Sleeping on stomach

ellenr80

My LO is about 4 1/2 months and sleeping has always been an issue. With the 4 month sleep regression and breaking out of her swaddle, it has been even worse... But we found the silver bullet...putting her to sleep on her stomach. It's a dream. She can roll belly to back and has great neck control. Of course, every website and pediatrician tells us not to. Anyone else going against the grain and allowing stomach sleeping? Personally, I think our parents were onto something.

irohspupil

If your baby can roll and isn't swaddled while on her tummy (and on a firm mattress), then I think it's fine. My LO often ends up rolling over to her side, face down in the mattress, when she sleeps at night.
Perhaps it'd be even better if your LO can roll the other way too. Mine rolls fine both ways.

Perfect Sonnet

I agree with the above.  My daughter has been rolling over and ending up on her side and stomach while she sleeps.  I am not about to keep a vigil over her all night to turn her back over.  However, you should probably stop swaddling if you still are.

Knottie1459358632

Does she like tummy time? I think my boy would be happier sleeping on his belly because he's trying to hard to roll (back to belly), but he's not a huge fan of tummy time. He's a horrible sleeper too so I keep hoping to find the magic switch!

stow2009

MY daughter has been sleeping on her tummy since 3 months, which is the exact correlation of when she started sleeping through the night! It's just so much better, and she isn't swaddled. I say go for it! We told our pediatrician (who had kids during the "don't let them sleep on their back because they will aspirate time period), and she just said "What? I didn't hear that!" and made sure we didn't have any stuffed animals or loose blankets in the crib. 

nyytink2

My son has slept on his stomach since he was 1 month old. We waited until he had good neck muscle control to turn his head in this position, but he never liked being swaddled or laying on his back to sleep. We did it first with naps and then progressed to night time. His dr said the same thing "I didn't head that but whatever works!" Lol.

Sbuxtonteaches

Wait - so your pedis said they haven't heard of back to sleep?

onaed

This just came up for me. I had always put LO on his back, but now he is rolling over to his stomach in the middle of night (and sleeps soundly). At first I would pick him up and put him back on his back (not ideal). I checked with my pediatrician and she said to just continue putting him to sleep initially on back but if he rolls over it was OK (not to turn him) and that he is strong enough to roll back if needed. Not sure why I can't just put him on stomach in first place, but whatevs.

stow2009

My pediatrician said she has to tell us that there have been studies that seem to correlate sleeping on their back to a decreased rate of SIDS, however once they start rolling around there isn't much you can do about how they end up! She just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything in the crib baby could get tangled up in. 

jesselayne8

Sbuxtonteaches said:

Wait - so your pedis said they haven't heard of back to sleep?

I think they meant their pedi was pretending like they didn't hear them when they said their baby sleeps on their tummy because it goes against recommendations. Obviously if baby is rolling to his/her stomach on their own then it is fine.

jesfrey

My babe sleeps on his stomach and has since he was about a month old.  My mother came over and put him on his stomach to sleep-at first I freaked out because the doctors tell you to have them sleep on their back, but then i realized that he loves it and has never had a problem. 

mrsb30

My baby is 6 months old we put her to sleep on her back and she rolls to her belly. We just make sure the crib is safe, no bumper, nothing in the crib. If they are rolling over and doing it on their own it's fine.

eule1991

My baby sleeps on his belly since he's about a month old. He never slept good on his back and he started sleeping through the night at about 2 month of age. We are very lucky. Every few years they change how a baby is suppose to sleep in a crib. When I was born I only slept on my belly. When my friend started having kids they were suppose to sleep on the side. I think we as parents know whats best for our child. Obviously we make sure they are safe and dont suffercate on a blanket or something.

Do what you think is right and not what others tell you to.