Sleep issues: Really active baby/spit up

salem17

My daughter is 5 months old and has been sleeping in a swing since she was 4 weeks. I started using the swing because it kept her upright enough to keep her from spitting up in her sleep, which has always been a problem for her. Lately I've been using it because it keeps her in one place. When I lay her to sleep flat she moves like crazy; my boyfriend and I have dubbed her baby UFC fighter because of the way she throws herself around. It would be fine if she stayed asleep but she wakes herself up every 20 minutes or so. And now she can roll over which has presented a new problem: spitting up from the pressure on her belly and laying face down in it because she's too sleepy to roll over. The spitting up makes me a paranoid mess (adults drown in their vomit, she could too) and her an actual mess (her full head of hair gets matted with the goo). 

Has anyone else ever had this issue? How did you transition your little one to sleeping flat? I've considered letting her transition herself when she shows signs that she's ready, but ideally I'd like to move her into her own room and crib around 6 months.

Notes: I almost never turn the swing on, it's purpose is only to keep her immobile and upright. I've tried swaddling but after week one she was not having it. I've tried feeding her an hour or two before bed so she's not so full and it doesn't seem to make a difference with the spitting up.

Thank you in advance!

mcgeeva

I never did the swing but my lo has silent reflux and spits up a ton no matter what we do. I am just use to at this point wiping up the spitup that soaks his mattress, washing his hair and face in the am etc. But both my boys had spitup issues so I think I am just getting use to the mess. Babies move their airms and freak themselves out. I just think at some point you will need to bite the bullet and move your lo to a crib so she can stretch out. She is at the age of rolling etc and she may like to sleep on her belly etc. I was concerned about spitting up and suffocating but my doctor said even at a month that they know to move their heads. She should be good with tummy time now to move her face. The spitup  doesn't bother my son at all it is just more stressful on us. The spitting up for us really didn't get better until 9-11 months when my lo was eating more solids. Even then he would spit up the solids as soon as we layid him down even if he had been upright for awhile. I think you just have to accept you have a baby that spits up and there will be messes to clean up and clothes to wash non-stop the whole first year. 

mcgeeva

Also I wouldn't give less milk at night unless you want to keep getting up to feed your lo. I try to tank my son up before bed so he sleeps longer stretches. My doctor has had me putting a tablespoon of rice cereal for every two oz of milk in his bottles to help with the spitting up. The spitting up has not gone away but I do believe it has helped some. I know rice cereal is a touchy subject with most..but again my doctor recommeneded it.