Early Roller. WWPD?

kellyrn9956

I have a very early roller. He started rolling about two weeks ago at 3 months and can roll both ways, but is much better at back to belly, which is the opposite of what I thought it would be. Sometimes he can't get back to his back.  

I woke up the other night to find him in his bassinet on his belly, growling because he couldn't get back to his back. It scared me because he just is not great at getting back to his back, and I'm afraid he'll wear himself out fighting on his tummy and end up falling asleep on his belly, potentially with his face in the mattress. 

So I moved him back to my bed, where I can position him to stay on his back and I will wake more easily if he starts to roll or struggle. We have bed shared off and on from day one, and all safety precautions are in place, and I feel much more comfortable bed sharing now that he is older. 

My thought is that I will wait to put him back in the bassinet until either he can roll more easily onto his back, or 4 months when the peak SIDS risk starts to go down. What are your thoughts?  Am I being a bit neurotic with this and should I just let him sleep in his bassinet however he wants to? They say that babies can sleep on their tummies once they can roll, but he can't get back the other way!!

acaudill75

I've never been down with the forcing babies to sleep on their backs, so take my advice with that in mind. I rolled at three weeks according to my mother. I lived,. I feel if he is rolling onto his tummy, you have to let him work towards rolling onto his back. DDs rolled at 5 months, and I can't remember having any issues with them falling asleep on their tummies. They slept on the sides of their faces, not with their faces in the mattress.

Keep all unnecessary items out of his crib, and he should be fine.

secretsout

We had an early roller, and also a face sleeper.  When I would go into his room, he would have his face down in his mattress.  It really worried me, but the pediatrician told me that if he has enough head control/muscle strength to move and roll, then he can move his head if he is uncomfortable. 

LadyXaverian

Nora started rolling to her belly at 3.5 months. I tried for a few nights to no avail to get to her sleep on her back. Finally I had to give up and try to rest assured that she was strong enough to move her head back and forth in her crib. I monitored her the best I could and kept her crib empty.

 

kellyrn9956

Thanks everyone!

Should have mentioned that the bassinet is actually a bassinet in a PNP. So it has mesh sides and no extra padding.  

jlw2505

Your baby is at more risk in your bed than rolling onto his tummy in his own.  once a baby can roll, even if only one way, the risk of SIDS goes way down.  You don't need to go roll him back over unless he's crying about it.  Just let him be.  Put him to bed on his back and he will end up however he ends up.  Just make sure to have nothing in the crib with him and make the sure the bottom sheet is tight on the mattress. 

jlw2505

CTGirl30:

As soon as DD could roll, she became a tummy sleeper. I'd get him out of the bassinet with all the padding and put him in a crib with just a fitted sheet.

 

This - I'd get him out of the bassinet with all the padding and put him in a crib with just a fitted sheet..  A child this age should be in a real crib not a bassinet.  Once a child is moving even a little bit, a bassinet is not a good idea.