"Back to sleep" isn't working - I feel awful about

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Children's Health

1 2 3 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

Mommastuff

Sun, Apr 29 2007, 6:56 pm

My baby has a hard time sleeping on her back. After age turned 5.5 months, she rolled over onto her tummy and Voile! she slept like an angel!! Now I just put her to sleep on her tummy but I feel like an abusive mother
Did anyone have this experience where they put the baby to sleep onthe tummy? If I had known that it would've worked that well in the first place, maybe I would have done it.
(I did ask the doctor for advice but he said no yummy)

chochma73

Sun, Apr 29 2007, 7:05 pm

most of my kids slept on their tummy. I would put them on their side and they would always turn that little bit till they get to their tummy. after awhile I stopped fighting them and put them to sleep on the tummy to begin with.

btMOMtoFFBs

Sun, Apr 29 2007, 7:11 pm

mommastuff - you aren't abusive - for goodness sakes... don't be so hard on your self. You're obviously a super diligent mother who sincerely wants to do what's best. Once your baby can turn herself over you just don't have control over it anyway, so I don't see the harm in putting her to sleep on her tummy. I did it for my 3 kids after trying out the back with all of them.

I have never heard anyone say the baby slept as well on the back as they do on the tummy. A pediatrician would never tell you otherwise because of liability.

Just be happy she sleeps!

cassandra

Sun, Apr 29 2007, 7:12 pm

Once they roll over they can sleep on their stomachs. I always put mine on their back and then they'd roll over anyway...

mimivan

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 1:08 am

Yeesh! I'm thinking of all the sleep I missed because I listened to my doctor about not putting the baby on his tummy.

smiley:)

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 1:10 am

I also put him on his stomach from the time we went home from the hospital. I have heard so many ppl saying the baby sleeps better on the stomach.

chen

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 6:32 am

The pendulum swings and then it swings back; babies endure. When my children were born, we were told to put them to bed face down lest they CH"V choke on their vomit should they regurgitate in their sleep. 15 years later, the medical wisdom was never put them to sleep on their stomach, on the back is the right way. in another 15 years who knows? it may be "hang them by their knees from a trapeze."

fact is, once the baby rolls over by himself, he'll do as he pleases. don't sweat it.

gryp

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 6:58 am

I put all my babies on their stomachs to sleep as soon as I see they're not sleeping very long on their backs. I'm always close by and always checking on them until they learn to push up high.
My doctor asked me about when he saw my oldest didn't have a flat spot on the back of his head, and he smiled and told me not to tell anyone. Wink

nylon

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 7:09 am

chen wrote:

In this case they have proven that "back to sleep" reduces SIDS (deaths have dropped dramatically since the campaign began).

However, once the baby can roll over there's nothing you can do--and the risk of SIDS is much less by 6 months anyway.

R&RMom

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 7:21 am

I don't mean to scare anyone but I really get annoyed with people who claim that "Back to Sleep" is just a phase recommended by the Pediatric Association..I have done some research on this, and simply by putting babies to sleep on their backs SIDS deaths have been reduced by 50%!! Thats half the death toll by changing nothing else but putting babies on the back (not even side)! Of course there are other reccommendations made by the SIDS alliance such as not overheating the baby, not sleeping with the baby in bed, and most recently, putting them to sleep with a pacifier...but there is definite proof out there that putting babies to sleep on their backs is the way to go. Of course when we were young our mothers put us on our stomachs, but the research for back to sleep was not out at that time. For those of you that still choose to put babies to sleep on thier stomachs, just becasue they sleep better...if you are willing to take the risk just to sleep some more, well that is your choice I guess. The fact is that newborns are supposed to wake up at night! I know what it is like to have a baby that sleeps better on the stomach! I had a very colicy baby who only slept well on her stomach..the First 5 months were a nightmare but you know what I did...I still put her to sleep on her back because as the slogan goes..."Face up, to wake up"! I only put her to sleep on her stomach for naps during the day while I was right there supervising her.
As far as a baby that turns on his/her own...once a baby can turn over, it does not really matter how your put them in, if they can turn over and go on their stomachs, they will and its ok!
I am sorry if I went off on a tangent but I really feel strongly about this matter and its not just me...the research is out there to prove it...so please, before you put your babies on theor stomachs, even if it means catching some zzzz's, please do some research and see what is best for baby!

gryp

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 7:30 am

I've never heard of babies sleeping through the night just because they were sleeping on their stomachs. They wake up when it's time to eat on their stomachs too.
When I said they don't sleep on their backs, I didn't necessarily mean at night, I meant during the day for naps.

My youngest baby would choke on his saliva every time I put him on his back. And he would gag and gag and gag.... There is no way I would put him on his back again. Also, he rolled over at 4 months, so I should have to wait another 2 months to put him on his stomach?

TzenaRena

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 7:47 am

R&RMom wrote:

All my babies slept on their stomach, simply the doctors have come out with this fairly recently. This recommendation is probably in existence less than a decade. however, I share GR's experience, my babies spit up alot, and some were colicky, and I was always afraid of them choking on their spit-up. In the carriage they WERE on their backs, and I frequently checked because of that. Are doctors not concerned at all about that? Confused

elmofood

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 5:55 pm

why are people here so ignorant? if we know that 50 percent of sids deaths have been reduced due to back sleeping, why are all of you having difficulty with that? do you want to be the one to take a chance and suffer? I think not. lots of things have changed over the years in regards to child rearing. deal with it

TzenaRena

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 8:16 pm

elmofood wrote:

Hmmm, and why are people here so rude? shock

Quote:

if we know that 50 percent of sids deaths have been reduced due to back sleeping, why are all of you having difficulty with that?

I also know someone who put their first baby on their back, or side, but with the next baby didn't. Because as a result of always sleeping on her back, the first would cry when put on her stomach and was delayed in reaching all the milestones that begin with tummy time, such as crawling, sitting up, rolling over. I think therapy helped but it might not have had to be a concern at all Confused

I also don't think that the misery of a helpless baby gagging on their spit-up, or in pain, even agony from colic is fair to disregard!

Are doctors being forthright about these trade-offs in development? Or they don't want people to know this? Confused

Quote:

lots of things have changed over the years in regards to child rearing.

Yup. And they are still changing and will keep changing. One day, back sleeping may no longer be regarded as imperative as it is now.

Quote:

do you want to be the one to take a chance

I'm not saying that people shouldn't heed the recommendations! Just that long term effects of changes in medical protocol take time to become clear, but when they do, changes may be announced again!

raizy

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 8:30 pm

I am also in firm belief that most babies don't like to sleep on their backs.
all my kids sleep on their tummies. but the first few weeks they sleep on their side with a towel rolled up so they shouldnt roll over.

I did ask my doctor about back to sleep . he claimed as long as the baby is healty at birth then is should not be a problem.

and anyways what am I suppose to do. stand over their beds and if they turn on their stomachs I should turn them over 100 times a night. Rolling Eyes

you gotta be relastic.

justanothermother

Mon, Apr 30 2007, 8:46 pm

**

Last edited by justanothermother on Sun, Mar 02 2008, 3:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

Chani

Tue, May 01 2007, 3:59 am

btw, my pediatrician said to put the babies on their backs to sleep, but to make sure that they had time on their tummies while AWAKE and supervised so they could use those muscles. When my babies started rolling over and I freaked out about them always turning over and sleeping on their stomachs, he said if they can roll over don't worry about it anymore.

nylon

Tue, May 01 2007, 4:28 am

raizy wrote:

I did ask my doctor about back to sleep . he claimed as long as the baby is healty at birth then is should not be a problem.

SIDS babies are normal at birth! That is why SIDS was always so puzzling--the babies were otherwise healthy.

"Back to sleep" is not a fad, it is PROVEN. And the old reason for putting babies on their tummies--that they won't choke when they spit up--has been disproven. Babies will involuntarily swallow anything they spit up.

(There are a few babies who should stomach sleep because of severe reflux or disabilities, but this is rare and if it's the case your dr will tell you.)

Please, read http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publi.....n.cfm and put your babies on their backs, EVERY TIME!

gryp

Tue, May 01 2007, 6:47 am

Quote:

And the old reason for putting babies on their tummies--that they won't choke when they spit up--has been disproven. Babies will involuntarily swallow anything they spit up.

I don't believe that. I've watched my baby gag and choke for too many seconds too many times. Never again.

Quote:

why are people here so ignorant?

is "ignorant" synonymous with "voluntarily ignoring medical recommendations?" Scratching Head

I'm waiting for the world of doctors to make up their minds on several issues.

greenfire

Tue, May 01 2007, 7:15 am

choking on spit up is pretty serious ... and more likely to happen if laying on their backs ... the medical field is constantly changing their opinions ... I rely on common sense ... instinct - and thank g-d I have it!!!

Page 1 of 3

1 2 3 Next