restart the breathing process when the baby is in a deep sleep. In fact, many SIDS researchers believe that a baby will naturally assume the sleep position that allows them to breathe more comfortably during the night. If your baby habitually flips over onto her tummy after you put her down to sleep on her back this may be the right sleeping position for her. If you want to be completely safe, however, you might want to try staying with your baby until she falls asleep; then turn her onto her back when she's in a deep sleep.

Answer 2

It is the general recommendation that babies be put down to sleep on their backs. There is a correlation between back sleeping and a decreased risk of SIDS. Flat heads are normal in most babies today because of the back sleeping practice. Somewhere between 6-9 months, many babies begin to naturally roll over on their own and become stomach sleepers, which is perfectly fine and normal. By 12 months only a small number of infants still have a flat head that may benefit from some medical intervention, such as the wearing of a helmet. One of the things you can do is put your baby down to sleep on her back, but when she is awake, give her frequent "tummy time" during some floor play. This will keep some of the pressure of her head for a short period of time. A flat head is not generally of concern and as your baby begins learning to sit a bit and subsequently becomes mobile, the flat head will disappear naturally.

Answer 3

you can have her on her side just have a rolled towel depending on how much your baby moves. If baby moves a lot then disregard the towel or anything else. Baby will never have a flathead. By the time they are 4 months they start to move on their own and not lay on the back of head anymore. If baby don't move too much have rolled towels on her front and back and lay her on her side. ONLY WHEN NAP TIME SO THAT AT NIGHT YOU CAN LAY HER FLAT. You can also have baby in day time on her tummy when awake but at night since you are all graugy and sleepy never lay on tummy, you are right to worry about SIDS. You can also lay on stomach during nap times but make sure that she is being watched or supervised.

Answer 4

You shouldn't be putting your baby to sleep on her stomach at all.
You are giving her tummy time, right? And, you hold her for parts of the day?
As long as she is not on her back 24 hours a day, flat head won't be a problem.
My son used to favor sleeping with his face resting on the right, so I would gently turn it to the left some nights, just so the right side wouldn't be flatter that the left.

Answer 5

Try this (I had to do it for my son for the same reason). Always put baby to bed on their backs at nighttime. During the day for naps (when you're there close by) you can lay the baby on the stomach, but only if you're in the same room and awake to make sure that baby's breathing is normal. This took care of the flat spot.

Answer 6

easily my opinion is while they are sufficiently previous to coach their heads from ingredient to ingredient i admire the assumption of them being on their stomachs or ingredient. My son had acid reflux disease disease soooo undesirable and vomited in his sleep, if he became into on his returned he could choke!! I had those (i don't bear in recommendations the call) triangular formed pad pillow issues you put in front and at the back of the toddler to assist them so they stay to tell the tale their ingredient, they labored super for the two my teenagers. My daughter nonetheless loves her tummy and continuously has, my mom began the sleeping on the tummy subject along with her to boot and confident they are greater delicate and sleep longer and sense greater shield with their front ingredient up against something, like they do while they lay on mommy's chest!! i think of they are advantageous any way they are comfortable, i'm on my third toddler and by no ability have i long gone "by using the e book" elevating my teenagers...all teenagers are diverse and a few of that stuff that works on some do not paintings on others!!!!

Answer 7

hi, fist of all
for any reason lay your baby on her stomach to sleep, atnight or during day, nap time=lay on back please.

but what you can do, is that all the time left that she is awake, don't lay her on her head, just do it, when you change her diaper, but, really encourage tummy time, wich is an excellent thing to do, and is even better, when they get used to it earlier, than 6 months, so, try to get her engaged in rattles, mirrors, or just lay and play with her , you can do tummy time on the floor, in the bed, even at a table, but watch out, be careful, right now, she might not roll yet, but she will start in about 2 or 3 months, so, don't trust a lot, on leaving her in unsafe places by herself, you can help her to sit , of corse, not totally straight,but, try to lift her head, a little, so, she doesn't stay long time on her back of her head. let me tell you that, sometimes, those things go away later in life, but there are some that stay like it, don't worry, and if it really worries you ju should ask her doctor, what to do. but, please, don't lay your baby to sleep on her stomach, even if it's day light, if you are not right next to her, please, don't do it. ok?
take care of your baby.

Answer 8

if you're putting her to sleep, it's best if she is on her back. to avoid the flat head (which really goes away after a while anyway), just make sure she has plenty of tummy time when she's awake :-). She shouldn't sleep on her tummy unless she is rolling over and doing it on her own. My baby always ends up on her stomach now, but I still lay her on her back when I put her to bed.

Answer 9

The GREATEST risk of SIDS is from a change in sleeping habits. A baby who is used to a pacifier and put to sleep without one, a baby that is not used to pacifiers and is put to sleep with one, a baby that is used to back sleeping and is placed on their belly, etc.

This is a serious risk. If your baby has a flat head keep them off their head when they aren't sleeping. Don't lay her down except to change her, don't put her in swings, bouncy chairs, etc. Don't use strollers, use baby carriers. Carseats of course for car trips but ONLY car trips.

When she is sleeping turn her head to one direction one night, and the other direction the next night. You may have to point her head towards to opposite end of the bed as well.

Answer 10

Im worried about SIDS too so what i did with my son is lie him back then every now and then i check onto him and turn he's head facing other side then after facing the other side. During he's morning nap i lie him on he's back he's head facing the right way then during he's afternoon nap he's head facing the left side. and i continually doing it even now with my second baby she's 4 months now and have round head.
Better to be safe then sorry. ;-)