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Putting babies to sleep



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kb




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 9:31 am
My baby has been sleeping through the night since 8 weeks. He has reflux, so the drs said he would be more comfortable with his head up.

I've been putting him to sleep swaddled in a car seat, and he wakes up happy and smiley (12 hours later, so I'm smiley too!) Now my mother and mil and grand-mil have decided that it's not healthy for him to sleep like that because he needs to sleep in a crib like all normal babies do.

I've put him to sleep for naps on his back and his stomach - he doesn't finish his nap on his back - he wakes up in the middle tired and crying, and the only way to get him back to sleep is if I reposition him somewhere else (usually after I feed him again.) He sleeps well on his stomach, but I'm nervous to have him sleep like that when I'm not awake to check on him.

Also he needs pt for his neck (he keeps it tilted to one side) and the pt said he should never be on his back (fat chance of that - he's only happy on his stomach for a few minutes tops!)

So:

Does anyone else put their kids to sleep in a car seat? Is it bad for the neck / spine...? Any problems you can think of? All the doctors I've asked said it's okay.
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anonymrs




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 9:53 am
One of my brothers slept ONLY in a car seat until 8 months. He is 13 and just fine....

Ask your pediatrician and anyone who bothers you, just say, "I discussed with DS's pediatrician and he felt that x,y,z is best for him right now."
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buzz




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 10:00 am
How about the stroller? More flat position? My 1 yr old sleeps in stroller for both day naps she sleeps much longer, at night in the crib! I feel bad bec I feel like she needs room to move but she likes it. I would be nervous putting a baby to sleep longterm in a caraway, they need to stretch, grow, move etc a stroller allows for that a bit more!
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 10:13 am
Sleeping in a car seat is not healthy for a number of reasons. Most importantly, in that position, the chest and airways can be constricted, resulting in decreased oxygen levels. I don't think anyone wants her baby's brain to be getting too little oxygen, no matter how well they are sleeping.

How old is he? At a certain point, it is safe for babies to sleep on their stomachs. If he has torticollis, you can ask the PT which way to turn his head while he sleeps on his back. He will prefer one way, but turning it the other way will actually help stretch the muscles. If the PT said no back time because he has a flat head, being in a car seat is just as bad, or worse. Ask the PT for advice on the safest position that will benefit your ds.
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 11:10 am
Second suggestion for talking to your PT. If you weren't already working with one, I wouldn't send you out of your way, but if you already have a PT giving recommendations for your specific situation then s/he should work with you to find the best sleeping position(s) for your individual baby.
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kb




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 1:32 pm
My son is 4.5 months. I don't want to have him sleep at night on his stomach because he can't really roll over yet, and I like to check on him to make sure he's okay when he's sleeping on his stomach - something I can't do at night.

Didn't start pt yet - I met with a doctor at the therapy center once (who I absolutely can't stand, but that's another story). I told him I have him sleep in the car seat because of his reflux and doctors have recommended that he sleep upright, and he said, 'so why are you asking me. Ask the doctor who told you to do it!'. (get why I don't like him?)

Also, this therapist will not be able to work anything out for the baby - he told me keep him on his stomach all day, and it's okay if he cries. No it's not. It's okay if my baby isn't always so happy, but it's not okay if he cries and cries and cries - which is what he does after 5 minutes on his stomach!

The car seat is not snug - if anything I would say it's too big for him - I put rolled up blankets on each side so that he can't 'flop' around, but he can move his hands and feet as much as he wants. He moves around quite a bit in it (don't worry, he's loosely strapped in so he can't fall out)

Are you sure about the oxygen issue? I asked 2 pediatricians about this, and they both said they didn't see any problems with it. (One told me he thought it was weird, and the other told me it should not make any difference to the torticollis.)
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LiLIsraeli




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 2:19 pm
My DD slept in her car seat for the first few months of her life. She had mild torticolis (which did not need therapy), and hated being flat on her back.

I switched her into a crib when she was old enough to roll from back to front and front to back, so she could find her own comfortable position to sleep in - about 8 months.

BH she is 13 months old, her head is perfectly straight, and she sleeps very comfortably in her crib (waking up several times a night, but that's another story)!

I wouldn't worry about sleeping in a car seat too much, as long as the straps are not too tight and he has some room to move around. If he is more comfortable there than on his back, then I would continue letting him sleep there until he is older.
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 2:19 pm
Sorry, it does not sound like you have too much contact with good doctors! Can you find another therapy center? Car seats are NOT recommended for torticollis babies. Positioning is extremely important, and that's the first thing they should have discussed with you. And they also should have explained how to build up a tolerance for tummy time, without excessive crying, and how to hold him and stretch him to help the torticollis.

Here is some more info on sleeping in a car seat. http://articles.cnn.com/2009-0.....EALTH
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Bea21




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 2:39 pm
MaBelleVie wrote:
Sorry, it does not sound like you have too much contact with good doctors! Can you find another therapy center? Car seats are NOT recommended for torticollis babies. Positioning is extremely important, and that's the first thing they should have discussed with you. And they also should have explained how to build up a tolerance for tummy time, without excessive crying, and how to hold him and stretch him to help the torticollis.


Thumbs Up

Putting infants in a car seat for extended periods of time has been proven to worsen torticollis and/or cause similar symptoms. What you describe as tilting his head to one side is one of those symptoms.

As for rules of when to put kids to sleep on stomachs: I do daytime naps almost right away, (if you're nervous about that, don't -- just give tummy time), and nighttime from when they can turn over from stomach to back.

Hazlacha!


Last edited by Bea21 on Mon, Sep 05 2011, 4:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Kayza




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 4:30 pm
kb wrote:

I've put him to sleep for naps on his back and his stomach - he doesn't finish his nap on his back - he wakes up in the middle tired and crying, and the only way to get him back to sleep is if I reposition him somewhere else (usually after I feed him again.) He sleeps well on his stomach, but I'm nervous to have him sleep like that when I'm not awake to check on him.

If you keep the crib EMPTY and make sure the mattress is firm and the sheet smooth and well tucked under the mattress, the risk is low. Most of the studies did not control for the type of mattress, and things in the crib. Those that did show a far lower risk. But, you could always put a monitor in there.
Quote:

Also he needs pt for his neck (he keeps it tilted to one side) and the pt said he should never be on his back (fat chance of that - he's only happy on his stomach for a few minutes tops!)

Did you ask the PT? The car seat can almost certainly make this problem worse.
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Kayza




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 4:38 pm
kb wrote:
My son is 4.5 months. I don't want to have him sleep at night on his stomach because he can't really roll over yet, and I like to check on him to make sure he's okay when he's sleeping on his stomach - something I can't do at night.

Get a monitor. As others have pointed out, the car seat position IS an issue.
Quote:

The car seat is not snug - if anything I would say it's too big for him - I put rolled up blankets on each side so that he can't 'flop' around, but he can move his hands and feet as much as he wants. He moves around quite a bit in it (don't worry, he's loosely strapped in so he can't fall out)

But he is never going to develop correctly if he has as little flat time as you describe. The fact that at 4.5 months he still can't roll over from stomach to back should tell you something.

He NEEDS more tummy time than you are describing. If there is a way to get him to tolerate it better without excessive crying, than that's obviously the way to go. It's definitely something you should discuss with the therapist. On the other hand, if you don't do something NOW, it's going to be far harder on him down the road. What I am saying is that if your therapist can't help you find a way to increase his tolerance without all the crying, and you can't find a better therapist, then he is better off crying now, then dealing with the fall-out later.

I do agree with the others who advised you to see if you can find another center / get another therapist.
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kb




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 6:00 pm
He is learning how to roll over - he rolls halfway from his back to his stomach, and he has rolled from his stomach to his back (when he was very full and happy) but it was an accident each time and he doesn't realize yet that he can do it.

I always leave him on his stomach crying for a little bit, but I can't leave him there all day like that!

And I don't know if I can get another therapist - I'm in Israel, and I have to use the therapist I'm given by my insurance (I think). So far, we only went for an evaluation, and that was not the therapist who is going to be seeing him (once a week - is that enough to do anything anyway?) so we'll see what happens once I meet the therapist assigned to him.

But when he sleeps on his stomach, sometimes he'll pick up his head a little bit and then put it back down - but not turned, so that his nose is directly in the mattress. That's why I'm nervous to let him sleep like that all night.

I've heard of people putting babies to sleep on the side. How do you do that? How do you stop him from rolling over onto his stomach? And do you think if I change where I put him to sleep he's going to stop sleeping through the night?!!?!?!!
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gp2.0




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 6:53 pm
He's most likely going to stop sleeping through the night as soon as he starts teething/around 6 months when his sleep schedule changes, so I wouldn't get too hung up on that.
My DD hated being on her tummy, and never rolled over as a means of getting somewhere - she did it every now and then by accident, but much preferred to be on her back. She was sitting at 6 months, crawling at 10 months, and walking at 12 months k'ah.

I have heard from several people, and my pediatrician agrees, that rolling over isn't such a milestone these days because babies aren't being put to sleep on their stomachs and never get the hang of it.

Find a good ped that you like and trust and discuss everything with them.
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tms1




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 8:25 pm
My dd's pediatrician said that she lets her newborns sleep in car seats.
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ahuvah4




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 9:39 pm
All my 4 kids slept in carseats till 7months, they were more cozy that way and more or less slept through the night. theyre all doing fine.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Sep 04 2011, 10:41 pm
if you do put your baby to sleep in a carseat make sure that his chin isnt touching his chest. that head flopped forward postion means your baby's airway is being cut off and he cant breathe.
if you hear him making grunting sounds, you know its happening. even when holding a baby in your arms, too curved inwards can cause that.

I only became aware of this with my last baby, and when I did I felt horrible at the thought that my other kids probably made that grunting sound too and I didnt realize they simply couldnt breathe properly. embarrassed
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